Barbel populations in southern rivers,your views please?

[Neil Maidment]

Just as an aside it was Thames barbel that were used for the original stocking of the tidal Dorset Stour at Iford Bridge a couple of times in the 1890's. Those fish went upstream and also downstream with some finding their way into the Royalty on the Hants Avon via the confluence of the two rivers at Christchurch. Many, including me, are certain several of the modern day population have made that same trip.

I've not really fished for barbel on the Thames too much but had a few many, many years ago from Lechlade, Radcot and several other places down towards the Oxford area. More recently I've had a few from around the general Hampton Court area where some acquaintances of mine continue to have plenty of good fish. But in common with many who fish that and similar areas they never get on the river much before late Autumn/Winter and well after the main flotillas of pleasure craft have departed and often during flooding.

For several years up until last season I concentrated my barbel fishing on the Upper Loddon and Blackwater both tributaries of the Thames and modern wisdom says the barbel are descendants of those that worked their way up from the Thames. Some parts of both those rivers appear to have very sparse populations but others have a very impressive head of fish.

The official records for those rivers at 19lbs+ (2008) for the Loddon and 13lbs+ (2014) for the Blackwater are impressive (although I and others know heavier fish have come from the Blackwater ). But more importantly both rivers are producing a good number of much smaller fish particularly from their upper reaches.

 

[swizzle]

Yeah, thanks for the welcome Swiz ? I thought barbel in southern rivers was sort of the topic I had referred to as I'm staying in the south west?

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

No problem Anthony. The lack of response to your question is good evidence. Forum etiquette and all that. Give it a try, I'm sure someone will be happy enough to help you out. Some great guys on here and very knowledgeable too.

 

[108831]

Brian,all rivers suffer cyclical fish populations,of all species,as for being devoid of life,i'm not sure to what you refer to there,are you talking of serious pollutions,or what,I remember years when it seemed like no fish were present,but they had to have been,even if in lesser numbers,as the middle river is solid with roach,the bream seemed to have eased off,then bang,they are back,maybe it's just conditions,on my local rivers that can't happen,if you can't catch them,you would still see them,the Thames imv is one of the most neglected of rivers from the EA standpoint,the only thing they were interested in,was to get salmon running the river at an enormous cost,so the stocking of barbel hasn't been done to my knowledge,at least any amount of them.One question,how many rivers in the NW have indigenous barbel in them,as I was under the impression that only our eastern seaboard has these,due to their historic links with Europe...

Hi Anthony,i'm afraid I only have knowledge of the middle Severn,so don't know the Chepstow area i'm afraid.

 

[lutra]

Brian,all rivers suffer cyclical fish populations,of all species,as for being devoid of life,i'm not sure to what you refer to there,are you talking of serious pollutions,or what,I remember years when it seemed like no fish were present,but they had to have been,even if in lesser numbers,as the middle river is solid with roach,the bream seemed to have eased off,then bang,they are back,maybe it's just conditions,on my local rivers that can't happen,if you can't catch them,you would still see them,the Thames imv is one of the most neglected of rivers from the EA standpoint,the only thing they were interested in,was to get salmon running the river at an enormous cost,so the stocking of barbel hasn't been done to my knowledge,at least any amount of them.One question,how many rivers in the NW have indigenous barbel in them,as I was under the impression that only our eastern seaboard has these,due to their historic links with Europe...

Hi Anthony,i'm afraid I only have knowledge of the middle Severn,so don't know the Chepstow area i'm afraid.

Alan, Is there any evidence that there has ever been a self sustained population of barbel in the mid and lower Thames in the last 500 years, since it had locks built and was used as an open sewer?

No indigenous barbel here Alan, but we have salmon and your barbel. ?

 

[jasonbean1]

It would be very difficult to know if the Thames itself had a self sustaining barbel population due to the many tributaries feeding it that do.

The Thames around Oxford has in the last couple of years been showing more barbel. but there has been many fish stocked over the last 10 years or so in the region.

Many south east rivers may not be suitable habitats for barbel any more so stocking is the only answer. some people don't agree with that but to be honest I don't have a problem with it, its my licence money.

 

[108831]

I'm unsure though that re-stocking will be successful,if you don't know what causes the decline in the first place,suddenly several rivers are giving bad vibes,including the one that holds the record,i've been today on the Ouse,it looked pretty good,overcast,a big wind ruffling the surface,concealing your presence,nice flow,clean bottom,one 6lb bream,the stretch I fished on opening day had that stringy algal weed on the bottom,not nice.

 

[lutra]

It would be very difficult to know if the Thames itself had a self sustaining barbel population due to the many tributaries feeding it that do.

The Thames around Oxford has in the last couple of years been showing more barbel. but there has been many fish stocked over the last 10 years or so in the region.

Many south east rivers may not be suitable habitats for barbel any more so stocking is the only answer. some people don't agree with that but to be honest I don't have a problem with it, its my licence money.

Yes I completely agree, but unless you want to end up with only a few big ones left in say 15 years time and then maybe none, someone needs to keep stocking them. Which is maybe where some rivers are.

 

[jasonbean1]

From my own experience looking into the problems that the Cherwell has suffered over many I would say many thames tributaries and other southerly rivers will/are going the same way.

Barbel can live in these rivers and grow big that's proven but with low flows, sediment build up, crayfish and god knows what else recruitment is very poor. All the surveys and studies on these rivers point to that being the main problem for low barbel stocks.

Improving any of that will more than likely will never happen in the south east with the population increases we will have.

 

[108831]

I thank my lucky stars that i've been able to catch good numbers of barbel and big fish among them,because I can't see me travelling countless miles anymore in their pursuit,those days are past,I pity younger anglers,who will be chasing the holy grail(a barbel)like I did,fishing the Royalty and Throop,as barbel were rare back in the day,seems like those days are returning,probably after i'm dead and gone,but creeping back....