Offord & Buckden Weir Pool

[grayhamb]

OBAS have a nice weir pool full of bream I catch them regularly up to 5lb mark get about 5 a day brilliant fishing, but I'm after barbell, I have only ever caught a 2lb from saint neots weir pool, this offord weir pool hasn't had a barbell caught since 2011, do you think there could still be barbell in there ? mayby the bream are getting to the bait first? any barbell tips for locating them ?

 

[Chevin]

It's many years since I saw the weir pool there and I can't remember much about it. However, weir pools are fairly easy to read and so I might be able to help you if you can post a couple of pictures of that one. I am particularly interested in where the water enters the pool and so I would like to see a shot across the fall or spill way and one from downstream looking up towards the entry. If you can show the whole width of the pool with both banks that would be good. Is the weir one where water runs over and cascades in to the pool or one of the modern automatic sluices which open from the bottom upwards. Which St Neots pool did you fish for barbel? The main one, or the one that was below the old paper mill? Barbel were always rumoured to be in the St. Neots pools but until I began to catch them at Hemmingford Grey in 1963 I don't think anyone had ever located a thriving community of barbel in the Great Ouse.

 

[gbbarbelhunter]

I have now talked with the barbel society and they advised on good spots to fish offord so i will percist with that, i can still send images if you'd like, the barbel at St.neots were at the main weir pool in eaton socon near the rivermill tavern, round about 2002 after school i used to fish it too and a guy called
Andrew Mitchell had 3x barbel in one evening session there each weigihng at 7lb mark, it is a memory that stays with me to this day, he casted to the first pillar for them with luncheon meat, he was on the bank side, ive tryed a few times to copy his methods but i get bites from krayfish in that spot, but i did catch a small 2lb barbel further down from the weirpool and other guys have told me they have small barbel and chub out, but for small barbel there has to be bigger ones right? dont barbel have to reach a certain size before spawning? i was wondering if you knew about hemingford grey weir where barbel were caught back in the day, im not sure where to find this weirpool is it the same weirpool as houghton mill ?

 

[grayhamb]

I have now talked with the barbel society and they advised on good spots to fish offord so i will percist with that, i can still send images if you'd like, the barbel at St.neots were at the main weir pool in eaton socon near the rivermill tavern, round about 2002 after school i used to fish it too and a guy called
Andrew Mitchell had 3x barbel in one evening session there each weigihng at 7lb mark, it is a memory that stays with me to this day, he casted to the first pillar for them with luncheon meat, he was on the bank side, ive tryed a few times to copy his methods but i get bites from krayfish in that spot, but i did catch a small 2lb barbel further down from the weirpool and other guys have told me they have small barbel and chub out, but for small barbel there has to be bigger ones right? dont barbel have to reach a certain size before spawning? i was wondering if you knew about hemingford grey weir where barbel were caught back in the day, im not sure where to find this weirpool is it the same weirpool as houghton mill ?

 

[thecrow]

Same post by 2 different members? very strange.

 

[Chevin]

Same post by 2 different members? very strange.

Yes. It is strange. Still being as I have offered help I will stay with it for the time being but I will be keeping a careful eye on it.

---------- Post added at 16:30 ---------- Previous post was at 16:20 ----------

I have now talked with the barbel society and they advised on good spots to fish offord so i will percist with that, i can still send images if you'd like, the barbel at St.neots were at the main weir pool in eaton socon near the rivermill tavern, round about 2002 after school i used to fish it too and a guy called
Andrew Mitchell had 3x barbel in one evening session there each weigihng at 7lb mark, it is a memory that stays with me to this day, he casted to the first pillar for them with luncheon meat, he was on the bank side, ive tryed a few times to copy his methods but i get bites from krayfish in that spot, but i did catch a small 2lb barbel further down from the weirpool and other guys have told me they have small barbel and chub out, but for small barbel there has to be bigger ones right? dont barbel have to reach a certain size before spawning? i was wondering if you knew about hemingford grey weir where barbel were caught back in the day, im not sure where to find this weirpool is it the same weirpool as houghton mill ?

Unless you want to, there is no need to send the pictures I suggested, I only asked as I was trying to help you. However, if you are satisfied with what you have been told by another party you may as well follow that. Although I live in Australia these days, I did know a fair bit about the Ouse in days gone by as one or two here may be able to tell you and I have always been happy to pass on my knowledge and experiences.

Hemmingford Gray is a small place and so the weir pool is not difficult to find. I am sure that someone in the barbel society will be able to put you on it if you need help in that respect.

 

[grayhamb]

Yeah dont worry i had created a account ages ago on work computer, i was on holiday created a new account as forgot my other details, i was told by a MOD today to choose 1 account so im sticking with this one, sorry for confusion, yeah ill ask the barbel society what they think, i think imay have found it on google maps it is like a backwater that comes of the main river ouse, im going to investigate tommorow!

 

[John12345]

barbel stocking - obas

This may be of interest. We just stocked the weir pool with barbel