Finer the line better the presentation. I agree. Some huge fish downstream where I fish hence the 8lb line.?
Upstream legering
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Everyone has their own idea of whats the best line, breaking strain etc. For me, it depends on the venue and knowing the limits of the line i'm using.
I can comfortably float and/or leger with 6lb sensor and unless the line has been cut on a snag I haven't come across a barbel yet than can snap it in a tug of war pull, when it's combination with a good rod.
If I was using heavier rods and weights then the line goes up in b/s to 10 or 12lb to match the rod.
I can comfortably float and/or leger with 6lb sensor and unless the line has been cut on a snag I haven't come across a barbel yet than can snap it in a tug of war pull, when it's combination with a good rod.
If I was using heavier rods and weights then the line goes up in b/s to 10 or 12lb to match the rod.
Yes too light for an out and out Barbel session but you will get them out as long as no snags or real weed jungles. You can say the same about Chub these days. Average is higher than it used to be hence the 8lb line. If fishing for Barbel I use 12lb as standard but wouldn't want to target Chub on that. I was talking about lines for Chub before.
I know. I use to use those light lines as well. Wouldn't now though apart from when maggot fishing in winter. Modern lines are better and generally finer so why take the risk? Also modern braids are excellent allowing use of higher bs.
Cheers.
Sometimes they will ..... sometimes they won't. There is truth in what you say but I had four Inc. 2 5s doing it yesterday.
I think though, as you say, it is better we didn't see how many times they touch the bait and leave it alone! A lot I would wager.
As for Barbel, who said Barbel are easy to catch?
Avon Barbel must be about the most difficult fish I know to catch. They are heavily pressured by good anglers and any amount of bait or even just lines in the water is enough for them to give you a finger salute! ... most of the time.
If you believe what many say barbel are easy to catch,however when few barbel are present they are very difficult indeed,add to that the days that even when decent numbers are present they just don't play the game....
Bang on.
Further in this, last night I had a cracking 6.11 Chub from the Avon. Upstreaming, 14g bomb 8lb line with my usual fine 8lb drennan braid tied in for the last 4 inches of the hooklength which was about 14 inches long. The quiver was a 2 1/2 oz glass job which gave a nice gentle curve.
The bite was a series of flickers, not really a drop back and I would argue the glass tip is better for showing these type of bites than a carbon tip.
14 g is more weight than it sounds like you will need but the Avon is a fast river.
Anyway, hope this may be of some interest to you.
barbelboi
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For chub I like to get downstream of the swim then cast up to it with just sufficient weight to hold in the current. When tightening up they’ll be a bit of slack line between the lead and the tip that will bow. If a chub takes the bait from downstream it will have to take up the bit of slack before it feels the resistance of the tip. If it takes it from upstream it will cause the small weight to move downstream with it giving a slack line bite - in both instances I strike when the line moves.
Interesting stuff. In a fast current not sure this would really work?
Keith M
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This technique is used by quite a few river anglers when there's a bit of current to contend with Andy.
Keith
Keith
Thanks Keith. Not much good with the constant bits of drifting weed catching on the line which are all too common on the Avon because they put a tension on the bow in the line but I will definitely keep it in mind in ideal clear water conditions.
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The whole idea is that there is tension on the line, so when the bait is picked up and the weight disturbed the bow of line is pushed by the current and the fish hooks itself via the weight and line pressure. Thats the theory as far i've always seen ot anyhow.
Hence the carbon tip, it will spring back harder than a glass tip and not only show the bite but help hook the fish.
At the end of the day, your best to just go with your own gut and do what suites you......just don't use dead maggots ffs LOL.
As Ian says,the idea is to put tension in the line to create a springboard effect and it really does work,however as Andy says the 'bits' of weed are a real problem on the Avon,many are more than bits,six inch tumbleweeds(bits of ranunculus)or bigger rolling along create massive pressure in the strong flow....
The floating weed is why many Avon anglers fish the bolt rig much of the time. It seems a little weird but many are fishing with the rod under water so that basically you are just watching a rod butt. Leads can be up to 4 oz or more than that if you add a backlead.
Whilst this is predominantly a Barbel technique lots of big Chub fall to it.
For some reason, this year I have decided I want to rediscover the art of watching a quiver tip and striking bites.
There is a lot of charm in fishing balanced tackle (to the flow) and I plan to really have a good go at it this year.
All interesting stuff on this site.
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In that situation it might be worth fishing as normal and using a heavy'ish captive backlead.
I have done that myself if fishing the river during the summer months when it had extra water on and weed is as you describe, it did work, althpugh I used 12lb mono which only broke at around 18lb. I think it was fox soft steeal, fox camo and I think nash bullet. The nash stuff was thick but very resistant if rubbed over rocks etc.
These tumbleweeds come from surface to bottom,they used to cut the weed(probably still do),so on the wrong days it can be a right pig,I dont know if you found this Ian,but chub seem to be anti backlead,whether its the added resistance...
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The weed i'm talkin' about is like matted stringy algie, like a big ball of pubic hairs!
Some of the ways I got round the chubs reluctance to take a bolt type hair rig, which you'll know yourself how they keep giving you big pull rounds as they try pulling the pellet (or whatever) off the hair, by having a ultra short hair and using a half of a smaller boilie/ pellet. Banding on the bread and putting the hook directly into meat or bunch of maggots, corn etc.
The way I do it is to use a heavy fixed lead with a very short hooklength (3 inches) if need be. You need a very sharp hook, obviously, and a bait they cannot pull off. A good firm boilie or if you use a pellet pull on a plastic caster before you put in the boilie stop. They find it much harder to pull it off then because the tension on the hair caused by the plastic caster stops the stop from working loose. Another way is to superglue the bait to the hair. Don't worry, superglue doesn't put them off. I have covered the pellet in superglue before when nuisance fish are a pain and they still take it! A plastic bait is another option.
With backleads, I use a second lead, at least 3 feet above the first one which is held in place with rubber stops.
Pretty it ain't but it is very effective when weed is a real pain.
The key is the fixed lead, short hooklength, tough bait and sharp hook.
Be careful to set your clutch lose or use a centrepin.
You will lose your rod otherwise!