Which rivers hold barbel in the UK?

[jimlad]

Agree stu, but did you see whereabouts on the skerne the stocking took place!! We aren't talking skerne mouth here


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[roachy]

Well there ain,t many left on the Dorset stour now....

 

[Paul Boote]

There never were that many barbel in the Stour, roachy - at least compared with its neighbour the Avon. When I caught one as a 12-year-old in the 1960s, on float-fished flake some distance above Throop Mill, and I telephoned my parents from the Holdenhurst (?) village telephone box several hundred yards away from where I had had my fish (which was now languishing in a fairly large, family keepnet), my folks in turn phoning Ernie Leah the Throop bailiff, who said "We don't see that many above the Mill" and who duly came along to see it.

4.5 pounds. Still have the photos.

 

[Neil Maidment]

There never were that many barbel in the Stour, roachy - at least compared with its neighbour the Avon. When I caught one as a 12-year-old in the 1960s, on float-fished flake some distance above Throop Mill, and I telephoned my parents from the Holdenhurst (?) village telephone box several hundred yards away from where I had had my fish (which was now languishing in a fairly large, family keepnet), my folks in turn phoning Ernie Leah the Throop bailiff, who said "We don't see that many above the Mill" and who duly came along to see it.

4.5 pounds. Still have the photos.

Good old Mr Leah, always so diligent in perpetuating the myth "no barbel above the weir" (the old weir that is - not the concrete monstrosity now in place). Always did his bit to promote his fishery. A really good guy who often turned a blind eye to my schoolboy poaching.

Parley Court and Church, Redhill, Dudsbury (particularly) and Longham all held plenty of them. The Waterworks at Longham were always a bigger obstacle to movement upstream but the odd one managed it - perhaps with a little help from man.

1960's/70's were quite prolific for those prepared to walk a fair distance and the dreaded Heart Attack Hill at Dudsbury Heights was sufficient deterrent to many that allowed a few to enjoy multiple catches.

 

[jack sprat]

When Wimborne AC had a block ticket on Throop in the early 70s three blokes transferred a dozen or two from Throop to Julians Bridge circa 1973. They would discuss their results in ****'s Tackle in Poole. These barbel were the ones that ended up as 'Henry' and 'Fork in the Tail'.

The biggest barble shoal I saw above Throop was on the island at Longham where we spotted 17 in the mid 80s - all in the 4-7lb bracket. About that time two anglers had 9 one evening from that swim and 19 the following day but they did have some recaptures as the barbel were returned immediately. Had the same on the Avon one day when I had 8 at Somerley; at least two recaptures.