rods and reels for barbel fishing

[Specihunter]

i will mainly be fishing the Thames, hants avon ,dorset stour and some local rivers near me. And i need new reels so i have 2 questions

1 what size reel will i need ?
2 does the reel need to be a free spool ?

for rods will 1.75lb tc be enough for these rivers ??

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I’ve never had a problem with my Greys 1.75lb T/C rods and couple then with either a 4000 or 5000 size reel on those rivers.

 

[Keith M]

I’m with Peter on this; I would go for 1.75lb Barbel rods with 4000 or 5000 sized reels which should cover most conditions and methods you are going to use on the rivers that you mention.

I myself use Shimano 5000 baitrunner reels and a Centrepin reel for my Barbel depending on the methods I’m using; plus I occasionally use a Shimano 4000 series Stradic reel.

Although not strictly necessary a freespool/baitrunner reel comes in very handy for when I’m moving a Barbel onto my unhooking mat or I’m needing to get something out of my tackle bag, or when I’m setting up.
I only use one rod at a time and am usually touch legering anyway so I never use the freespool/baitrunner function when I’m actually fishing.

However if you intend to be fishing with more than one rod for Barbel then baitrunners might be an advantage (especially if you are a Carbeller and not sitting on your rods); as a Barbel can pull your rod into the water in less than a second if you are not prepared and your mind is wandering off somewhere.

I expect that; like me; once you get into your Barbel fishing you’ll eventually end up with several different Barbel rods.

I have four different rods that cover all of my current barbeling needs:
A 1.5lb Tc Greys Barbel rod that I like to use in low water conditions on smallish and medium sized venues.
A 1.75lb Tc Greys Barbel rod that I like to use in more usual water conditions with a bit of flow.
A 1.5lb/2.0lb Tc Greys Multi-Tip rod and use the 2.0lb tip section when I’m fishing in flood conditions or fishing a largish feeder.
A Drennan MKIV Tench Float rod that I use when I’m trotting a float for Barbel.

Tight lines
Keith

 

[Alan Whitty]

Price ranges control what you will consider, a 1.5-1.75lb tc rod will cover the rivers you mention, but each company, nay, even blank has a different feel power wise, reels, definitely one for a 4000 size, these too vary by manufacturer, a decent drag is a must...

 

[Philip]

Agree with pretty much everything already said. Just to add I just tried out a pair of 1.75tc Cadence Barbel rods and liked them alot. They filled an (imaginary?) gap I had between the Avons and the Carp rods.

Caught a dozen or so fish up to about 8lb and they did what was expected. They also appear to be very well built and should stand up to having their tips poked into the odd bramble bush without snapping which I am not sure can be said of some modern rods.

As for the reel while a freespool is not essential if you swap over to the dark side like me from time to time and stick on a bolt rig then it can make life a bit easier.

 

[Alan Whitty]

If by the dark side, you mean crap fishing Philip then yes, however for barbel fishing on the rivers in question I believe the bait runner allows barbel to get a head of steam up which can lead to lost fish, however if anglers find it difficult to 'sit' on their rod's so to speak a 'runner' or centrepin is essential.

 

[Specihunter]

Thanks guys for the advice. No I don't intend to be crapbeller. Just thinking I may use them for tench and bream lake fishing.

 

[chevin4]

If by the dark side, you mean crap fishing Philip then yes, however for barbel fishing on the rivers in question I believe the bait runner allows barbel to get a head of steam up which can lead to lost fish, however if anglers find it difficult to 'sit' on their rod's so to speak a 'runner' or centrepin is essential.

Thanks guys for the advice. No I don't intend to be crapbeller. Just thinking I may use them for tench and bream ake

I am not sure of your budget. If funds run to it the Harrison Chimera 2 rated at 1.75tc is a great all-rounder for Barbel Tench and Bream using loaded feeders or leads up to about 3oz. As Dr Steve Harrson implies on the Harrison website test curve ratings is not a precise measure of rating of a rod. As I have experienced two rods of a same tc rating will feel totally different. If you go down the budget route Korum and Fox produce some decent rods for under a £100.

 

[Alan Whitty]

We all have different requirements for a rod, if you are looking for a casting tool and not a fish playing one routine, my good mate down at Christchurch has had more big barbel than me(as in 14-15lbers, not pb's, as I keep telling him, lol)and he uses 11ft Avon Perfections which are 1lb 6oz t.c., he mainly fishes the D.Stour and H.Avon, when he fishes the Severn he uses the Chimera 2's, just to add he casts up to 3ozs on the Avon Perfections(as have I), rods are personal preference and what suits me won't suit someone else, many like Greys Prodigy's, me I think they are very powerful for their supposed test curves, in fact almost broom handle like, I love my Torrix 1.75lb 11ft, haven't found a barbel that I haven't got to grips with yet, the small river some of us fish on FM creates issues because of the intimate bends that are Norfolk reed bound, which because the fish are of a modest size I tend to fish lighter rods for the fun aspect(an 11lber is a monster)....

 

[Steve Arnold]

Thanks guys for the advice. No I don't intend to be crapbeller. Just thinking I may use them for tench and bream lake fishing.

Where I live the carp are a problem when you are barbel fishing!

I have an old Greys Prodigy 1.5 TC 3-piece barbel rod that is great for barbel in the summer, but a bit underpowered for when the river Lot is in its full winter state. It has managed a couple of carp (13lb and 29lb) but I ended up swimming for one when it went around a fallen tree. Great rod for the usual barbel here running 3lb-9lb.

If you want a cheap rod for the odd occasions when the river is in spate, check out the Korum Big Water range. The tip is still soft enough to see bites developing and play a 5lb barbel showing a fair bend in the rod.

But my Korum BW (the 2.75 lb 3-piece) had enough power left in the butt to bring this 27 lb carp from about 100 yds downriver when there was a good flow going down.....

It's a good casting rod as well and much better balanced than my carp rods. I think mine cost around 80 euros, some of the 2-piece I have seen advertised at around £45 in the UK - bargain!

Reels, I favor the Shimano Baitrunner Oceanic (OC) reels. The 4000 for barbel in summer and 6000 or 8000 in floods and where carp might show. My Shimanos have had a few dunkings - still running smooth!

 

[chevin4]

Where I live the carp are a problem when you are barbel fishing!

I have an old Greys Prodigy 1.5 TC 3-piece barbel rod that is great for barbel in the summer, but a bit underpowered for when the river Lot is in its full winter state. It has managed a couple of carp (13lb and 29lb) but I ended up swimming for one when it went around a fallen tree. Great rod for the usual barbel here running 3lb-9lb.

View attachment 27450

If you want a cheap rod for the odd occasions when the river is in spate, check out the Korum Big Water range. The tip is still soft enough to see bites developing and play a 5lb barbel showing a fair bend in the rod.

But my Korum BW (the 2.75 lb 3-piece) had enough power left in the butt to bring this 27 lb carp from about 100 yds downriver when there was a good flow going down.....

View attachment 27449

It's a good casting rod as well and much better balanced than my carp rods. I think mine cost around 80 euros, some of the 2-piece I have seen advertised at around £45 in the UK - bargain!

Reels, I favor the Shimano Baitrunner Oceanic (OC) reels. The 4000 for barbel in summer and 6000 or 8000 in floods and where carp might show. My Shimanos have had a few dunkings - still running smooth!

I agree the Korum BW are excellent value and dispite the test curve are not a broom handle being progressive in action. I think for those on a budget they would be great for the tidal Trent. I have a Chimera 3 which is very similar I purchased it for the Trent and also using it for heavy feeders fir bream and tench. I guess the Korum bw would make a decent long range bream

 

[chevin4]

Where I live the carp are a problem when you are barbel fishing!

I have an old Greys Prodigy 1.5 TC 3-piece barbel rod that is great for barbel in the summer, but a bit underpowered for when the river Lot is in its full winter state. It has managed a couple of carp (13lb and 29lb) but I ended up swimming for one when it went around a fallen tree. Great rod for the usual barbel here running 3lb-9lb.

View attachment 27450

If you want a cheap rod for the odd occasions when the river is in spate, check out the Korum Big Water range. The tip is still soft enough to see bites developing and play a 5lb barbel showing a fair bend in the rod.

But my Korum BW (the 2.75 lb 3-piece) had enough power left in the butt to bring this 27 lb carp from about 100 yds downriver when there was a good flow going down.....

View attachment 27449

It's a good casting rod as well and much better balanced than my carp rods. I think mine cost around 80 euros, some of the 2-piece I have seen advertised at around £45 in the UK - bargain!

Reels, I favor the Shimano Baitrunner Oceanic (OC) reels. The 4000 for barbel in summer and 6000 or 8000 in floods and where carp might show. My Shimanos have had a few dunkings - still running smooth!

I use a 4000D for the smaller rivers it's basically a 4000OC with a bit more bling. I match this reel to my 11ft 1.75 Torrix.

 

[chevin4]

We all have different requirements for a rod, if you are looking for a casting tool and not a fish playing one routine, my good mate down at Christchurch has had more big barbel than me(as in 14-15lbers, not pb's, as I keep telling him, lol)and he uses 11ft Avon Perfections which are 1lb 6oz t.c., he mainly fishes the D.Stour and H.Avon, when he fishes the Severn he uses the Chimera 2's, just to add he casts up to 3ozs on the Avon Perfections(as have I), rods are personal preference and what suits me won't suit someone else, many like Greys Prodigy's, me I think they are very powerful for their supposed test curves, in fact almost broom handle like, I love my Torrix 1.75lb 11ft, haven't found a barbel that I haven't got to grips with yet, the small river some of us fish on FM creates issues because of the intimate bends that are Norfolk reed bound, which because the fish are of a modest size I tend to fish lighter rods for the fun aspect(an 11lber is a monster)....

I think you would struggle to get say 60yards with the 1lb 6oz rods with a 3oz feeder which is sometimes required on the gravel pits. IMO the Chimera 2s will do far more. I had a pair of 1lb 6oz rods but sold them off when I got a pair of Chimera 1s which are IMO more versatile.albeit 12ft in length. I only use an 11ft rod on the smaller waters in tight swims thats when the 1.75 Torrix comes in.

 

[Philip]

On big rivers like the Seine (pretty similar to Thames) I am confident of landing most things I hook on 1.25 tc rod and 6lb line ..and that includes Carp to 40lb+ and hefty Catfish ...I know this as I catch alot of them while after smaller species.

As I mentioned in my earlier post I recently tried a pair of 1.75 tc rods , I matched them with 10lb line. Tried them out on a high stock venue (medium size river) and had at least a dozen Barbel up to about 8lb.

I dont know if it was because I was used to catching them on lighter gear but every fish I hooked I felt didnt have a hope in hell, I was able to stop them in their tracks and get them in pretty quick. I felt I was over gunned for the occasion by quite a margin. It was not that different to when I catch them on out and out Carp gear by accident ...the fish had no hope unless it got lucky with a hook pull for example.

Anyway thats my opinon, as I say maybe I am just used to catching them on lighter tackle that made what I think many people would see as "standard" UK tackle for barbel as a bit of an overkill.

TBH I think the whole UK Barbel scene (which i was very much into myself) is all a bit bizzare nowadays probably a result of the angling pressure & people catching the same fish over and over again. I doubt there is another country in the world that sees the kind of sustained angling pressure on the same individual fish as is seen in the UK.

 

[Alan Whitty]

I think you would struggle to get say 60yards with the 1lb 6oz rods with a 3oz feeder which is sometimes required on the gravel pits. IMO the Chimera 2s will do far more. I had a pair of 1lb 6oz rods but sold them off when I got a pair of Chimera 1s which are IMO more versatile.albeit 12ft in length. I only use an 11ft rod on the smaller waters in tight swims thats when the 1.75 Torrix comes in.

But,the OP is talking about barbel on the Thames, D.Stour and H.Avon Hugh(rivers i've spent a lot of time fishing for barbel), not tenching on gravel pits, that really requires a different rod, I'd be stunned if you couldn't cast that distance with the 1.6oz or 1.75lb tc Torrix, though its not perfect, as for fishing for barbel on the rivers in question a 12fter would be a hindrance in my opinion in a couple of ways, one for fishing parrot cages(which barbel swims often are)and then actual fish playing qualities, only in flood water conditions are they not suitable, but as I don't like barbel fishing in those conditions it doesn't matter...

 

[Badgerale]

TBH I think the whole UK Barbel scene (which i was very much into myself) is all a bit bizzare nowadays probably a result of the angling pressure & people catching the same fish over and over again. I doubt there is another country in the world that sees the kind of sustained angling pressure on the same individual fish as is seen in the UK.

i dont live in a part of the country blessed with barbel, and I must admit I'd love to catch one - and am looking to travel for it. My inquires into day ticket fishing on the famous rivers do give me that kind of feeling like a busy carp hole lined with anglers after 'a 30'.

Think I'll opt for less famous rivers that aren't lined with fellow barbel chasers.

 

[@Clive]

Wasn't a recent record barbel taken from Sussex?

 

[Badgerale]

Wasn't a recent record barbel taken from Sussex?

River Arun - there are big ones in there but they are very few.

Also other end of the two counties to me (west/east sussex).

edit: turns out it wasn't the Arun

 

[Alan Whitty]

Prolific barbel rivers aren't that common any more, some of us are lucky, at the moment, long may it remain so...

 

[riverman]

i have a wychwood barbel rod and its been a fantastic rod strong as an ox and only cost me £50.i have 3 other leger rods daiwa shakespeare and trubucco but this wychwood rod has been reliable to say the least.