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Barbel fishing.


chrisjpainter
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So, I've never caught a barbel and feel this must be rectified as I have a bit more time on my hands at the moment. If anyone's down this way, I'm thinking of giving the Old Mill at Aldermaston a go, but just in general, has anyone got any tips, good rigs or baits that would be worth trying? If it helps, my rod will be my 12ft specialist. It's got a couple of top sections - a 1.75lb test curve and a 2lb - and teamed up with something in the region of 8lb+ line. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

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Hi Chris, a long time since I have fished for them but for a while my wife and I had great success on the river Severn with meat balls out of a tin . A pain to cast, more of a gentle lob but my god they loved em ;-) We never had a double but we came close. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

atvb Paul.

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Yeah, take a BBQ for the crayfish, it's swarming with them. Sadly the Kennet is not what it once was. The gates open at 8am.

 

When a friend and I used to fish it regularly (1998 - 2003 pre red plague) we used to arrive at 6am, cook a full English out the back of the Freelander. Being first there gave us choice of swims, we would plum for the middle of the lawns where the big Alders on the far bank used to be (all gone now). We would float fish for them standing out in the river in chest waders using heavy trotting rods and centrepins with a balsa top and bottom float, with the bulk shot 3/4 down (5-8BB depending on levels and flow) with a couple of droppers below that on 8lb main line with double reds on a size 14 Drennan super spade hook.

 

First thing was to bait up with about 4pts of hemp and red maggot via bait droppers and then set up the tackle, feeding well upstream via catapult as we did so. During the day we would get through two gallon of maggot and two gallon of hemp put through the same swim and some of the catches we had were fantastic, 30 -40 Barbel in a day between us up to low doubles. The secret was the amount of bait and the constant feeding, one of us always had the pult in hand.

 

The best fishing that I have ever had; species, method, location, company, everything.

 

So, I've never caught a barbel and feel this must be rectified as I have a bit more time on my hands at the moment. If anyone's down this way, I'm thinking of giving the Old Mill at Aldermaston a go, but just in general, has anyone got any tips, good rigs or baits that would be worth trying? If it helps, my rod will be my 12ft specialist. It's got a couple of top sections - a 1.75lb test curve and a 2lb - and teamed up with something in the region of 8lb+ line. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Edited by Penelope
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hello, i use to like barbel fishing in the 60s on the thames so good luck with your venture, i bought a old cane barbel rod and lovely centrepin made in weymouth a few years back for my fishy son who fishes the kennet a few times a year. NOTE !!!!!!the EA electro fished the thames recently a up came a 20llb barbel!!!!!!

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Yeah, take a BBQ for the crayfish, it's swarming with them. Sadly the Kennet is not what it once was. The gates open at 8am.

 

When a friend and I used to fish it regularly (1998 - 2003 pre red plague) we used to arrive at 6am, cook a full English out the back of the Freelander. Being first there gave us choice of swims, we would plum for the middle of the lawns where the big Alders on the far bank used to be (all gone now). We would float fish for them standing out in the river in chest waders using heavy trotting rods and centrepins with a balsa top and bottom float, with the bulk shot 3/4 down (5-8BB depending on levels and flow) with a couple of droppers below that on 8lb main line with double reds on a size 14 Drennan super spade hook.

 

First thing was to bait up with about 4pts of hemp and red maggot via bait droppers and then set up the tackle, feeding well upstream via catapult as we did so. During the day we would get through two gallon of maggot and two gallon of hemp put through the same swim and some of the catches we had were fantastic, 30 -40 Barbel in a day between us up to low doubles. The secret was the amount of bait and the constant feeding, one of us always had the pult in hand.

 

The best fishing that I have ever had; species, method, location, company, everything.

 

That sounds like a very pleasant way to spend a summers day, perhaps finish with a pint and a bite to eat :)

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Yep, the place closes to anglers at 7pm (it's a wedding venue), so we used to pop in to the Butt inn just up the road.

 

Very tired at the end of the day as it is hard work holding the rod up, playing the fish and constantly loose feeding. Got a bit chilly too standing up to your giggling tack in water all day.

 

That sounds like a very pleasant way to spend a summers day, perhaps finish with a pint and a bite to eat :)

Edited by Penelope
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Thank you all. Very useful. Unfortunately, what none of you can provide is fish stock! apparently there are very few in the rivers my way at the moment. Those that are there aren't big (doesn't bother me so much) and their locations are irritatingly kept secret. I have a plan, now i just need somewhere with barbel to activate it! minor detail...

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The Old Mill will be as good as place as any and available on a day ticket. Boilie/pellet approach is the norm these days.

 

Thank you all. Very useful. Unfortunately, what none of you can provide is fish stock! apparently there are very few in the rivers my way at the moment. Those that are there aren't big (doesn't bother me so much) and their locations are irritatingly kept secret. I have a plan, now i just need somewhere with barbel to activate it! minor detail...

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The Old Mill will be as good as place as any and available on a day ticket. Boilie/pellet approach is the norm these days.

 

Just had an email from Peter the warden there. Apparently a couple of barbel came out last week, but numbers are low and not many anglers. Could be worth a punt, especially as there should be some colour in the water now. Pellet was recommended to me by him as well. So hair rigged halibut on a bed of hemp and finely diced meat could be the menu. apparently there are some decent chub coming out every so often, and who'd say no to one of those?

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Ha, so Peter is still there, he is the one of the family that own the Old Mill.

 

Sadly, the Kennet and the Old Mill in particular are a shadow of there former selves. There used to be big numbers of shoal Barbel (2-8lb) in there.

 

Just had an email from Peter the warden there. Apparently a couple of barbel came out last week, but numbers are low and not many anglers. Could be worth a punt, especially as there should be some colour in the water now. Pellet was recommended to me by him as well. So hair rigged halibut on a bed of hemp and finely diced meat could be the menu. apparently there are some decent chub coming out every so often, and who'd say no to one of those?

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Tony, I've since heard that others it that stretch have be taken too. Such a shame.

 

The Wye is a wonderful river, from which I have had good numbers of fish to 12 1/2lb.

 

Still a good head of barbel where I go on the river Wye Unfortunately a lot of stretches of good rivers have been decimated by otters Only recently a 20lb fish in the Ivel was eaten

Edited by Penelope
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Woody from the tackle shop in Hereford had a huge 200lb plus bag (river record at the time) of chub with numerous 6's in a match on the Belmont golf course stretch a good few years ago. Friends fished the swim a couple of weeks before and had loads. The swim was a trough in the bottom along a over hanging tree line that was stacked with fish during low water conditions.

 

Only had them to 11lb from the Wye but boy do they go well ! Had some of the longest chub I've seen aswell Boilies and pellets in the summer,maggots and curry powder in the winter

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