Anglers are often guilty of pigeonholing themselves into a certain style of fishing, and that can lead to missing out on some superb sport. Many commercial fishery fans have never bitten the bullet and targeted hard fighting barbel on rivers.
This is often because they believe that they don’t possess the skills or tackle to do so. That isn’t true in most cases, and many anglers will already own kit that’s perfectly suitable for barbel fishing on running water. The same applies when it comes to terminal tackle and simple, strong set-ups are the order of the day.
So, if you’re one of those anglers who’s been missing out on the Prince of the River, it’s time to take the plunge!
Choose the right swim
Barbel don’t live in every peg, so careful swim selection is essential. Target areas where the flow creates oxygen-rich conditions, as they prefer water with a bit of pace to it over slow, lifeless stretches. Areas with underwater features, spots just beyond creases, or those downstream from weirs can all be very productive too.
CATCH A BARBEL ON THE RIVER TRENT WITH THIS EXPERT GUIDE TO STRETCHES AND TACTICS.
Ring the dinner bell
Start by laying down a carpet of feed using groundbait, hemp and pellets to concentrate the barbel in an area. Cast out a large feeder half-a-dozen times at the start, and then top this up regularly, even if the action is slow, as small fish can peck away at it. Consistent feeding ensures that when barbel arrive, they’ll bully the other fish away.
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Go long and strong
Using a 10lb fluorocarbon hooklength of 4ft–6ft keeps the bait slightly away from the main bed of feed. This helps catch the bigger fish that will often sit just off the baited spot and pick off scraps. Combine this with an abrasion-resistant mono mainline of 10lb-15lb and a strong size 10 beaked-point hook such as a Guru SMWGB.
THE BEST POLE FISHING LINES MAKE EXCELLENT HOOKLENGTH MATERIAL.
Try a high attract hookbait
Dark hookbaits tend to work well, and while 10mm-14mm pellets can be brilliant fished alongside smaller samples, on some stretches that see a lot of barbel angling pressure, switching to a pungent dumbell boilie that’s been glugged in flavour can be more productive. There’s no need for fancy rigs – a standard hair rig works as well as anything.
CHECK OUT OUR PICK OF THE BEST BARBEL FISHING RODS.
