fry feeding barbel?

[Pumping Nylon]

Last season in late October on the Trent i caught a 5lb barbel and when i removed the hook the fish regurgitated a small roach fry.I have read about fry feeding barbel by John Baily i think but this was not in a low clear river as the Trent was fast rising and belting through.What made me think about this again was when i went fishing yesterday in the same spot,i accidently dropped a couple of hallibut pellets in the margin.As i sat waiting for a bite i observed about a hundred fry around just one pellet that looked almost like a silver ball of fish swarming round the pellet.This led me to think if the fry swallowed by the barbel was because the barbel was after fry or was it accidentally sucked in while picking up the pellet?

[Martin]

Every fish is predatory at certain times

[Dave Burr]

I've done the same on the Wye PN, the minnows seem like a solid ball around the bait and I am certain that at times they are doing that around my bait out in the middle of the river. It is inevitable that a feeding barbel would suck up small fish along with pellets etc but they do seek out fish as a food source as well. When barbel feed over gravel and stones in the shallows they are after whatever they can dislodge, this will include loach and bullheads along with the invertebrates. We have also seen barbel actively chasing fry especially at this time of the year.

[Pumping Nylon]

Yes it would be interesting to hear from anyone who has fished purposely for barbel with fry and had results.

[Dave Burr]

Early season fishing with minnows can be productive PN, I know that Pete Stone used them with good success and they work well on the Wye. Of course, if you lip hook a minnow and fish it you are likely to catch any one of several species.

[Wallys-Cast]

I had a Barbel on a ABU Hi-Lo lure a few years ago in the Tees.
A strange but true tale this. I was fishing the maggot feeder and things were a bit quiet so I decided to reel in to refill the feeder when a pike took the feeder and I got it right up to the net before it let go so I decided to put the spinning rod together and cast out a Abu Hi-Lo which was the only lure I had with me. Anyway after about three or four casts I got this almighty thump and the rod was bent double with the fish tearing off back across the river.
I couldn't believe my eyes when I slid the barbel over the net. I have since heard other have had this happen too and one chap told me he caught two carp in one day with small spinners intended for perch.
I suppose all fish are predatory at some time.
Wal.

[Pumping Nylon]

I have witnessed carp chasing fry at a local commercial carp lake,makes me think that like us all fish are oppertunists like us and all have different personalities.

[Loop Erimder]

Cannot remember who it was, it was ages ago but one member on here was spinning for perch or pike and a good size carp took the lure not fouled hooked either

[Martin]

They fish with lures for barbel on the continent think I might have a magazine article somewhere on it

[Reedling]

There is no reason why a Barbel will not take fry, after all it eats other forms of meat. My friend recently caught a small Rudd on a spinner at a farm pond and going completely away from fishing..I was watching a Cock Pheasant in our garden when he struck out at what I thought was a large insect on the ground and threw it up in the air and then proceded to whack it and eventualy eat it. It was a Shrew!