Whats a BIG Barbel

With one river producing most of the Record Barbel over the last few years.

Realising that Barbel sizes vary from river to river and on one river a 10lb + would be a Specimen, on another it would be a 13lbder.

What size do you consider to be a National Size Specimen Barbel ?

12lbs ?

Bob

[Matt Brown]

It has to depend on the river. In the rivers I fish it depends massively.

The Trent seems to have a decent number of doubles, but looking at the angling press you could get the wrong impression and think it's full of them.

My local river Don has only produced 3 Barbel over 7lb for me in I don't know how many years. Yet it has done doubles.

I've not fished the Severn but I get the impression that doubles are very rare on the middle river.

I don't think it's right to look at it nationally because most of us only get to fish certain rivers most of the time.

I'd rather have a 10lb fish from the Don than a 15lb'er from the Trent or a 17lb'er from the Great Ouse.

Matt,

I have fished the Old Lea for over 50 years and have watched the Barbel weights steadily rise over the years.

I caught my first double from the river in the mid 80s and last year I caught a Barbel of 13lbs 13ozs.

The Published Old Lea Barbel record is mid-15lbs.

The River holds a far head of doubles and a good number of upper single figure fish.

But really Big fish are very rare, although this river see an awlful lot of fishing pressure and modern baits.

On the Old Lea I would say anything over 11lbs should be counted as a Specimen Barbel.

Of course every river is different, I was just wondering if it is possible to set a National Size for a Specimen Barbel ?

Bob

Not possible Bob.

The River Swale for instance has produced very few barbel over 10 lbs in its history. I have fished the river on and off since 1962 and my biggest is only 91/2 lbs. I know of many skilled anglers fishing this river who have yet to break the 8 lbs mark.

Each different river has to be taken on it's merits, you can't catch a fish that isn't there.

[Graham Whatmore]

I agree with you Ron. If you took an average of all the barbel that are caught on any one river you would find it would be well down from double figures, maybe even as low as 7lb or lower. If you kept a record of the ones you catch yourself it would soon become plain that the average weight is quite low.

I think if you compare your heaviest barbel against the current river record, in percentage terms, its all the information you want if you are a specimen person. If, like me, you just fish for pleasure, what difference does it make anyway how big it is, its a nice fish if its 3lb or its 13lb.

On most of the barbel rivers I fish today, a barbel is a barbel. You cannot see them so you cannot pick them.

It might be a 3 pounder you catch or it might be a 13 pounder.

If I fished the Ouse, of course I would attempt to target the big fish. You can see them there.

[Paul Mallinson 2]

I seem to remember reading an article a few years back that said a barble over 8lbs was a different fish to those of a lower weight. By this the Author meant that at around this weight they begin to fight more like a big barble, slower and heavier rather than the speed of a smaller barble.

Although I accept everything which is written above, regardless of where I fished in the country or on what river or even stretch of river. If I caught an 8lb barbel I would consider this a big barble, if I caught a double I would consider this a specamin.

i had an 8/12 barbel near shrewsbury in 1970 and have a photo of said fish.thin on the ground then.i can see it now.
albert

Barbel truly are such beautiful fish and put up such a good fight no matter what their weight is that I'd consider any Barbel a specimen and treat it accordingly.

[Benny The Bream]

Specimin size is normally about a third of the british record isnt it? ie 20lb carp=specimin as record is 60lb. Forgive me if i am wrong.