Stocking small barbel in rivers

[thecrow]

According to the EA fish raised at Calverton and released in 2015 totalled almost half a million within that figure were 58,400 barbel so I would imagine quite a lot of rivers have received the small barbel from Calverton over the last few years, its perhaps these stocked fish that are being caught, growth rates of these fish will vary from river to river.

This information is from another forum posted by a very well qualified lady whose full name escapes me at the moment it does give some idea of barbel growth rates.

Barbel grow in length from from June to September but as a rather long lived species they grow slowly taking about 4 years to reach a pound, from then on the growth of the female is faster than the males with the males reaching 45cm and the females reaching 60 cm at the age of eight, thats about 3-4lb and about 6-7lb respectively.
A female could make double figures in 10-12 years with a maximum life span aproaching 25 years, the Traveller died at 23 years old.
Fish will grow quicker down south in places such as the HA but die younger but will grow older in say the Yorkshire Ouse but rarely make double figures.

 

[tigger]

The OP referred to waters stocked with barbel - rather than those with an existing stock of mature, breeding, fish.

Perhaps the variation in small barbel caught in rivers reflects the population characteristics and the success/otherwise of breeding cohorts.

Having been years-ago renowned for catching a rivers smallest barbel - Severn, Kennet and Ribble - all of which have an established population - I don't think they have been supplemented by stocking juveniles - I always take it as a good sign that there is a successful breeding population.

If none are showing up nowadays - I would take this as a sign that there may have been problems within generations' fertility - similar to the peaks and troughs of chub v. barbel populations that have been commented about before on the Ribble.

How much actual external stocking of barbel is there on rivers - which already have a successful barbel population?

In the summer months when the river is low and clear I often take a moment to look at the tiny barbel (a couple of inches long) mooching about amongst the rocks and pebbles of the riverbed, the majority (that I actually see) seem to be in water about ten inches to a foot deep but there are lots of 'em every year. Barbel are quite prolific if conditions allow and imo may be detrimental to other species.

 

[trotter2]

The stockings on my river of small 6 inch fish were being caught allmost straight away ,not In large numbers but one or two.
The ones I have had were caught trotting but with the bait dragging bottom.
Two or three maggots on a 16 hook

 

[tigger]

Thank you all for your comments.

I wonder if the rivers I've fished - Swale, Nidd, Ure, Wharfe - are anything to do with the fact that I don't catch small barbel?

Sorry Keora, I don't think any ones answered you...it might be a combination of there not being a lot of barbel in those rivers (I have no idea) your fishing and the fact that they just don't get caught as often as when they become larger. If you really want to catch some small ones I think it would be worth your while spending a few sessions feeder fishing with maggots during the summer months.

 

[keora]

Tigger, thanks for the comments.

For about 10 to 15 years one of the rivers I fish was very good for barbel. The most popular method was legered caster on the hook with caster and hemp as groundbait, often in a feeder. We never caught small barbel.

Some years ago the barbel seemed to disappear. The EA has stocked with small barbel, but it's about 6 or 7 years since I last caught one there.

I found this scientific paper about Barbel on the River Lee which may be of interest to forum members.

http://www.kmae-journal.org/articles/kmae/pdf/2013/02/kmae1200100.pdf

The very first words of the abstract are "Suspected of being in decline, the European barbel..."

 

[trotter2]

I can't speak for every river in the land ,but from my own experiences if barbel are not present in the river to start with stocking can be a waste if time and money.
There is almost always a reason why there jot present to start with that nature.

 

[theartist]

I can't speak for every river in the land ,but from my own experiences if barbel are not present in the river to start with stocking can be a waste if time and money.
There is almost always a reason why there jot present to start with that nature.

Don't tell that to thousands who visit the Severn and Wye each year

 

[swalebarbel]

Thank you all for your comments.

I wonder if the rivers I've fished - Swale, Nidd, Ure, Wharfe - are anything to do with the fact that I don't catch small barbel?

Yorkshire Derwent was stocked with 2000 Barbel in 2008 and 2011 and is now producing some 2-3 lbs

 

[keora]

That's encouraging to know. The section of the local river I fish was stocked with small barbel about 3 years ago, so it will probably some years before they grow to a catchable size.

 

[john step]

Yes sorry Keora, your original point was not answered. In my previous post I omitted to mention that those small Lea/Verulam barbel were getting caught straight away.
Last year I had a conversation with Sam about small barbel being caught on the Tidal Trent so I said they must be breeding OK. He burst my bubble a little by telling me the EA had been stocking them . HO hum!

 

[steve2]

Going back a few years the EA barbel stocked into the River Roding they grew really well but were virtually wiped out in pollution. Following this they refused to stock any more because the river had no history of barbel apart from stocked fish.
Why do the stock other rivers that they are not natural to we would love some barbel in Essex. They do allow stocking into Essex stillwaters.

 

[sam vimes]

I wonder if the rivers I've fished - Swale, Nidd, Ure, Wharfe - are anything to do with the fact that I don't catch small barbel?

I've rarely seen small barbel in the Swale since the late 80s/early 90s. I recall catching a fingerling near Thornton Bridge. I also recall good numbers of fish around the 1-2lb mark on the upper river. However, this was a few years, and in a similar location, to a recognised EA stocking.

Little birds have told me in the last eighteen months or so that a body independent from the EA is intending to carry out barbel stocking on the Swale.

I know that the Tees catchment has seen a fair amount of EA stocking activity, including barbel. However, the current policy seems to be to concentrate on the tributaries rather than the main river. I understand that the thinking revolves around smaller fish being better able to escape predation in these smaller tributaries.

 

[sam vimes]

Here's something to make Keora, and other Nidd anglers, smile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlVoCsBwmZY&t=213s

 

[dalesman]

Here's something to make Keora, and other Nidd anglers, smile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlVoCsBwmZY&t=213s

Charlie has just sent me this video

 

[theartist]

Wouldn't it be great if there was a Calverton in every region. Then the rivers could be stocked more often and not just with barbel, I know of too many rivers that are low of stocks of certain species they used to have in abundance.

 

[jasonbean1]

Wouldn't it be great if there was a Calverton in every region. Then the rivers could be stocked more often and not just with barbel, I know of too many rivers that are low of stocks of certain species they used to have in abundance.

It's a shame we need to stock, but that's where we're at on many rivers particularly in the south east.

Barbel and chub are very good fish to stock simply for the fact they are very long living and when they grow to specimen sizes they have a great financial benefit for clubs with sustaining or increasing membership or selling day tickets.

---------- Post added at 11:53 ---------- Previous post was at 11:39 ----------

According to the EA fish raised at Calverton and released in 2015 totalled almost half a million within that figure were 58,400 barbel so I would imagine quite a lot of rivers have received the small barbel from Calverton over the last few years, its perhaps these stocked fish that are being caught, growth rates of these fish will vary from river to river.

This information is from another forum posted by a very well qualified lady whose full name escapes me at the moment it does give some idea of barbel growth rates.

Barbel grow in length from from June to September but as a rather long lived species they grow slowly taking about 4 years to reach a pound, from then on the growth of the female is faster than the males with the males reaching 45cm and the females reaching 60 cm at the age of eight, thats about 3-4lb and about 6-7lb respectively.
A female could make double figures in 10-12 years with a maximum life span aproaching 25 years, the Traveller died at 23 years old.
Fish will grow quicker down south in places such as the HA but die younger but will grow older in say the Yorkshire Ouse but rarely make double figures.

They lady you mention may be Karen Twine, she carried out her PhD on the upper Ouse barbel.

Also from my experience with the juvenile barbel stocked into the Cherwell over 3 years is exactly as the growth rates stated. When they were first stocked you caught them for a couple of years on maggots. Then they disappeared for a few years and I started to fear the worst for them but fortunately they have now started showing in the 3-5lb bracket.

Need some more stocking now to spread the year classes as I doubt they will spawn successfully.

 

[thecrow]

They lady you mention may be Karen Twine,

That's the lady, thanks for the memory jog.

 

[swizzle]

1000 small barbel were put in at Throop either last year or the year before. I haven't seen or heard of any caught. Although I have caught a few around 1-2lb, but before they were stocked.

 

[Jim Murray]

"Understanding barbel" is a fantastic book but one thing puzzled me. Fred says there are very few smaller barbel caught because the bigger ones always dominate when it comes to food. I don't doubt him but why then don't you get this with most other species? I can only think of tench as similar to barbel in this regard.

 

[108831]

1000 small barbel were put in at Throop either last year or the year before. I haven't seen or heard of any caught. Although I have caught a few around 1-2lb, but before they were stocked.

Well swizzle,I can say that several small ones were caught on the tidal above Iford,I had 3 myself,which makes quite a pleasant distraction due to it being pretty hard barbel fishing at times there,as we all know barbel are very nomadic and move considerable distances and I know from good friends down there that certain known fish have been caught on beat 2 at Throop and some time later caught on the Trammels on the Royalty,I would have thought the boulder weir below the caravan park where the tidal starts would be a fair obstacle,but obviously not.

The biggest problem today is the lack of barbel numbers in many rivers today,for whatever reason,that in conjunction with poor spawning conditions leads to poor recruitment.