Stillwater barbel

[radderz]

Hey guys! Recently made a trip to a fishery in Bedfordshire and was after stillwater barbel. I personally dont think there is anything wrong with keeping barbel in a lake. I understand its quite a heated debate however.

Apologies if this topic has been covered before, I just wondered what people thought on the subject?





Also if your really bored you can check out the video from the day...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxnIOlt17q0&spfreload=10



Looking forward to hearing other peoples views

 

[tonybull]

That's a well maintained thought out fishery and believe it or not its alleged the Barbel have spawned in there. Thought you was only allowed to use keepnets in organised matches at the venue ?

I've caught quite a few Barbel in matches from various still waters and they have always been in good condition.

If the EA (The Authorities) give their blessing so Barbel can to be stocked in still waters then that's the end of the matter.

 

[john step]

I'm fairly relaxed one way or another as long as the fish are healthy and thriving. I can't see any difference in it from stocking with carp or F1's or ide or chub. The whole scene is artificial anyway.

There is a place in angling for those who wish to roll up and get their string pulled in a safe clean environment.

Well done for making the film. This forum can cater for all sorts of fishing.
As discussed in a very recent thread, it needs input to continually refresh.

Tight lines.

 

[rubio]

Your right that this is a contentious issue. Raises great passion in many, I am not an anti myself but have only ever caught 1 barbel. That was on Stour. Nobody is taking barbel from rivers to stock lakes, so there are now more barbel. Maybe a big flood or two and these ponds will help restocking natural venues. There are lots more carp in my local river through this process.

 

[thecrow]

so there are now more barbel.

Sorry but on a lot of rivers particularly smaller ones that is just not accurate.

 

[tonybull]

Sorry but on a lot of rivers particularly smaller ones that is just not accurate.

A lot of small rivers are not worth fishing if your looking for a few bites. You can see why the EA encourage stocking of all species in ponds/lakes.

Without ponds/lakes being created and stocked, the fishing industry would be on its arse.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Stillwater Barbel . . . . . . . .


That is the Ultimate Oxymoron!

 

[dorsetandchub]

Stillwater Barbel . . . . . . . .


That is the Ultimate Oxymoron!

Well oxygenated, presumably?

 

[Derek Gibson]

Not enough oxygen for me on any of those places I'm afraid.

 

[tigger]

Stillwater Barbel . . . . . . . .


That is the Ultimate Oxymoron!

If the fish have been bred for the purpose (and not been taken from the wild) then why's that ?
I wouldn't be interested in fishing for still water barbel but some people obviously are.
The same reaction is given to still water chub and yet chub will thrive in still waters especially so if there's a inlet and outlet big enough for them to spawn in.
Many people think of trout and grayling as being an out and out river fish and yet there are lakes with large inlets and outlets and yet the trout choose to stay in the lakes, I dare say the same scenario will occure with barbel and chub somewhere around the country.

 

[dorsetandchub]

I'm not enough of a scientist to offer up any opinion on the physiological and environmental aspects of this question so won't but would add that, having caught Stillwater barbel, they obviously can live there - seemingly without ill effect, in the short term at least.

As has been said on here, if the EA have given Stillwater stocking their blessing, I would hope that this would confirm the findings of long term research that such a practice is safe and fish welfare the top priority.

I enjoyed catching my first two barbel from stillwaters, on the pole. The fish fought well enough to persuade me that their Stillwater environment was quite capable of supporting them but, I have to add, that their catching did not come close to bigger, wild fish on the Wye. That was something else.

My thoughts on Stillwater stocking are that if it serves up barbel to a youngster who might not have the chance to visit a river and who then goes on to seek them out in rivers when age and transport allows then surely this has to be a good thing?

I personally had talked myself into a corner with river barbel, convinced I would never, ever get one but things changed. Looking back, perhaps those first Stillwater barbel were a help. If I could do it on lakes....

If youngsters can catch one or two on stillwaters, maybe it will help keep them interested. Perhaps I'm viewing this through rose tinted specs but surely the question has both pros and cons, it's not a one way street is it?

Regards to all.

 

[thecrow]

A lot of small rivers are not worth fishing if your looking for a few bites.

Point proven I think!

 

[tonybull]

Well managed fisheries have aerators and Barbel are surviving in plenty of still waters all over the country and have been for years.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Well managed fisheries have aerators and Barbel are surviving in plenty of still waters all over the country and have been for years.

Yes indeed, but then one can survive on bread and water but I wouldn't deem that as thriving!

The same applies to the riverine Barbel enclosed in Stillwater. They can survive, but thrive?

Sorry, I will never be convinced of that.

In fact, I cannot think of any good reason why anyone would want to put them into a still water other than their individual or collective laziness or their drive to catch at any cost . . . . . . .

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

What about still water grayling? Anyone think they are ok?

 

[tonybull]

Yes indeed, but then one can survive on bread and water but I wouldn't deem that as thriving!

The same applies to the riverine Barbel enclosed in Stillwater. They can survive, but thrive?

Sorry, I will never be convinced of that.

In fact, I cannot think of any good reason why anyone would want to put them into a still water other than their individual or collective laziness or their drive to catch at any cost . . . . . . .

I'm not trying to convince you Barbel are thriving in stillwaters, but on the flip side they are not thriving in certain rivers either, but stockings carry on regardless.

 

[tincatim]

I've got no doubt that barbel can survive in Stillwater, I've caught a few from a local commercial and they put up a good fight on light pole gear. I see dorsetandchub's point about youngsters catching one and then being intrigued into fishing rivers, it could happen.

However, catching barbel from an artificially overstocked commercial takes away the magic of barbel fishing. The feeling you get when you tempt a lean, powerful river fish out from under a snag and guide it over the net is amazing. This can't be replicated to any degree in a muddy hole. The same could be said about any fish really but especially barbel. The other thing is these venues are typically match venues where fish are dropped into keepnets for hours at a time. That goes against everything Ive been taught about barbel care.

Each to their own and I do fish commercials some times but never specifically for barbel.

---------- Post added at 21:05 ---------- Previous post was at 20:53 ----------

Oh and Radderz, well done on the video you did a good job there

 

[dorsetandchub]

My local commercial has otter fencing all around it, which keeps the barbel safer than they are in a great many rivers. I'm not defending stocking them, as I said I've not the necessary scientific knowledge, but knowing their customers want to catch them, it's difficult to blame fishery owners, they have to make a profit after all.

I guess their attitude would be if you don't agree then fish elsewhere.

In short, like it or not, my guess is that Stillwater barbel and their stocking aren't going to go away.

 

[theartist]

What would happen if the record went to a stillwater Barbel? If it was me i'd rather catch a 2lb'er from a small river any day.

 

[tonybull]

What would happen if the record went to a stillwater Barbel?

Very much doubt they would grow big enough given they can't dominate in commercials. Carp and Silvers thrive in commercials, they spawn and recruit every season and therefore all the species are competing for food.

I've seen stillwater Barbel in far better shape and condition compared to some of the big fat pop bellied river Barbel people post pics of or the ones that end up in the comics because they are doubles.