Its a funny old game this fishing lark, I have had a great barbel fishing season so far this year on the river but over the last 3 weeks I can't seem to be able of catch sod all. I have done 3 evening sessions and also had a day a couple of weekends ago and no barbel to show for it. I did have a cracking chub at around 5lb though last night which I was well happy with.

I am not the only one struggling as talking to other anglers out there it seems no one is catching much at the mo. Its been getting pretty cold in the evenings so perhaps this has put the fish down for a bit.

I am not getting too bothered thoough as those barbel should be on the feed again soon, Autumn is a great time as they will be feeding them selves up getting ready for winter.

Do any of you guys out there fish much for old wiskers? if so how as the last few weeks been for you?

Not too sure how the Barbel react on the Kennet come autumn Jakk, but on the Severn they're shoaling up tight now. Huge shoals in small pockets. Whereas during the spring/summer months the shoals break to smaller shoals & they tend to roam. Yes they'll be tightly packed shoals on certain pegs throughtout the year, but overall they're on the mooch. It's knowing where they're goin' to be at different times of the year that will bag you fish

Last Sunday our club record was broken for the second time this year, 96lb! A total of 20 fish during a 5 hour match! Both from pegs where fish will start to shoal at this time of year, & then patrol a stretch of water, maybe 200 yards max. It can a right pisser when you're not catching but matey on the next peg is shelling peas

I had my best ever bag of 175lb from opposite where this match record was broken about 23 years ago, but i had about 11 hours at it for 33 fish - i maybe lost 15 as it was a struggle at times to bully them the width of the Severn. It's a cracking stretch when you drop on 'em

Hi Bish

Cheers for that info, I have only started fishing again this this year after a 15 year lay off so I still have a lot to learn. The 2 club stretches I fish are both only around a mile in length and most of the anglers who fish them are very friendly and are willing to give advise on the best swims to fish.

The Kennet is a tiny river compared to the Severn, no more than 2 rod lengths wide so I think locating the fish is probably much easier for me. Most of the swims are pretty obvious as you can see where they have been fished loads and there are stacks of features all the way along each stretch, its very twisty with lots bends, overhanging trees, rafts, shallow runs, deeper glides, holes etc.

When the water is clear you can actually see the fish feeding on your loose feed, the best swims in the summer seemed to be shallow gravelly runs full of streamer weed with a deeper hole with some cover (overhanging trees, rafts etc) close by. From what I have observed the barbel live under the cover and only come out onto the gravel to feed, if they get spooked the shoal disapear back into the deeper areas under the cover.

One of my favourite swims in just below a big cattle drink, there are some over hanging trees just below the swim and there is a lovely long crease where the trees slow the main flow down, I have had some great results fishing just on the edge of that crease in just out in the main flow.

I am kinda looking forward to the next few months as I have start all over again and learn how the fish behave now autumn is here. I thinking its now time to move away from pellets as everyone seems to be using them and I am deffo not getting as good results as I was earlier in the year, I reckon the fish are starting to wise up to them so I am now to strat using small amounts of hemp as an attractor and I will be experimenting with various flavours of meat and also boilies and I even brough a big pot of lobworms the other day. After what you have said maybe its time for me to try and use a more roving approach to see if I can locate where the fish are holding up now the colder weather is here.

I have been out a brought a couple of great barbel fishing books incuding Trefor West's A Quest for Barbel so its time for me now to have a good old read up on the subject and get out there and put some of what I learn into practice.

I am off out on Wednesday for an evening session so I will let you know how it goes.

Now that the temps are dropping at night, you need to target deep water swims mate. That's where they'll be holding. And with all this rain today, if the river colours up, i'd try the meat tomorrow - it's a killer bait when the water's coloured & there's a drop of extra water on.

Let us know how you get on tomorrow

Yes mate, thats exactly what I was thinking too, there are lots of deeper areas that I can have a go at. I have just flavoured up some meat with some curry powder and also added some turmeric to give it a bit of colour, I also got some of that Dynamite Baits chilli flavoured hemp, I reckon I am gonna bait up with 3 or 4 bait droppers of the hemp into 3 or 4 of the deeper swims at the start of the session then fish them in rotaion around 30 mins in each swim with meat on the hair rig

It looks like its gonna be Thursday now as my mate can't make it tomorrow, I will let you know how it goes on Friday.

Cheers

I managed to get out on the river last night and I am happy to say I broke my spell of inactivity with a nice 7lb 3oz barbel, not a monster but very welcome indeed.

I arrived at the river at 5pm and unusally there was only 1 other angler fishing and he was packing up to go home. Having the whole river to my self I spent the first hour or so baiting up 4 of the deeper swims with 6 droppers full of spicy chilli hemp, a few 3mm pellets and some of the new Sonubaits Tuna Wrap Boilies.

The river was more coloured than it has been for a while but the water was pretty cold so I wasn't feeling too confidant. A 15mm tuna wrap boilie was put onto the hair and a small PVA bag with pellets and some crushed up boilies was added to the hook and I dropped the rig into the first swim at 6.30. I decided to give each swim 45 minutes and then move onto the next and fish them all in rotation.

I took the fish in the 4th swim at around 9pm. I cast the rig into swim 4, a nice deep hole under some trees and was rewarded with a classic barbel rod wrenching slam of a bite less than 30 seconds after dropping the rig in. Classic stuff

I fished until midnight rotating the swims as before but I didn't get another knock, I went home happy as I wasn't really expecting any action at all what with it being so cold out last night and it was nice not to blank.

I may get out on the river tomorrow afternoon and for a bit of a change of scene me and a couple of mates are off to our local club lake on Sunday to do some battle with some double figure carp (hopefully) on the lift method. Its great fun catching them in the margins on the float whilst everyone else are chucking big leads out into the middle of the lake and the sitting behing their buzzers

Good luck to any of you guys who are out fishing this weekend

Well done Jakk.

Alas no fish, the barbel were not having it this afternoon despite me trying 4 different swims, who cares when the dusk looks like this, it was well cold out there but I had a great evening feeding Robins with hempseed and watching the ducks larking around, it was a lovely warm and sunny autumn afternoon too which was very nice, especially after a few spliffs.

looks like a beautiful spot mate

Doesn't it just - lovely looking swim Jakk

The first few frosts of the year knocked sport on the head on the Severn this weekend. Crystal clear & cold, not a good combo.

I reckon you are right about the cold mate, the Kennet is hard at the moment, I went out this evening for a couple of hours, I blanked but my mate had a nice fish 8lb 15oz just as he was packing up, jammy git, its a personal best for him so chuffed to feck

We badly need some rain down here as the river is the lowest and clearest I have seen it all year, and its now nearly November

certainly slowing the fish down, especially down the lakes. i shall be getting the winter baits ready now

Yeah, I am going to try the hemp and maggot feeder approach this weekend as the barbs are not taking big baits at the moment

I wouldn't even bother with seed particles now mate - magggots on their own would be enough now temps are down - white maggot if it's coloured, & bronze/red if clear

And while the high pressure is here,dont forget the deeper the water the more pressure there is,the less chance of fish

Caught sod all bream in deep water on the res Sunday,went today in shallower water and had 9

Owd

The rivers run a lot colder than still waters at this time of the year Owd, so deeper swims will be holding fish as opposed to colder shallower summer runs.

All depends on which river though mate,as the trent for instance runs a lot warmer than the derwent

Plus it all depends on what feeds the res's

Recent Sunday match on the derwent was won in the shallows with barbel and chub nets,while the anglers in the deeps struggled and no barbel were caught

So i suppose it depends on which river

Owd

Very true mate - he's on the Kennet Doesn't the Trent still have the warm water outlets from the power stations coming in? One of my top spots on the Severn is just below a warm water outlet from Buildwas ps - a most excellent spot!

No mate they stopped that years ago hence the drop in colour and temps

Its took over 15 years but the trent is really coming back now the fish are used to clearer cleaner water

3 weeks ago a match with 16 anglers in at Caythorpe saw 165lb of roach caught on stick and waggler tactics

Plus many reports of 100lb bream pleasure nets from all different areas

Owd

Cheers for advise guys, its funny you should mention what depth to fish, my mate who had his PB barb on Tuesday night caught it on the gravel shallows in less than 18 inches of water, I fished a deep hole on the outside of a bend and had nowt. I told him I thought he was wasting his time fishing there but it seems I was proved wrong.

165lb of roach on the float, nice. I have done a bit of trotting this year with a stick float amd maggots whilst resting my barb swims after feeding then up and waiting for dusk to come. I have had some lovely dace, roach and chub and I also hooked a barb which proceeded to instantly smash my 2lb hook length. I do enjoy trotting a float down the river, its great fun and a very active way of fishing.

Cheers

That's an impressive match weight! Especially made up of red eye! I'd give up weed for a red eye bag like that.

It seems the barbel are back on the feed again, me and my mate had a blinding nights fishing last night, I had 4 fish 2 were 9's 1 was an 8 and the other was a 7, nice. My mate had 3 9's a 7 and a couple of small ones too, bloody brilliant for 4 hours fishing from dusk until around 10pm

The river is still very low and gin clear but the water temps have been rising stedily all week and were at a nice 10.6 last night, rising temps are good conditions for the barbs as was proved last night

Its good to have a good night at last, its boosted my confidence no end, I was starting to get worried about our lack of fish of late,

Nice one Jakk What did you take them on?

Cheers Bish

I was fishing with an open ended feeder with a mix of Halibut pellet groundbait, chilli flavoured hemp, tuna in brine and a few halibut pellets and for hook bait i hair rigged a 15mm Sonubaits Tuna Wrap boilie. I baited the swim with 10 droppers of the above mix at the start and waited for an hour before fishing. I ended up with a huge shoal of bream in my swim but managed to locate the barbel by fishing just off the edge of my main feed area. I reckon they like to sit just off the main feed and pick off any bits of feed that they can the crafty buggers.

My mate was using pellets and PVA bags, he is a carp angler who has recently gotten into barbel fishing and soaks his baits and bags in all sorts of weird and wonderfull flavours and oils so I don't really know what he is using half the time.

Cheers

One of my lumps from last night, she weighed in at 9lb 6oz

NICE FISH JAKK
DO A BIT ON THE KENNET MYSELF AFTER BARBEL AND HAVE FOUND IT HARD GOING SINCE THE SUMMER FLOODS- NOWHERE NEAR AS MANY FISH AS LAST COUPLE OF SEASONS AND LOTS MORE BLANKS.FISHING INTO DARKNESS AS WELL.
TIGHT LINES
UKBL

I love reading about barbel fishing, and this thread has been a good old read.

Well done Jakk on your exploits, seems your not afraid to try new methods and baits when things arent going for you- a sign of a good angler!!

Loving the tales of 100lb + bags from the proper rivers like the severn and trent, I'd love to have a crack on those rivers- but thats a whole new ball game compared to the stream that is the Ouse.

I have never had a proper 'winter' barbel, after 10 years of trying on the Ouse! The latest I have had one is November 5th. My problem is I dont like night fishing- so my chances become limited after the frosts- doh.

Argh well, this thread has inspired me to make sure I catch a barbel between now and the end of the season, tight lines one and all.

Anyone got any winter barbel tips?

Are you referring to the Sussex Ouse mate?

Nah mate, The Great Ouse. Although shes not that great to me!

Going chubbing later, should be fun

well done jakk

nice thread you got goin here , never had a barbel myself ..........

peppi

hi mate-ive found from my barbel fishing that you have a good chance of catching in the day in winter(less bright sunshine and more coloured water) so you dont have to fish at night.cut down on bait and keep mobile trying as many swims as poss until you find signs of fish.dont be afraid to fish the same swims a few times throughout the day.we all suffer blanks in winter(and summer) but it makes it all the more pleasing when you do catch.fish a river with plenty of barbel in to up your chances and try to get to know the stetches,this will help.
as for 100lb+ bags you dont have to fish the big rivers like the severn or trent-i fish the kennet and have done the ton on there before.
if all else fails give night fishing a go-your be surprised as sometimes its not that dark and no colder then in the day.i didnt night fish until about 3 years ago but now love it and you can get a good few hours into the dark in the winter and be home at a decent time.
hope this helps.
ukbl

Cheers ukbl.

I reckon the advice i need to heed there is fish a river with lots of barbel in it! This will be rectified next year as Im going to get a ticket for the teme.

A ton off a river is magic, I've done it a few times at Alders farm (boo) but that cant compare with a nice bag of the river.

done the ton on a river with bream,barbel and chub.best was the chub though-52 fat chub and all on the stick float wiyh hemp and caster.
magic fishing and a day i will never forget or prob better.
ukbl

Proper fishing mate

I remember a winter Roach sesh on the severn years ago - on the stick & fishing fine, 1.1 bottom/size 20 - latched into a Barbel. Landed 40 mins later & weighing in at 9lb 2oz! How i got it out i don't know

Hi mate

Cheers for the kind words mate and I am glad you enjoyed reading this

If it makes you feel any better I am having a stinker of a winter and I too haven't had a fish since November despite getting out a couple of times when the conditions have been perfect. To be honest I know the fish get fatter this time but I much prefer fishing in the summer, I am not too hung up on only catching big ones and infact I find fish of around 8lbs fight harder than the real big old girls anyway so roll on summer I say

The best winter barbel tip is to try and get out when the conditions are good i.e the river is in flood and the water temp is staying constant or better still rising, you will have the best chance then as the fish go on a rampage and gorge themselves silly on all the food the flood water brings down.

Anyway mate I will update here if I do manage another fish before the season ends, Good luck with your with your winter barbel, there is still time yet for a lump before the season is over.

Cheers

The weather has turned for the better round here, and water temps should be on the up.

Im gonna try for a barbus barbus later on. The winter jinx will be hopefully be broken!

hi everyone
went out yesterday to the river kennet and was well chuffed to catch my first double of 2008 weighing 10lb 09oz,taken on a boile and was my only bite of the seesion.a friend with me also had a fish of 9lb 06oz.river was up and pushing with some colour.
ukbl



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Top fish ukbudlover

First double of the year? Get you!

Probably go 12lb late summer Nice tank all the same mate

yeah bish thought she was a 12 when i landed her and a new pb,she had the length but wasnt filled out enough so i will have to keep trying for a 12 as my best is 11 11.great fish all the same and i can never get tired of catching barbel.
ukbl

Nice one matey, congrats on your first Kennet double of 2008, my best barbel of 2008 so far is 00lb 00oz

I am gonna go over our local club lakes tomorrow, they are supposed to be fishing well at the moment and I need to get a bend in my rod and try and get some confidance back

I went over the river today, the conditions were far from perfect and me and my mate both blanked, still it was lovely to be out on a fresh cold sunny afternoon and I spent most of it feeding the local robin and mallard population with bits of bolies and hemp seed. When we packed up at 7pm we were both covered in a layer of frost, brrrr.

There was one guy who caught a sorry looking barbel around 5lbs, we reckon its on its last legs as it was very thin and had a big hole in its back probably from a cormorant attack. He said it didn't put much of a fight either.

Got some nice photos

The dusk was cold but beautiful this evening, may not be the ideal fishing conditions but you can't beat a cold bright and frosty day during the winter, it really clears the head, I reckon we don't get enough proper winter weather these days, everything looks really nice all covered in frost and ice.

Water temp has risen from 39 to 42 overnight on the Ouse, Im off after a barbs tomorrow. Got a bag of the 'blues' to keep me warm down the bank

Good luck matey, you are right about the conditions, they are looking good at the moment so I am off out tomorrow for a session on the Kennet

My fishing buddy had an afternoon off work on Thursday and had a cracking 14lb 1oz Kennet barbel, that is a very big fish for the Kennet and a fish of a life time for him, lucky bugger! to be fair he deserves it as he is out there 3 or 4 times per week come rain or shine so I am chuffed to bits for him, I only wish I was there to see it

Godd luck to all who are wetting a line this weekend

hi all
went for a session on the kennet today with my mate,fished from 11am to 7 45pm.weather not to bad and river looking ok.
my mate had 2 brown trout fishing lobworms and i had 1 bite about 6 15pm and landed 1 barbel of 10lb 10oz fishing a cut down boilie wrapped in paste down the edge.
only other signs i had was a line bite on the cast before the fish.
ukbl

Good result matey, nice looking winter fish, well done

I am getting exited now as I am on the Kennet tomorrow, I am planning to fish a couple of small boilies or pellets on a hair, I have 3 different kinds of boilies and some halibut pellets soaking in some octopus and squid attractant glug at the moment so they should be nice and ripe by tomorrow, I also made some paste and flavoued that with the same stuff to wrap around my hook bait and lead.

Finally I got some of this flavoured with Garlic oil

We know where the fish are holed up as my mate has been out catching from the same swim over the last few weeks and the water temps are on the up so bring it on, I am determined to catch a bloody fish tomorrow.

I will probably be on here reporting my blank tomorrow evening

Cracking fish budlover.

Blanked yesterday, but caught a few small chub on paste this morning. Still no barbs, need some rain for some colour I think. The quest continues..

At last I caught a fish, woohoo

Got to the river today and all was looking good with another rise in water temps over night, I hooked a nice fish around 3 pm but the hook pulled, I was gutted and nearly pissed off home.

I decided to stay and my mate had one around 6.30 just after dark 9lb 10oz, we photographed that and got it back in then I had one 9lb dead and while I was playing that my mate had another at around 6lb, nice

All three fish caught withing 10 minutes during a short sharp heavy rain shower, as soon as the rain stopped so did the bites

I was fishing with a small feeder with Halibut groundbait and hemp with 2 Octopus and Squid boilies on the hair, my mate was fishing with a straight lead, no loose feed and big lumps of Garlic flavoured meat on the hair.

My fish was not massive but very welcome as its my first since November and I am very happy.

Unlucky on the Barbs Mr Warrior, at least you had a few chub today, keep at it mate, the fish are getting nice and fat now

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well done jakk
bet you thought you had blown it when you lost 1.
had my fish on sat at about 6 15 so it looks as if they are having a munch as it is just getting dark.
hope to be on the river again this week as the weather looks ok and as we only have 3 weeks or so left to fish.
roll on summer.
keep at it shaman warrior im sure 1 will come along soon and will be a monster.ive only had a total of 5 bites from the last 4 trips and have had a few blanks this season as well.
tight lines
ukbl