Trotting and the biggest barbel.

[dicky123]

As Steve raised the trotting vs ledger thread, I'm asking what is the biggest Barbel caught on a float you know about?

I'm talking rivers trotting or laying on? I've been told of a few fish around 14lb do you know of bigger, and what was the gear used?

I'd be very interested because we often get views that the ledger catches bigger fish, but it's used more.

Realistically it's doubtful someone could land a massive fish on the float without a huge amount of luck. Compromise, compromise.

 

[tigger]

I'd feel confident at landing any barbel I hook using my normal set up of 6lb straight through unless I was trotting up to or near a snag that the fish will bolt for when hooked. In that situation i'd just up my set up to cope with the situation.
I haven't had any seriously large barbel whilst trotting but have a few light double figure fish with my biggest being 11lb 13 ounce.

 

[lutra]

As Steve raised the trotting vs ledger thread, I'm asking what is the biggest Barbel caught on a float you know about?

I'm talking rivers trotting or laying on? I've been told of a few fish around 14lb do you know of bigger, and what was the gear used?

I'd be very interested because we often get views that the ledger catches bigger fish, but it's used more.

Realistically it's doubtful someone could land a massive fish on the float without a huge amount of luck. Compromise, compromise.

Just two words, "Keith Speer". He was the man for big barbel on the float.

 

[sam vimes]

I seem to recall reading about Keith Speer catching barbel nearer to 20lb than 15lb on the float.

 

[davebhoy]

Hi ****y

Have a google search for Keith Speer, he caught huge barbel on the float, including one of 17lb in the snow. There was nothing lucky about his captures, he was a genius with the stick by all accounts

My largest barbel, 9lb, was on the stick

 

[thecrow]

Keith's fish were the biggest on a float I ever knew of, he was a great bloke always willing to share his knowledge with others, a big loss to angling imo.

 

[lutra]

I'd feel confident at landing any barbel I hook using my normal set up of 6lb straight through unless I was trotting up to or near a snag that the fish will bolt for when hooked. In that situation i'd just up my set up to cope with the situation.
I haven't had any seriously large barbel whilst trotting but have a few light double figure fish with my biggest being 11lb 13 ounce.

I think my track record with lot of fish up to 10lb and just a few a bit over is similar to yours with trotting Ian. Same go's for daytime fishing with light feeder for me as well really.

 

[flightliner]

My biggest is a 14-1 followed by a 13-13 with loads of 10s 11s and 12s backing them up.
As someone says, If they/ me also were to connect to a far larger fish in a reletively snag free swim It would see the bottom of my landing net .

 

[108831]

I've watched,chatted and seen Keith Speers many times,I was walking the bank (with my wife and kids)the day he caught the fish in the picture,he was an advocate of the improved chances of big barbel on the float and pin and indeed caught many barbel above 15lbs on the method,another friend of mine(another Keith caught four 17lbs+ fish on the float,one of which was over 18lbs,numerous 15lbs fish,from his garden,now he wants to move as the fish are now deceased,as an aside Keith Speer was also an advocate of the line coming from the top of the pin,saying that you can apply more pressure from there).

 

[tigger]

I think my track record with lot of fish up to 10lb and just a few a bit over is similar to yours with trotting Ian. Same go's for daytime fishing with light feeder for me as well really.

Thing is Brian, we can only catch whats in front of us and larger barbel arn't present in any numbers where we fish.

 

[lutra]

Thing is Brian, we can only catch whats in front of us and larger barbel arn't present in any numbers where we fish.

Thats true Ian, but neither of our pb's are on the float and I know in my case, none in my top 10. Which given the amount of trotting we do.......

Like others, I don't think power is a problem.

 

[sam vimes]

My fairly modest PB barbel was caught on the float. I'm pretty sure that I've had more doubles on the float than I have on the lead. That will have as much to do with the amount of time I spend float fishing in comparison to legering. I don't fish particularly light if I'm fishing somewhere where the chance of double figure fish is high. That may well reduce the number of bites I get, but it increases the percentage of hooked fish that are landed. Whilst some may get away with fishing surprisingly light, I know that I'm not good enough to do it on the rivers I fish. Those with greater skill, or confidence, may well get away with fishing lighter. However, much depends on the nature of the rivers concerned.

 

[thecrow]

as an aside Keith Speer was also an advocate of the line coming from the top of the pin,saying that you can apply more pressure from there

I would never go against what Keith had to say concerning the use of a CP but I don't understand the mechanics of why line coming off the top would allow more pressure to be put on, could someone that understands this explain please.

 

[tigger]

I would never go against what Keith had to say concerning the use of a CP but I don't understand the mechanics of why line coming off the top would allow more pressure to be put on, could someone that understands this explain please.

I can explain it....it's bo££ocks, you can apply just as much pressure with the drum rotating back at'cha. I've heard this nonsense before and that really is "nonsense".
I think it's just another old wives tale that people like to repeat over and over and the more they preach it the more they believe it themselves .

 

[sam vimes]

I would never go against what Keith had to say concerning the use of a CP but I don't understand the mechanics of why line coming off the top would allow more pressure to be put on, could someone that understands this explain please.

Me too! I've seen this suggestion a few times now and still can't get my head round it. I've even tried line off the top and not noticed a thing. However, I will modify the angle and position of my thumb depending on how much pressure I actually need to apply. I'm not averse to cupping the spool with my left hand in extreme cases (usually when pulling for a break). I can only guess that it's based on the assumption that the user only applies the thumb in one particular way.

 

[theartist]

I've sat watching Keith Speer a few times and it was evident the pressure he could get on the fish was much more than I could ever try with similar light lines. However I think that's as much to do with how tuned his gear was, you don't get to his level without getting everything balanced perfectly, couple that with his great technique and his skill and you get the picture.

It's worth noting that big barbel don't always take more getting in than the smaller ones, those scrappy 5-8lb fish often are more problematic, tearing all over the place - least for me they do . Bigger ones especially in winter plod around and you can coax them on on surprisingly light gear. Winter is they key as that's the best time to get the bigger ones for some reason, water levels permitting of course

 

[108831]

You must also realise pegs that are good for trotting for barbel tend to be longish clean glides,with little or no snag problems,as the Artist says winter is the key time,which means weed isn't a problem either.My best on the float is well down from that on the lead,mainly because I didn't spend time float fishing in the hay days,I always think foul-hooking is an issue...

P.B. Float-11lb 9ozs,lead 18lbs dead,the same fish pictured in the snow...

 

[thecrow]

18lbs dead

See that was what happens using 8lbs line what was it when it was alive

 

[theartist]

See that was what happens using 8lbs line what was it when it was alive

The irony is that fish is dead now, courtesy of a furry visitor, there was a golden era or big Barbel on that river and i'm glad I also dipped my toe in it just in time.

Make hay fellas as that sun won't shine for ever

 

[thecrow]

Make hay fellas as that sun won't shine for ever

I fear it has already started to set