Small Barbel

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Ginger

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Can anyone tell my why small Barbel never seem to get caught?
Young fish of other species get caught all the time but even when using small baits like maggots or casters i`ve never caught a really small Barbel.
Any ideas Why?
 
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Matt Brown

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I've caught plenty, but only on certain rivers.

This has been discussed before, but on many rivers there is a worry that fish recruitment is not going too well.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

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I've had a few on the Trent only 5 or 6 inches long, on maggots.
 
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Geoff Cowen

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I had a lot on the Severn fishing the fast shallow glides close in, fish of 8oz to 1lb in size.
 
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John McLaren

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There are places on the Ribble where small fish (up to 1lb) are all you will catch at certain times of the year - my theory is that there are areas that are effectively barbel kindergartens. I believe that used to be true on the Severn and Geoff's experience may indicate it remains so.

The smallest barbel I ever caught was no bigger than a good sized gudgeon - from the Parlour Pool on the Hampshire Avon. That was almost certainly a stocked fish though.
 
GrahamM

GrahamM

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The Small barbel in the picture were caught from the Dane, the Dove and the Ribble.

It does seem that there are certain areas of most rivers where you can catch a fair number of them, mainly early in the season.
 
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Matt Brown

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Ginger - anything up to 1lb or so, although one of my local rivers has a batch in the 1.5 to 2lb range. They have a craving for two large cubes of meat on a size 4 in a flood!
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

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Hey, you look a but younger there Graham.
 
GrahamM

GrahamM

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About 8 years ago Ron I think. Not sure really.
 
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Bryan Baron 2

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I have had them down to 5 inch on the ribble on maggot.

I seem to remember a program were they said the small barbel lived in the silt /sand of the river bed only coming out to feed. How true this is i don't know.

I think it was on a Matt Hayes program where he was floating down river in a canoe with Mick Brown
 
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Robert Woods 1

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My first barbel was only 12oz from Severn at Buildwas in late 70's. Thought it was a monster...!!!
 
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fred hall

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I agree with John re certain swims on the Ribble being barbel kindergartens. It sounds like I might be able to claim the world record for the smallest barbel ever caught 3-4 years from one such swim. It was all of 2 inches long and, no, it was not a gudgeon!
 
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Fred Bonney

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Too right Ginger, and, it should show all the doubters, that it's not just a big fish venue.
 
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Geoff Cowen

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A bit of a bitch catching a 12oz Barbel from Adams Mill, not quite what you were hoping for although it does scotch the belief that the Barbel at Adams Mill are sterile, that being the reason for there increased size.
 
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Fred Bonney

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Geoff,there is such a wide range of weight groups there.
All the 'expert' comments,such as you have mentioned, are just pure jeolousy,as are the stories of trapped fish in a small stretch.
 
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eric walker

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i was on the dove last year and i watched for hours a shaol of barbel mixed in with perch basking with perch in the sun they were the size of about 2 to 3 inches you could tell they were barbel . i was on the bridge looking down on them . i phoned a mate to come up from his peg to look at them amzing site fin perfect as well even at that size
 
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