Are barbel taking over the Trent?

I don't know if it's me but I seem to be catching more and more barbel these days on the Trent. A few years ago it was quite a novelty for me to target the species and come home reasonably satisfied if I had caught one or two during an outing. However, my last two trips on the tidal sections(short 4 hour sessions) have yielded a total of 33 barbel between a few ounces and 8lb+. Fishing with 2 rods (pellet on one,maggots on the other)all fish have been barbel. Last year and the season before,using the same tactics, I had a fair sprinkling of perch,chub,bream, roach and eels amongst my catches. I know it isn't due to cormorant predation as I am sure the other fish are there but I just feel that the masses of barbel,big and small, are hoovering up the bait before the other fish get there.

I'm not experiencing the same as you on the tidal Rod,noticeable increase in silver fish though,perhaps it's location?

150 years ago, just like today, barbel were the predominant species on the Trent. What has happened to the Trent is that it has returned to very much what it was like before the Industrial revolution of the late Victorian era virtually killed it off.

The roach, bream and chub are still there, if you take the trouble to find them. In fact in some areas the bream catches can be tremendous.

One thing that I have noticed is that virtually all the anglers you see on the Trent are using barbel tackle. Perhaps they have lost the art of targeting the roach with such baits as hemp, tares and stewed wheat.

One small tip, if you are after roach, leave your maggots and casters at home.

I actually think that there are more roach and skimmer bream in the Trent then there have been for years.

"One small tip, if you are after roach, leave your maggots and casters at home" - 2nd that Ron, if it's the bigger roach that you're after.

I am ever the optimist.

Given a few years, the Trent will be the best roach river in England.