Just how strong are those Barbel?

[MJ]

I've never caught salmon on salmon gear, so for me it is between carp and barbel. I'd say barbel have the edge, but then only because they have the advantage of running water and the ability to use their shape and fins to make the most of the current. I've not cuaght many stillwater barbel, and only small ones at that, so I couldnt say.

I agree with Ron though, power of carp fights vary a lot. Pound for pound, some of the hardest fighting fish I have caught were small canal carp. I've had 4-5lbers tear almost 40 yards of 10-12lb line off no problem. One memorable fight lasted 15 mins on moderate gear, and I swear it was a 20lber until a pristine and very resistant little 5lb mirror finally surfaced. Such a shame that most of those Bridgewater Canal fish are now dead after last summer.

Best fighting fish of all for their size though.. GUDGEON!!! Pure muscle. I wish they grew over a pound! You catch 2ozers on the Mersey and you think you've hooked a small chub!

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)]

Old Graham reckons gobies can pull too.

 

[Sean Meeghan]

Count me in for a trip to Thryberg Ron. I'm going tomorrow if the weather isn't too bad.

 

[Tony Rocca]

If speed = best fight, which it doesnt as staying power has a lot to do with it, then the Salmon wins as its is the fastest swimmer in British waters.
The silver medal went to the barbel.

The EA published these findings a couple of years ago in Catch magazine.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)]

As regards which is the hardest fighting fish in Briish Freshwater, I think you could argue this until the cows come home.

And still not reach a conclusion.

 

[jon helyer]

Wild carp and male tench, pound for pound, but I've never caught a barbel, Irish pike must be up there too......

 

[chubber]

Jon helyer,
You've got to target a Barbel this season. I promise, you'll never stop catching them after your first.

 

[Dicky (Angling Trust PAC)]

Until three years ago, I would have said barbel lb for lb every time but now I'm not sure.

I latched into a common on the Lower Severn that went beserk.

With even a low early season flow it seared off on unstoppable 30/ 40/ 50 yard runs for well over twenty minutes.

I was tackled up with 12lb Maxima, 1.75 tc, Daiwa Regal baitrunner (so by no means undergunned) and using the tackle to its safe limits.

I have not caught an equivalent sized barbel but some river commons are potted dynamite.

The look on my face says it all really...

http://www.fishingmagic.com/gallery/image.asp?sp=&v=7&uabn=258&uin=887

 

[chubber]

That looks a lovely common ****y and one very proud captor.
I think I'd've been looking like you were too.

 

[Lazinko]

Haven't caught any Barbel but i don't think it's near matching a Thick lipped mullet.

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/aquarium/pics/thicklippedmullet5.jpg
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/aquarium/pages/thicklippedgreymullet.html

 

[paul williams 2]

The river carp i have caught have been nothing like their stillwater cousins.....the battle has been awsome sometimes.......on the Warwick Avon they have ploughed through the far bank lillys with the line acting like a cheese cutter and greenery flying everywhere and still got a good way either up or down stream....they gather up tremendous pace whichever way they go.

But small river ( eg, Teme, Lugg etc) barbel caught up close do take some stopping.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)]

Let me now tell you about what I consider to be the best fighting fish in freshwater.

Better than a rainbow trout and better than even the legendary tigerfish.

The Smallmouth Bass.

I have had some of the hardest and longest scraps with this species in my life, and most of them don't exceed 3 lbs.

Smallmouth Bass combine speed with aerobatics and staying power.

They are total dynamite with fins. One of the finest game fish in the world.

 

[paul williams 2]

if you are talking fight to size then the twaite shad is up there AND in British waters!

And hopefully passing my caravan next month! -

 

[Beecy]

if we are talking fight to weight ratio then Ron/Graham has a point about the gobies

 

[paul williams 2]

Yeah gobies too!.....not airbourne like shad but lively little things!

 

[stuart clough]

Having carried out the afore mentioned Fish Swimming Speed R&D for the EA I can confirm that of the non-salmonid fish tested barbel won hands down in the burst swimming experiments. Interestingly, small barbel were comparatively faster than larger ones, some reaching in excess of 30 body lengths per second.

It may not come as a surprise that there was also a lot of variation between individuals.

The trouble when comparing between species is that other fators such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration and reproductive state all have a bearing.

I was waiting for someone to mention mullet, they are right up there in terms of speed and stamina.

 

[Jonathan Whitham]

I was lucky enough to hook and land a 6.5lb wild brownie whilst barbel fishing and would definitely say that the same size barbel pulls a lot harder.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)]

Brown Trout are not great fighters Jonathan. In still water they tend to chug around like perch or even bream.

However seatrout, which are the migratory form of brown trout, fight very well indeed.

 

[stuart clough]

In swimming speed trials brown trout performance varied greatly with water temperature, and certainly fell at temps over 15C.

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

I reckon River carp.

Graham