Float fishing for barbel

[Santiago]

How does one go about float fishing for barbel??? Where I fish for them the water is pacey and 10-12' deep.

I've only ever caught them with legered bait, but am intrigued by the notion that they may be caught trotting!!!!

Should I use big or small baits?? etc..etc..etc.. I'm a real novice here, so any tips appreciated!!

[Davyr]

The acknowledged master of the technique is Keith Speer, so I reckon his recent article on the subject might be a good place to start:

http://www.barbel.co.uk/site/vbulletin/ ... speer.html

[GloucesterOldSpot]

Just increase the size of float and amount of shot it carries to cope with the flow. Don't be afraid to use a float taking ten or more SSG if you need to - better still, use a barrel lead or large Olivette as the bulk, set about four feet from the hook with a couple of BBs between that and bait. I find it helps if you fish overdepth and really hold back hard. You'll probably need to feed heavy too; a gallon of maggots or casters, or 50/50 hemp and casters.

[PDuffield]

We used to catch barbel float fishing on the Teme back in the 80s. Simple technique, big balsa float, bunch of shot about a foot from the hook, float trotted through slightly held back as near as we could get it to the far bank. Bait was a single caster on a size 14 forged hook and we threw in a good handful of hemp and caster above where the float went in every cast. As soon as the float went under you held on tight to stop the initial run into the far bank roots and played the fish in the stream after you'd turned it.

The barbel weren't as big as they go there now, averaging 3.5 to 5lb, but in the fast flow they fought as hard as anything I've caught anywhere before or since. The water was crystal clear at times, so you got several looks at the fish while you were playing it. Even the smaller fish could straighten a forged hook at times.

[Santiago]

Thanks chaps. Have just read that article Davyr. Very informative. I regularly trot the swim I have in mind and catch lots of good dace/roach chub but probably not feeding the swim enought to attract the barbel. I'm very stingey with bait, but now have 25kg hemp to use this season so will gladly throw in a gallon of the stuff if that is what it takes. Have 8lb maxima on my Speedia so will use that with a modern barbel rod. I think I will have to use a bait dropper to get the bait on the floor asap. For a bait dropper I have a modified army canteen that lowered from my boat can deliver a pint of bait at a time, but will only use this at the start to cover the river bed with hemp. The river bed is large gravel 2-4 inches in diameter, with several bigger pieces.

Should I use a slightly bigger hook for the hemp/maggot/caster or would a 14 or 16 suffice??

[Davyr]

Should I use a slightly bigger hook for the hemp/maggot/caster or would a 14 or 16 suffice??

I think a 14 would be up to the job, so long as it was a strong pattern like a Drennan Super Specialist.

[Santiago]

Thanks again!! Can you do anything about the weather?? My barbel swim is unfishable by any means at the moment, so I will have to wait until summer arrives!!!

[GloucesterOldSpot]

Thanks chaps. Have just read that article Davyr. Very informative. I regularly trot the swim I have in mind and catch lots of good dace/roach chub but probably not feeding the swim enought to attract the barbel. I'm very stingey with bait, but now have 25kg hemp to use this season so will gladly throw in a gallon of the stuff if that is what it takes. Have 8lb maxima on my Speedia so will use that with a modern barbel rod. I think I will have to use a bait dropper to get the bait on the floor asap. For a bait dropper I have a modified army canteen that lowered from my boat can deliver a pint of bait at a time, but will only use this at the start to cover the river bed with hemp. The river bed is large gravel 2-4 inches in diameter, with several bigger pieces.

Should I use a slightly bigger hook for the hemp/maggot/caster or would a 14 or 16 suffice??

Not sure using a big bait-dropper is the right thing if you plan to trot. Trotting is a method which covers more water, so it would be self-defeating to attract the barbel to a particular spot; you may as well leger a static bait in that case. I'd go for a more spread-out carpet of hemp to keep the barbel searching and keep more bait reguarly going in loose so it's sinking down through the water column.

[Santiago]

GSP, it's the depth/pace of water that concerns me, getting the bait down in 12' of pacey water If I just add loose feed it may only find the bottom right at the end of the trottable water!! Any suggestions???

[GloucesterOldSpot]

GSP, it's the depth/pace of water that concerns me, getting the bait down in 12' of pacey water If I just add loose feed it may only find the bottom right at the end of the trottable water!! Any suggestions???

Use a regular bait dropper and spread it about a bit. Or put it in in groundbait - bit old fashioned these days and you don't see many people do it this way anymore, but still effective. You could use a cheap 50/50 brown and white crumb a a start point, or look at some of the Van Den Eynde range; Natuur is good for deep fast water, mixed with leam.

Another way if you're fishing from a boat is to secure a length of drainpipe over the side so it reaches to within three or four feet of the bottom, and trickle the loose feed down that.