Mild weather keeping them going

[ANDY76]

Managed couple of into dark sessions this week resulting in several chub, and two nice barbel. This mild weather helping prolong the barbel fishing, but temperature really dropped last night.

Both barbel about 7 to 8lb range one on double hair rigged 8ml pellet, and second piece of meat.

Will hopefully get out few more times before real cold weather comes.
Not sure how to put pics up yet once I figure it out il add them

Tight line all whovsre out this weekend

 

[108831]

Never really understood how in my area winter was always the most consistent time to catch barbel,apart from the fact maybe in your area temperatures are probably a couple of degrees colder...

 

[Keith M]

Nice fishing Andy, well done :thumbs:

This mild weather helping prolong the barbel fishing,

It would have to be a lot colder than it is now before the Barbel really start to slow down on the rivers and streams around here.

It was the late Keith Speers who convinced me that Barbel can be caught right through the winter months, even when the temperatures are only a few degrees above freezing; as long as the temperatures have been stable for a few days or are beginning to rise after a steady period (regardless of how cold it may be); however it’s while the temperatures are actually dropping that usually sees them stop feeding (and me sitting in front of my fire as I’m turning into a big softy in my old age :wh ).

If you don’t believe that they feed in very cold conditions; have a look at the link below; Keith Speers had this 17lb 15oz Barbel (reported in the Angling press) with snow on the ground during one of the coldest January’s for many decades, and he also had an 11lb’er the week before and a 15lb’er the week after. (or the other way round).

Welcome to Verulam Angling Club

It was Keith Speers that changed my attitude and proved to me that it is possible to catch a Barbel even in very cold temperatures, so don’t put away your Barbel rod(s) too soon

Keith

 

[thecrow]

Managed couple of into dark sessions this week resulting in several chub, and two nice barbel. This mild weather helping prolong the barbel fishing, but temperature really dropped last night.

Both barbel about 7 to 8lb range one on double hair rigged 8ml pellet, and second piece of meat.

Will hopefully get out few more times before real cold weather comes.
Not sure how to put pics up yet once I figure it out il add them

Tight line all whovsre out this weekend

Andy have a look at the HDYGO thread, good place for reporting on catches, good luck uploading pictures on here, a lot use post image as its easier

 

[tigger]

Nice fishing Andy, well done :thumbs:



It would have to be a lot colder than it is now before the Barbel really start to slow down on the rivers and streams around here.

It was the late Keith Speers who convinced me that Barbel can be caught right through the winter months, even when the temperatures are only a few degrees above freezing; as long as the temperatures have been stable for a few days or are beginning to rise after a steady period (regardless of how cold it may be); however it’s while the temperatures are actually dropping that usually sees them stop feeding (and me sitting in front of my fire as I’m turning into a big softy in my old age :wh ).

If you don’t believe that they feed in very cold conditions; have a look at the link below; Keith Speers had this 17lb 15oz Barbel (reported in the Angling press) with snow on the ground during one of the coldest January’s for many decades, and he also had an 11lb’er the week before and a 15lb’er the week after. (or the other way round).

Welcome to Verulam Angling Club

It was Keith Speers that changed my attitude and proved to me that it is possible to catch a Barbel even in very cold temperatures, so don’t put away your Barbel rod(s) too soon

Keith

I'm sure that will depend on the source of the rivers Keith. The catchment areas of the rivers I fish are up on the hill tops where the temps are very cold and there is quite often snow when we have no sign of it this far down stream.
If the rivers are spring fed as lot of chalkstreams are likely to be higher than the air temp's and much more constant than spate rivers running off hills.

 

[108831]

I walked the river the day Keith Speers had that barbel with my family,temperatures were below freezing for most of the day,as they had for a few days previously,the venue is pretty shallow and narrow,you can hardly fish anywhere until November onwards due to heavy weeding,most barbel came out after christmas,up until the end of the season,mainly on the humble maggot.

 

[theartist]

We may as well name the venue as those fat old barbel got eaten a long time ago now, don't worry i'm still bitter I caught one when my camera battery died and I put that down to the cold weather as my coat had frost on it in the shed that morning.

I'm with KeithM re the cold weather and that it's never too cold to catch a barbel but it sure gets harder and summer tactics just won't bare fruit when it's freezing. You still see folks chucking out donkey chokers and they come over amazed to see the fish take your single maggot. Maybe southern rivers do run warmer but would Keith Speer have caught on a northern river in midwinter? I think we know the answer to that one

 

[tigger]

Maybe southern rivers do run warmer but would Keith Speer have caught on a northern river in midwinter? I think we know the answer to that one[/QUOTE]



Not really, I don't know the answer, What is it?

 

[ANDY76]

Not really, I don't know the answer, What is it?

It's my first season barbel fishing and been tough but very rewarding I'm hooked for life, most of info Iv got is from experienced club members and anglers and it seems that although you can still get them it tends to slow down a lot in cold, but also hours are shorter, banks usually quite dangerous and slippy and its not as appealing to some to sit in cold temperatures. Myself personally il be out as long as they are feeding and when not il go for chub and pike.

I'm really look g forward to trying new rivers next year and have trips away, with the trent and Severn being the first rivers to try.
Tight lines all.

 

[thecrow]

These 2 fish although not the size that Keith Speer caught were taken from the Warwickshire Avon when there was ice in the margins. Imo the temperature is the temperature no matter where a river is located.

 

[theartist]

Do you remember when barbel fishing got big and it seemed everyone was dropping a thermometer in the margins as there was supposed to be some sort of cut off temperature for barbel not to feed? Like most theories it was proved wrong, don't see many thermometers now

 

[ANDY76]

It's my first season barbel fishing and been tough but very rewarding I'm hooked for life, most of info Iv got is from experienced club members and anglers and it seems that although you can still get them it tends to slow down a lot in cold, but also hours are shorter, banks usually quite dangerous and slippy and its not as appealing to some to sit in cold temperatures. Myself personally il be out as long as they are feeding and when not il go for chub and pike.

I'm really look g forward to trying new rivers next year and have trips away, with the trent and Severn being the first rivers to try.
Tight lines all. View attachment 5797

The pic is my best of year 11lb 4oz from swale night session

 

[thecrow]

Do you remember when barbel fishing got big and it seemed everyone was dropping a thermometer in the margins as there was supposed to be some sort of cut off temperature for barbel not to feed? Like most theories it was proved wrong, don't see many thermometers now

Yes I remember, some still take the temperature while fishing why I don't know because if the angler is already on the bank and fishing it is what it is.

Perhaps there is a temperature level when the chances of catching are improved from below that temperature level if that makes sense?

 

[theartist]

Yeah there's some logic in thinking it's going to be hard catching barbel so i'll go for something else and it stands to reason there's going to be improved catch rates the warmer the water is. It when they say it's impossible that's when it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy

 

[108831]

Catching fish can be hard for many reasons,if you didn't go out on those days,you would probably fish six times a year,the skills within angling are to catch on the not so good days too.

 

[barbelboi]

I always had a go on the 'cut off' if the water temperature was rising to it - never the other way around.....

 

[theartist]

I now use the cut off temperature to gauge whether I should jump in after dad's gear or throw him in

 

[tigger]

Anyone who thinks or says barbel angling doesn't slow down during the colder months can come up here and show me how to catch 'em, I bow to their superiour angling skills....seriously!
Artist, you seem to be an expert and you catch them on the float no problem all year round, that's fantastic and I'd love you to come up here and show me how to do it...it would add another river to your list .
Obviously i'm doing something drastically wrong and I need guidence.

 

[ANDY76]

Anyone who thinks or says barbel angling doesn't slow down during the colder months can come up here and show me how to catch 'em, I bow to their superiour angling skills....seriously!
Artist, you seem to be an expert and you catch them on the float no problem all year round, that's fantastic and I'd love you to come up here and show me how to do it...it would add another river to your list .
Obviously i'm doing something drastically wrong and I need guidence.

Guess il find out cause il be out all weather's, suppose the good thing is chub feed all winter and you stand a chance of barbel fishing for chub.
All types of fishing Iv done Iv still caught in winter but a lot less, but that's mainly fly fishing

 

[108831]

Each venue is different and fishing does slow when the first frosts come,but then they become more used to it,if your venue becomes a faster flowing place,then float fishing may not be the answer on it,as I say on my venues you couldn't run a float through them until at least November,or at least the vast majority of swims anyway.