5 Summer barbel fishing tips

Barbel fishing is so incredibly exciting. These long, powerful fish pull like crazy and are a beautiful species to witness on the bank. The summer brings unique challenges and opportunities. When rivers run slow and low, targeting the right gravel lies and adjusting tackle correctly can put more fish in your net. These 5 summer barbel fishing tips cover the best swim choices, bait, and gear, to give you the edge and catch more barbel on warmer days.

Go for gravel

No swim is created equal, there are definite areas that barbel prefer. The most productive of these will be shallow water, which in turn will be much faster and better oxygenated in summer when rivers are often low and sluggish. Combine this with a gravel bottom and you’re in business.

THE BEST BARBEL RODS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR BATTLING THE PRINCE OF THE RIVER.

Use enough lead

As with any type of fishing, your rig needs to act naturally in order to get a barbel to take the bait. That means keeping everything nailed to the deck. A feeder that’s carrying too little weight to hold bottom will roll down the swim, with no chance of a fish picking up the bait. Before the session, cast with a range of different weights of feeder until you find the one that holds bottom just where you want it. Be aware that the flow could increase when you start fishing, so have some even heavier feeders to hand just in case.

NEED TO FIND A TOP BARBEL WATER NEAR YOU? CHECK OUT OUR WHERE TO FISH GUIDE.

Don't be undergunned

Barbel fishing isn’t like going after roach or dace. You have to make sure that you are able to take control of every battle and that means using suitably robust tackle. A long hooklength is important because the fish seem to spook and feed less confidently close to a feeder. Start with a 5ft tail of around 0.20mm hooklength material, matched to strong size 12 or 14 hook.

CATCH BARBEL ON THE TRENT WITH OUR HOW TO FISH THE RIVER TRENT GUIDE.

Old school baits can be best

Pellets are catching ever more barbel on rivers, but at times they can be a bit too much of a slow burner. One of the best river fishing baits and more of a high-impact feed, it’s hard to see past hemp and casters. These small particles, introduced via a blockend feeder, will keep fish grubbing around for ages and pull other valuable fish, such as chub and perch, into the area too, letting you catch these while waiting for a barbel to pull the rod in!

THE BEST SPECIMEN RODS CAN BE USEFUL WHEN TARGETING MORE THAN JUST BARBEL.

Put a bow in the line

If you keep a very tight line between the rod tip and feeder when barbel fishing, then you’re asking for trouble! Bites can be ferocious and before you’ve even picked the rod up you could have been broken, even when using heavy gear, due to the lack of forgiveness in the set-up.

The solution is to have a bow in the line, using one of the best barbel reels only goes so far. By having a slack line in a bow creates a cushion that reduces the chance of being smashed. Bites when fishing like this will normally be a sharp knock on the tip and then a drop back as a fish moves the feeder and the line slackens off.

SIT COMFORTABLY WHILST WAITING FOR A 3 FOOT TWITCH ON THE BEST FISHING CHAIRS.