mickb
Well-known member
Hi all and good luck for the new season.
I've been fishing for barbel for the last 20 years or so with no interest in any other species. In the last 20 years I've seen big differences in barbel fishing but no real difference in the size of barbel I'm catching. Back in the mid 90s I was catching 8 or 9lbs with the same regularity as I am these days. Back then I was watching dave harrel videos and either the specimen approach for barbel wasn't around or I wasn't aware of it. I used casters and hemp with a big feeder rod and 6lb line straight through to a size 12 drennan super spade. Not once did a barbel break my line but I must admit that I daren't put too much pressure on them. I landed them no problem but must admit they were tired out when I got them in and needed time to recover which they did in a few minutes. Like I said I was unaware back then. I went through the process as we all have using higher breaking strain lines and specific design barbel rods. My line strength went up to 8 then 10 then 12lb. Because of the thicker diameter line there was more drag on the line from the river current (I fish a powerful river ribble) therefore more weight to hold bottom had to be used even with a bow in the line and the rod tip held high. Of course the higher weights then needed a more powerful rod to cast them out. Back in the 90s with 6lb line I could hold bottom with 30 gram black cap feeder. I really got carried away. Using 12lb big game with a diameter approx 0.35mm needed 3 oz or so to hold bottom and I went out and bought a top of the range daiwa infinity 2.25lb test curve rod. Not cheap. Great rod. Even light enough to touch ledger if I wanted to (not that it's needed but it's fun). All of a sudden it occurred to me. I had a near double figure barbel on and I was just winching it in. The barbel had no chance and the fight felt awful. This seems to be the norm now on big rivers. I thought back to the 90s and thought I landed the same size fish with 6lb line and a heavy feeder rod and had so much fun. Now im using what used to be classed as a standard carp rod fishing for a fish that averages under double figures. People say they use heavier line now for abrasion resistance but i think this doesnt make sense. When a fish takes your line round a boulder as they do on the ribble does it really matter if your line is just 0.05 of a mm thicker? It's going to break anyway. When people say I've stepped up from 10lb line to 12lb because of snags does it matter? The difference is 0.03 of a millimetre. Makes no difference but it does make a difference with the drag of the river meaning heavier lines and heavier leads. I remember Steve Stayner writing that no British barbel could break a line with a wet knot strength of 10lb against the bend of a rod. A 0.28mm line has a wet knot strength of 12lb so this should be enough regardless what the breaking strain might say on the label. I'm certainly not suggesting going back down to 6lb line again because that's just too tiring on the fish but surely the need for silly diameter lines is not necessary. Bit like using a rocket launcher to kill a rabbit. Last season I went back to my 1.75lb test curve rod and 0.28mm mainline. I never needed more than 2 oz feeder even when the river was in flood and landed every barbel. It felt so much better. Being brainwashed by these articles suggesting crazy tackle for barbel did me no good. Did we not start fishing for barbel because of the bite and the fight in the first place? Let me know what you think.
I've been fishing for barbel for the last 20 years or so with no interest in any other species. In the last 20 years I've seen big differences in barbel fishing but no real difference in the size of barbel I'm catching. Back in the mid 90s I was catching 8 or 9lbs with the same regularity as I am these days. Back then I was watching dave harrel videos and either the specimen approach for barbel wasn't around or I wasn't aware of it. I used casters and hemp with a big feeder rod and 6lb line straight through to a size 12 drennan super spade. Not once did a barbel break my line but I must admit that I daren't put too much pressure on them. I landed them no problem but must admit they were tired out when I got them in and needed time to recover which they did in a few minutes. Like I said I was unaware back then. I went through the process as we all have using higher breaking strain lines and specific design barbel rods. My line strength went up to 8 then 10 then 12lb. Because of the thicker diameter line there was more drag on the line from the river current (I fish a powerful river ribble) therefore more weight to hold bottom had to be used even with a bow in the line and the rod tip held high. Of course the higher weights then needed a more powerful rod to cast them out. Back in the 90s with 6lb line I could hold bottom with 30 gram black cap feeder. I really got carried away. Using 12lb big game with a diameter approx 0.35mm needed 3 oz or so to hold bottom and I went out and bought a top of the range daiwa infinity 2.25lb test curve rod. Not cheap. Great rod. Even light enough to touch ledger if I wanted to (not that it's needed but it's fun). All of a sudden it occurred to me. I had a near double figure barbel on and I was just winching it in. The barbel had no chance and the fight felt awful. This seems to be the norm now on big rivers. I thought back to the 90s and thought I landed the same size fish with 6lb line and a heavy feeder rod and had so much fun. Now im using what used to be classed as a standard carp rod fishing for a fish that averages under double figures. People say they use heavier line now for abrasion resistance but i think this doesnt make sense. When a fish takes your line round a boulder as they do on the ribble does it really matter if your line is just 0.05 of a mm thicker? It's going to break anyway. When people say I've stepped up from 10lb line to 12lb because of snags does it matter? The difference is 0.03 of a millimetre. Makes no difference but it does make a difference with the drag of the river meaning heavier lines and heavier leads. I remember Steve Stayner writing that no British barbel could break a line with a wet knot strength of 10lb against the bend of a rod. A 0.28mm line has a wet knot strength of 12lb so this should be enough regardless what the breaking strain might say on the label. I'm certainly not suggesting going back down to 6lb line again because that's just too tiring on the fish but surely the need for silly diameter lines is not necessary. Bit like using a rocket launcher to kill a rabbit. Last season I went back to my 1.75lb test curve rod and 0.28mm mainline. I never needed more than 2 oz feeder even when the river was in flood and landed every barbel. It felt so much better. Being brainwashed by these articles suggesting crazy tackle for barbel did me no good. Did we not start fishing for barbel because of the bite and the fight in the first place? Let me know what you think.