Weir Pool Barbel

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Santiago
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Weir Pool Barbel

Post by Santiago »

Can you help me catch a weir pool barbel? This time of year, what would be the most effective traditional bait? Not worms there's too many perch. And how long should my hooklink be and what's the best ledgering set up? I could also float fish but I'm not sure about trotting bigger baits.

Whilst fishing for perch with worm last weekend I'm sure I had a few spooked barbel bites because the rod tip ripped around but with a short hooklink I never connected. I used a short hooklink to avoid deeply hooked perch! That's why worms are not an option.
"....he felt the gentle touch on the line and he was happy"

Hemingway

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RBTraditional
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Re: Weir Pool Barbel

Post by RBTraditional »

Try rolling a meat ball around Tevor....nice and simple a swan shot or two depending on flow, pinched 12 inches from the hook. I use a size six or four straight through on 8lb line.
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Duebel
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Re: Weir Pool Barbel

Post by Duebel »

Around here, cheese works very well and selectively for barbel. Just cut small cubes of gouda or a cheese of a similar texture (I guess double gloucester would be good) and put one on the hook by cutting halfway through it with the hooklink and then putting the hook point into the cheese.
As for the right technique, I can't give you any advice, as I don't fish for barbel. The barbel anglers around here keep it very simple. A free running lead, a bead, a swivel and a hook link beeing about 2 ft long.

Good luck with the barbel! I caught 5 beautiful perch on trotted lo worm from a weir pool last week. Not a single one deep hooked.

Greetings from Bamberg

Martin

Paul D

Re: Weir Pool Barbel

Post by Paul D »

I would use a drilled bullet Trevor, a rubber bead and a stop shot a couple of feet from the hook, a big lump of luncheon meat on a size 6 should do it, I do use a hair rig most of the time with the hook just touching the meat.
I know it's not very traditional but I used to have success using a big halibut pellet and a large feeder filled with small pellets and plugged with groundbait, since my conversion to cane I gave this up I hasten to add. :Hat:

Stuart Whiting

Re: Weir Pool Barbel

Post by Stuart Whiting »

Hi Trevor,

I agree here with Rob ( traditional )

you can also try some garlic sausage as this bait caught a hell of a lot of kennet barbel a few years back,

A couple of swan shot is fine when flow allows but will up the size of lead to about 3/4's oz or more if need be on a simple free running rig,

If you can preferably try to touch ledger as some bites especially from big barbel can be rather delicate and wouldn't necessarily be detected if not holding the rod, other times if not holding the rod it could end up in the drink if the clutch on yer reel ain't set, seen this all to often :Chuckle:

Lastly I'd definitely try to fish into darkness as from experience most Thames barbel are caught during the night, a few come out during the day but can be difficult

Be lucky :Thumb:

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Santiago
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Re: Weir Pool Barbel

Post by Santiago »

Cheers chaps. I already bought the meat balls two weeks ago, they're in chilli sauce! Also bought bacon grill. Don't worry, I will be touch ledgering. The flow is fair but not too great, as I plan to fish about 50 yards down from the actual weir, where I had a few suspect barbel bites.
"....he felt the gentle touch on the line and he was happy"

Hemingway

Stuart Whiting

Re: Weir Pool Barbel

Post by Stuart Whiting »

Santiago wrote:Cheers chaps. I already bought the meat balls two weeks ago, they're in chilli sauce! Also bought bacon grill. Don't worry, I will be touch ledgering. The flow is fair but not too great, as I plan to fish about 50 yards down from the actual weir, where I had a few suspect barbel bites.
Nice one Trev :Thumb:

Best fishes :Cool:

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Olly
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Re: Weir Pool Barbel

Post by Olly »

Watch a video by Ray Walton - THE rolling meat expert!

Many Thames barbel are caught at night but upstream rolling meat during the day can also catch fish especially in weir pools with less boat traffic, etc.

You can use lead wire on the hook - it then acts much more naturally. Casting upstream makes the meat follow the current better.

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Dave Burr
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Re: Weir Pool Barbel

Post by Dave Burr »

Or, walk past the weir and fish the second bend below it. Trust me :Wink:

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AllRounder
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Re: Weir Pool Barbel

Post by AllRounder »

Having fished for barbel for a few years the only advice I would add is either fish a lead heavy enough to hold perfectly still or use plasticine if you would rather roll the bait around. Weir pools tend to be very snaggy! - good job I checked that it came up shaggy!! :Hahaha:

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