Lead Size's

Hi all
The river is at summer level what size lead would you use.
One what would just hold bottom for the swim or river you are fishing or one a lot heaver so the fish is self hooked.
Myself i think Chub fell a heaver lead a drop the bait more, leaving it for barbel to move in,if they are in the swim.

What's your point's of veiw on the size of lead you use or do you think it make's no difference.

On the kennet: For the upstream rod I like to use just enough lead to hold bottom. Then when a bite comes (from any species) the lead is displaced and moves down the current helping to hook a fish before I even pick the rod up. This gives a slack line bite and you usually have a pricked or lightly hooked fish on the end.

The downstream rod is usually fished on a heavier lead. I don't know why I do that, it just 'feels' right.

Big rivers: Loads of lead everywhere, I cant do finesse on powerful big rivers

Lead Sizes

manu31999 said:

Hi all
The river is at summer level what size lead would you use.
One what would just hold bottom for the swim or river you are fishing or one a lot heaver so the fish is self hooked.
Myself i think Chub fell a heaver lead a drop the bait more, leaving it for barbel to move in,if they are in the swim.

What's your point's of veiw on the size of lead you use or do you think it make's no difference.

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It all depends on how far you across you want to aim, the level of the water and if you have managed to find an eddy, but my feeling is if you have a bait presented on an hair and the fish just mouths it then it should feel the point of the hook, spook itself and swim off then it's the rod that hooks the fish. My understanding of self hooking rigs is a semi or full back stop with a minimum of a 2oz lead. I use 2oz leads even in low water with a long hooklength, but the faster the flow the more weight or closer in I fish. As you may know when a barbel takes the bait unless you are quick your rod follows the fish.

Do you know that small bites still occur on heavy leads,bolt rigs etc.,when a barbel takes a bait you get the wrap round on light or heavy leads,on the other side when they are being finicky then small touches abound and some of these are our quarry.Sometimes i believe that anglers use 2oz+ leads where they are not needed just to save lugging various sizes of weight they might need,everybody to their own.Chub do not like lead and minimal is best(allthough when barbelling we all know how persistant they can be).

hi guys. When barbeling I never use bolt rigs and leads are usualy the lightest I can get away with. From what I understand from other threads in UK you wait for that 3 foot pull, but here in Romania we don't get them, just thouse finicky trembles on the quiver tip. I must add that it's the same specie (barbus barbus). I have friends that caught barbel up to 11kg (25lbs I think) and there was no wrap around, but a very light tremble. And if they feel the lead it spits the bait and you won't see it again.

Well Issimo i cant believe that your fish are any more pressured than ours,so your barbels habits differ enormously to our own.