 Can anybody please help me to discover what I have done wrong. I recently spent a week on the river Wye in Herefordshire below Hey on Wye. It is the first time I have been able to fish for barbel in the fast waters of a river like the Wye. I set my tackle following the experts advice from my fishing magazines as I knew no different. What happened was a total disaster, every time I hit into a Barbel it snapped me up like a twig. I was using 10lb flurocarbon line with an 8lb braided hooklength, with a 21mm halibut pellet on a hair rig. I was using a standard bolt rig, with a sliding back weight. The snap always occurred above the bolt rig. I caught plenty of Chub with no problems. Who can help me?
|
 |
 I would say the fluro was catching the bed of the river. When a Barbel takes the bait it stays on the bed as opposed to chub which raise in the water when feeling resistance. I would also do awy with the backlead unless you know you are on clean river bed. This brings your main line up in the water also. I would go for a standard mainline or something like Krystonite in 10 or 12Ib which is a lot more abrasion resistant.
Good luck for the future i had my first session on the Wye this year and look forward to many more.
|
|
Thanks Bryan, Would you suggest a Lead core or titanium leader of about 3ft. This has been suggested to me. I am also looking forward to returning next year.
|
|
None of the above as you are usually fishing across the flow of the river. I would fish a longer hooklink with some tungsten putty or plasticine to help hold it down. You can fish a long leader by adding a short heavy fluro section just changing the end braided hooklinks.
That way when you lift into a fish you will lift the lead from the river bed faster.
The Wye is a lot like my local river the Ribble. The bed is strewen with bolders any line hugging the bottom gets wrapped around these. So you need to keep as much line as possible of the river bed.
Hope this helps. If you have any further questions just ask and i will try and help.
|
|
Thanks Bryan, I am now building quite a little volume of information about Barbel on the Wye. It is great, that you have taken the time to pass on this information, to us uninformed slow water anglers. I have fished some of the great rivers in Eastern Canada, but the Wye is something else as are the Barbel.
|
|
Have only fished your slow rivers once the Royalty stretch of the Hampshire Avon. I blanked totally diffrent to what i am use to. Hope to have another go over the christmas period when i will be in southampton visiting freinds.
Next time your over on the Wye give the Teme a day or two. Lovely little river where you may feel more at home. Still a deep spate river in places.
|
|
Dave,
I would get that flourocarbon off...get some berkely trilene clear 10lb on the reel, then 10 or 12lb braid for hooklength, I use Drennan sink braid and use some braid sink putty to pin it to the river bed.
I have had 11lb barbel in flood water with this set up no problem, I find trilene xl clear is fantastic line casts great and beds in well on the spool, never get a wind knot with it.
Another thing is to make sure you test your clutch setting on the reel before starting to fish. I have lost fish in the past by not setting clutch right and using flourocarbon, the stuff is easily weakened unless you are very careful when tying knots.
|
|
You could try a free running rig rather than a bolt rig or something of that sort. I wouldnt honestly reccomend leadcore for someone not used to barbel fishing. Having read a recent article by Tony Miles I may well reconsider my use of leadcore when barbel fishing. If youre getting bites then youre more than halfway there. I'd suggest you check your hooklength and your hook after every cast as if the river beds strewn with rocks and the like then flurocarbon does tend to shall we say not last too long? I assume youre using baitrunners?
Welcome to the wonderful world of barbel fishing by the way.
|
|
I would also say get reid of the bolt rig, just use a simple running feeder with the safety clip attachment. That way if the feeder gets caught between the boulders it will just pull straight off.
I have barbel fished for a number of years on various rivers and IMHO a bolt rig is not necessary as barbel will more often than not virtually hook themselves.
Paul
|
|
 I fish a bit lower down and ive had a light rod snap on a barbel take we tend to use 12lb mono min and elastic shock leader find under the match section in the tackle shop I think Korum do it and a 6 lb hook link do not strike hard and enjoy
|
|
hi,i really want to know whats the best bait for barbel in lakes because ive caught one by but that was very hard to find
thanks
|
| Edited: 30/05/07 20:04 |
hi everyone ,,, been to collingham last night and used my new barbel rod , caught a 6lb barbel in first ten minutes then nothing for 24 hours. is this normal? plus having trouble with casting the 3-4oz leads anyone got any ideas? cheers
|
|
 Could be and Get yourself a stronger rod!
|
|
mmmmmmmmmm......so a 1.75lb barbel rod no good, was using a carp rod but found it to stiff
|
|
|
|
| Edited: 02/09/07 17:09 |
Learn to cast then is all I suggest. If you don't fill in you profile, how do you expect us to know, your level of competence?
|
|
ok edited profile abit, new to all this threading bussines..anyway , i know how to set up for a river like trent but having only fished a river twice before struggling with placement of leads ,hookbait if you know what i mean.
|
|
Right ,start by telling us how many years experience you've got How have you've set up? How do you know it's right, if you've only fished a river twice? (There is no reason, why you shouldn't be able to cast a 3 or 4oz weight with a 1.75 rod.) Do you mean, you don't know what's happening when your lead hits the water? Tell us where you casting, are you casting in front of you,upstream or,downstream ? We need to know what your doing, before we can help.
|
|
ok ,15 years experience, i'm useing a john wilson barbel system quiver with 10lb main to 9lb hooklength size 12 hook(hair) . i'm casting 3-4oz lead or pellet feeder to the middle of river straight out from the bank with the rod rest up avon style..having constant bangs on the tip but when strike nothing there..any tips would be gratefull
|
|
Don't strike at knocks,otherwise it all seems ok If your after barbel,they won't mess about,let the bite develope.The bangs are probably chub. I would say, that your taking a chance with your line though.I personally, knowing the snags about,would up your mainline to 15lb.
|
|
