Your first Barbel
- Thread starter Ginger
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njb51
Well-known member
My first barbel was caught on the Thames, not all that long ago actually, we're talking less than 5 months!
It weighed around 5 lbs and made a good account of itself. I was so happy that i had finally caught a barbel, and a decent one at that. I think you could say i caught it by design but then again i was catching alot of bream too.
I put out a load of halibut pellet and freshly prepared hemp, which had some mollasses mixed into it. I was using 12lb line with 10lb fluorocarbon hooklink of roughly a foot in length tied to a size 8 Drennan Barbel Specialist. I was using a cage feeder filled with small pellets and sweetcorn. The barbel feel to hair rigged sweetcorn.
After this, i went and caught many more bream a 4lb chub (first for me too!) and 4 more barbel to around 8lbs!! These barbel fell to either hair rigged sweetcorn or halibut pellet.
It was a memorable session for me!
It weighed around 5 lbs and made a good account of itself. I was so happy that i had finally caught a barbel, and a decent one at that. I think you could say i caught it by design but then again i was catching alot of bream too.
I put out a load of halibut pellet and freshly prepared hemp, which had some mollasses mixed into it. I was using 12lb line with 10lb fluorocarbon hooklink of roughly a foot in length tied to a size 8 Drennan Barbel Specialist. I was using a cage feeder filled with small pellets and sweetcorn. The barbel feel to hair rigged sweetcorn.
After this, i went and caught many more bream a 4lb chub (first for me too!) and 4 more barbel to around 8lbs!! These barbel fell to either hair rigged sweetcorn or halibut pellet.
It was a memorable session for me!
R
Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)
Guest
Yorkshire Ouse near Dunsforth, 1959 if I remember, bunch of maggots fished on float tackle laying on.
It was about 3 1/2 lbs.
It was about 3 1/2 lbs.
R
Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)
Guest
Quite a few.
During the period 1962 to 1967, myself and several members of the old Northern Specimen Group caught lots of barbel in the Lower Dunsforth, Upper Dunsforth and Aldwark areas.
The best fish at the time came to Ray Webb at 8lbs 1 oz. I caught a 7 1/4lbs fish amongst a catch of 8 others. These were huge fish then, especially for Yorkshire.
During the period 1962 to 1967, myself and several members of the old Northern Specimen Group caught lots of barbel in the Lower Dunsforth, Upper Dunsforth and Aldwark areas.
The best fish at the time came to Ray Webb at 8lbs 1 oz. I caught a 7 1/4lbs fish amongst a catch of 8 others. These were huge fish then, especially for Yorkshire.
R
Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)
Guest
Remember that barbel are completely indigenous to the Yorkshire rivers. In the 60s, the only rivers that held barbel in any numbers were the Thames and its tributaries, especially the Kennet, The Yorkshire rivers such as the Swale, Ure, Ouse, Wharfe and Nidd, the Dorset Stour and the Hampshire Avon.
Barbel were discovered in the Great Ouse, mainly by **** Walker and Ian Howcroft. Barbel had been introduced to the Severn by Angling Times, but they were only caught in reasonable numbers in later years.
The Trent held no barbel at that time, it was too polluted.
Barbel were discovered in the Great Ouse, mainly by **** Walker and Ian Howcroft. Barbel had been introduced to the Severn by Angling Times, but they were only caught in reasonable numbers in later years.
The Trent held no barbel at that time, it was too polluted.
B
BAZ (Angel of the North)
Guest
About twelve years ago on the Dane, useing double lobworm and caught by design.
I was useing an 11 foot 1.75 test curve rod made by Harrisons (carp rod). I still use this rod today, it has brought me a lot of luck. First barbel weighed 7 lbs.
I don't know why, but if I am useing two rods, this is the one that allways produces, even though I could be useing identical rigs and baits.
I was useing an 11 foot 1.75 test curve rod made by Harrisons (carp rod). I still use this rod today, it has brought me a lot of luck. First barbel weighed 7 lbs.
I don't know why, but if I am useing two rods, this is the one that allways produces, even though I could be useing identical rigs and baits.
My first barbel was caught on the River Teme in the early 70`s.Rod was Bruce & Walker Mk1V (Fibreglass),Mitchell 300 reel with a 3/4 oz. running lead and a cube of luncheon meat for bait.The fish only weighed about 2lb but i had blanked on the severn the previous 3 days.
D
Deecy ACA
Guest
1lb 10oz Warickshire Avon when I was 14 on a camp site venue.Story was that a chap called Fred Fox who I was led to believe was a Barnsley Black used to holiday there.He was fishing a swim down from a weir using float fished caster.I was fishing nearby.He wanted his breakfast so asked me to mind his tackle. Being a good sort he rigged up a leger rod for me to hold whilst he was away.I did so and managed to catch this Barbel.Year would have been around 1978 I think.It remains my only Warks Avon Barbel.Great memories of Fred Fox who was also a decent Rugby League player.I challenged him to a sprint race which he won by miles.Nice bloke,who I hope is alive and well.
S
Steve King
Guest
My first barbel was from the Kennet in the late eighties. I was just getting back into fishing after a 2 year lay-off following divorce and redundancy.
I'd found a lovely swim and had been there a few times and had been getting some lovely bags of chub on maggot feeder using a size 12 hook crammed with as many maggots as I could squeeze on it(subtle approach eh?!).
This particular time, the rod just shot off the rest without warning and I was lucky to grab the butt before the rod plunged into the water.
The rod was adequate for chub, but hopelessly underpowered for barbel. Most of the rod was pointing straight downstream, meaning that the effective length was the handle plus about a foot of the bottom section. In order to exert any real pressure on the fish I had to pump the rod at arm's length and then frantically reel in the slack line.
I was expecting the rod to go bang any second, but somehow it didn't.
The barbel was around 6lbs and I was over the moon!
After that I decided I had to get a proper barbel rod and reel!
I'd found a lovely swim and had been there a few times and had been getting some lovely bags of chub on maggot feeder using a size 12 hook crammed with as many maggots as I could squeeze on it(subtle approach eh?!).
This particular time, the rod just shot off the rest without warning and I was lucky to grab the butt before the rod plunged into the water.
The rod was adequate for chub, but hopelessly underpowered for barbel. Most of the rod was pointing straight downstream, meaning that the effective length was the handle plus about a foot of the bottom section. In order to exert any real pressure on the fish I had to pump the rod at arm's length and then frantically reel in the slack line.
I was expecting the rod to go bang any second, but somehow it didn't.
The barbel was around 6lbs and I was over the moon!
After that I decided I had to get a proper barbel rod and reel!
R
Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)
Guest
It's a fact Steve that those 6 pounders often pull a lot harder than the doubles at times.
S
Steve King
Guest
It's certainly true Ron, my first Teme barbel was quite memorable it too was around 6lb. I was wading up to my waist and rolling meat under the overhanging willow on the far bank.
The take nearly had me over!!
The take nearly had me over!!
Bryan Baron 2
Well-known member
Ribble 3 years back 7.4 caught by design. Greys 1.75Ib 12Ib line and size 8 fox series 2. Not felt anything fight like that except maybe a Bass on light spinning gear.
B
Bob Watson
Guest
About 15 years ago from the Swale at Topcliffe, it was about 6-7lb, I had no scales at the time. It was the first time I'd targetted them and it fell to feeder fished maggot. It took me about another 12 years to get my first double from the same river.
you're right about the 7lb,ers Ron, I think it must be down to their youth. A double would be quite a bit older.
you're right about the 7lb,ers Ron, I think it must be down to their youth. A double would be quite a bit older.
F
Fred Bonney
Guest
I've told of my first before,but for this thread, I'll repeat it.
3rd November 1973 Throop,8lb9ozs.Caught by design,well,I hoped I would catch a Barbel, rather than the Chub we'd been hauling.
Last cast of the day, of a three day break on the Avon & Stour.
Big bunch of white maggots on a size 8 eyed and barbed, tied direct to (probably) 8lb PDQ, on a Mitchell 300,a running coffin lead stopped by a split shot about a foot from the hook.
The rod was a 13 foot glass Edgar Sealey, Black Arrow, Float rod.
A fish,not bettered until last season on the Middle Trent!
3rd November 1973 Throop,8lb9ozs.Caught by design,well,I hoped I would catch a Barbel, rather than the Chub we'd been hauling.
Last cast of the day, of a three day break on the Avon & Stour.
Big bunch of white maggots on a size 8 eyed and barbed, tied direct to (probably) 8lb PDQ, on a Mitchell 300,a running coffin lead stopped by a split shot about a foot from the hook.
The rod was a 13 foot glass Edgar Sealey, Black Arrow, Float rod.
A fish,not bettered until last season on the Middle Trent!
T
The Monk
Guest
beat you Fred, 1972 mine, although at 3.5 lbs not quite as large as yours mate, mine was taken on worm a coffing lead running though with an Avon pin reel and a B&W Glass Mark 4, caught by design while fishing at Topcliffe Bridge on the Wharfe, in Yorkshire, no M62 Motorway in those days, we use to travel overnight
13 foot glass Edgar Sealey, Black Arrow, Float rod. I had one of those Fred
Use a Fred J Taylor Trotter for years, it was in three sections with the traditional butt section separate, I think from memory it was actually 11ft 3 inch, a lovely trotting rod, used it on the Ribble in the early days
13 foot glass Edgar Sealey, Black Arrow, Float rod. I had one of those Fred
Use a Fred J Taylor Trotter for years, it was in three sections with the traditional butt section separate, I think from memory it was actually 11ft 3 inch, a lovely trotting rod, used it on the Ribble in the early days
F
Fred Bonney
Guest
Still got mine Nic.
stuart clough
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First barbel caught was from the River Ure at Newby Hall, January, mid-eighties. Fish was about 1lb in weight caught on a swimfeedered single maggot on a size 22, perfectly foulhooked in the root of the dorsal fin.
First barbel hooked by design was on the Swale at Topcliffe, late 1980's. Read all the books and articles I could, found a swim that looked right, with a fallen tree opposite and fished meat over hemp. At last knockings the rod nearly went in, but I couldn't keep the fish out of the snag and the line parted - gutted.
First barbel landed by design was from the River Teme, c. 1991. Corn over hemp in a deep gulley under a tree, late summer, early morning - must have been about 4lbs. Can still remember the elation.
First double was March 1999 (10.06) - first fish from the Hampshire Avon, less than a mile from my new house (by design). Probably on halibut pellet.
Best barbel 14:11, again Hampshire Avon, July 2001 (by design, halibut pellet). River record was 14:12 at the time. That fish would easily have been 16+ in the winter, but to my knowledge it has only been caught in the summer.
First barbel hooked by design was on the Swale at Topcliffe, late 1980's. Read all the books and articles I could, found a swim that looked right, with a fallen tree opposite and fished meat over hemp. At last knockings the rod nearly went in, but I couldn't keep the fish out of the snag and the line parted - gutted.
First barbel landed by design was from the River Teme, c. 1991. Corn over hemp in a deep gulley under a tree, late summer, early morning - must have been about 4lbs. Can still remember the elation.
First double was March 1999 (10.06) - first fish from the Hampshire Avon, less than a mile from my new house (by design). Probably on halibut pellet.
Best barbel 14:11, again Hampshire Avon, July 2001 (by design, halibut pellet). River record was 14:12 at the time. That fish would easily have been 16+ in the winter, but to my knowledge it has only been caught in the summer.
B
Bob Watson
Guest
Topcliffe bridge on the Swale surely Monk!
I hope there's not another Topcliffe in Yorkshire, won't I look the prat ;-)
I hope there's not another Topcliffe in Yorkshire, won't I look the prat ;-)