Angling Direct guide to barbel 2

Part 2: Rigs and bait

Having spent the time locating your Barbel hotspot it is important to fish for them with the rig and bait that gives you the best chance of success. I would recommend two basic rigs to consider, both of which are uncomplicated rigs using minimal amount of knots and terminal tackle.


Line stop
Can be used to turn this into a bolt rig, and prevents feeder sliding on cast.

Feeder
I prefer to thread the main line through pre-drilled holes in the feeder.

Rubber shock bead
Protects the knot from being damaged by the feeder on casting.

Swivel
Strong barrel swivel attached to main line and hook length by using a twice through the eye grinner knot.

Hook length
6” to 3’ – minimum 6lb, I prefer 7lb 6oz (0.19mm) Preston power line

Hook
Size 18 – 10 Drennan eyed super specialist hook, tied using the knotless knot with hair trimmed off.



For bait with this rig I only use white maggot, I prefer the freshest bait possible the bigger and softer the better. For the feeder I will mix the maggots with hemp or small pellet. Constant casting is the key to success with this method, a minimum of one pint of bait per hour should be fed through the feeder or you are not feeding enough.

Hook
Size 8 – 2 strong hook, I recommend the Trefor West TT hooks, tied with the knotless knot, with or without hair

Hook Length
6” – 18” either in 10lb mono or 12lb sinking braid

Swivel
Strong barrel swivel attached to main line and hook length by using a twice through the eye grinner knot.

Rubber shock bead
Protects knot from damage

Run ring
Low friction run rings enable quick change of leads and allow snagged rigs to pull free

Lead
Leads from ¼oz to 6oz depending on flow

I have caught many fish on this rig using a variety of baits, try bacon grill, boilie, paste or pellet. Bacon grill works best when the light is fading or the river is carrying colour from rainwater.

In the following section I will take you through a typical evening session on the river Severn, and how I would tackle it.

5:00pm: Arrive at river set up both feeder and big bait rod

5.30pm: Bait size 16 hook with 2 large white maggots and fill feeder 50.50 with maggot and pellet mixture. I will cast this at least 10 times with only enough time between casts for the feeder to empty. I start to get knocks and rattles on the rod top almost instantly as gudgeon and minnows etc attack the hookbait. After the initial 10 casts I will start to leave longer between casts but no more than 3 minutes

6.30pm: The swim has gone quite now, I suspect a shoal of Barbel have moved onto the bait and bullied the smaller fish out of the swim. Bang without warning the tip is wrenched over as a hooked Barbel charges for freedom, after a few minutes a typical shoal fish of around 4 ½ lb is netted and safely returned. I cast again and the feeder barely hits the bottom and another Barbel is hooked again a shoal fish of about 4lb.

7.30pm: After those 2 fish I experience a relatively quite spell with only 2 small chub caught, but during this period I maintain constant casting to continue feeding the swim. Occasionally I will leave the feeder a few minutes longer between casts, this will often produce a fish. As if it was rehearsed the tip trembles then bangs over as Barbel number 3 is hooked a smaller fish of around 3lb puts up a mighty fight before being netted and returned.

8.00pm: The light value is falling now as the sun starts to set, time for the big bait rod to come out. A lead of around 1oz will suffice with a hair rigged 16mm pellet for bait. This will be cast to the same area I have been fishing with the feeder.

8.30pm: I have some small pulls and plucks on the rod top, then a couple more violent pulls but I resist the temptation to strike as I wait for a definite bite. The tip pulls down hard then drops back slack as a hooked fish dislodges the lead and creates a temporary bow of slack line. I strike to set the hook and the fight is on heart stopping stuff as a fish of 6lb 4oz is landed and quickly returned, a few seconds support in the current and the fish kicks and swims of strongly to fight another day.

9.00pm: With the light almost gone now I will try to sort out a big fish to finish the session. I hair rig a large lump of bacon grill (about 1 ½ inch cube). Again cast to the same area its not many minutes before the tip starts to knock and rattle as I suspect a bigger Barbel is sizing up his supper, this goes on for several minutes of and on. I again resist the urge to strike and get the reward of a proper bite the strike meets with solid resistance as a bigger fish is hooked. The fish puts up a more solid but slower fight hugging the river bed searching out a snag in which to shed my hook, I gain line as the fish moves to wards me. My arm muscles start to ache and for the first time my prize is gradually reeled off of the river bed, I am glad when I finally slip the net under an 8lb plus fish. The scales confirm 8lb 2oz, a typical fish to come from the Severn for those who are prepared to fish later into the day.

9.30pm: It’s dark now as I pack in not a bad session 5 Barbel in just over 4 hours, typical of what can be caught adopting the simple methods detailed.

   

My top ten tips for Barbel baits and rigs are