Rolling meat for Barbel

[BreadFlake]

I've never caught a Barbel so I want to change that and I've got until Winter when I'll be targeting Chub.

Now although I will unfortunately be using modern tackle, I'd like to fish the traditional way of trundling some meat. Now I understand the concept of casting upstream and letting the flow bring the bait downstream naturally but I'm struggling with the bite indication. Do I follow the bait with my rod tip, line tight and feel for bites or do I allow a bow in the line and watch for indications?

I'll be fishing the river Dearne if anybody would like to join me.

[Tengisgol]

Generally the former but the latter will work if/when the bait gets held up as it trundles past weed.

The first time I saw anyone rolling meat was a chap called Glenn, who was the bailiff at Throop. He came down one evening on the opposite bank and caught fish immediately where we had failed all day. As soon as I took off my heavy ledger, and pinched on just a couple of swan, and allowed the bait to trundle, I was into fish! Could not believe it, in exactly the spot I’d been fishing for hours.

[Dave Burr]

Breadflake - Ray Walton was the man for rolling meat so, a few tips from him that work for me. He uses braid as a mainline and it is, by far, the most sensitive way to detect bites. However, a positive bite can see the top of your finger dropping into the river as groundbait - you've been warned. I use Shimano Technium line in 10lb for the Wye, It is slightly pre-stretched yet retains excellent durability and strength so, you get good feedback from the sharp end and resilience to the snags and big fish you will find.

I always attach a hooklink of 10" or so via a swivel, around the swivel I add enough Plasticine or Newplast that will give you a slow trundle through the swim. If everything is balanced, once the bait and weight have hit bottom, you will feel it bouncing over the gravel and a slight increase in weight as it hangs on weed or an obstruction. Leave it a while as it's often a bite getter. When you want to move it again, lift the rod, wind back down to and continue. Bites can be a slight or strong pull, a rapid 'donk, donk, donk... as the bait is carried downstream faster than the current, or a slackening of the line, just as though it's been cut above the weight. This is a fish swimming downstream but up in the water.

You can either, hold the rod with the line crooked over your finger tip, or hold the line in your other hand, again over the tip of a finger. I hit pretty much every indication, the faster the water the less of a pull do I need to strike. The first time you hit one will come as a bit of a shock but it's a shock you will want to feel again and again.

[Paul F]

I can't really add more than what Dave has said apart from.

If you do not have much flow you can wind lead wire round the hook shank to keep the bait finely balanced, no weigh elsewhere.

Flavour the bait with paprika or cajun seasoning, it drives them mad, cut up your meat, put it in a bag, add the flavour, shake and leave in the fridge for 24hrs

[BreadFlake]

Well plenty there to think about, thanks guys. I feel a lot more confident about going now. Hopefully I'll be posting a picture of some oversized Gudgeon at the weekend

[BreadFlake]

So I went out for a few hours today and completely messed it up. I had no bite indication whatsoever and it caused me to lose my first Barbel as I was unaware I had a bite. From what I've been told, my baits was to small so I have to change that but I'm still stuck on the actual method. I'm just going to explain what I believe I need to do so please may somebody correct what I'm doing wrong.

I cast upstream, reel in the slack then alternate between reeling the slack and feeling the line for bites. What am I doing wrong? I can't feel anything, no knocks or bumps along the bottom. Where do I point the rod tip? How tight should the line actually be?

I apologize for overthinking, it's the bane of my existence

[Snape]

It's a tricky one to explain.
I cast upstream with a large lump of meat one the hook with the hook buried. If it is slow enough flow no further weight but if not I add either large shot or plasticine so that it sinks and will bump along the bottom but slowly needing to be lifted to encourage it to move.
I flow its progress with the tip and when it is upstream watch the line as the bite will mostly likely be drop back and the line will fall slack. Once the bait is downstream feel the line for the take which is usually unmissable.

There are several good videos on YouTube. Just search "rolling meat for barbel"
Good luck.

[Dave Burr]

I think you need to up the weight Breadflake. If you put on enough weight to actually hold the bait up, so that, as Snape says, you need to tease it downstream, you will have the 'feel' that you are missing. As you become accustomed to moving the bait with a little raising of the rod or pulling some line with your left hand, you develop the technique and will be able to reduce the weight. You will then 'feel' it going through the swim and any bites that are forthcoming.

This is why braid or pre-stretched line helps so much. The weight of water on standard mono, is much more than we give credit, it will slightly stretch the line and deaden the sensations.

Keep at it, it takes a little practice but when it all clicks into place you will be hooked for life.

[BreadFlake]

Right, I see where I was going wrong. Due to the small amount of bait it was more like trotting than trundling. Thank you ever so much for the help, I can't wait to get out and have another go at it

[BreadFlake]

I shall also invest in some braid to help with bite indication