Species of UK Coarse Fish
BARBEL
Details of freshwater fish anglers might come across when fishing the waters of the UK and Ireland
Description, baits and general methods for fishing and catching Barbel
BARBEL (Barbus barbus) 21lb 1oz 2006 Grahame King, Adams Mill Fishery, Bedford
Barbel are light brown to greenish brown in colour with yellowish sides and white underbody.
Common name: Barbel
Latin name: Barbus barbus
Family: Cyprinidae
Latin name: Barbus barbus
Family: Cyprinidae
These barbules have taste and touch cells and help the fish to locate food on the riverbed.
Barbel spawn in late spring between May and July and when the eggs are fertilized by the males they take around 10 to15 days to hatch.
The body of the barbel is elongated with very small scales, 55 to 65 scales along the lateral line and give the appearance of the fish actually being scale-less.
The small hatchling barbels of a quarter of an inch long remain in the gravel for three or four days and live off their yolk sacks, they then form shoals moving into slacker water areas where they live off small particles of food.
Description and habitat of Barbel
The head of the barbel is pointed and its eyes which are rather small are set high on the sides of the head The barbel is recognised by its under slung mouth with thick lips and two short barbules on the top lip and two longer barbules at the corner of its mouth.
Barbel are predominantly bottom feeders and root around and feed in the gravel bottom of rivers.
They feed extensively on bottom living invertebrates, fresh water shrimp, snails, insect larvae, caddis larvae, nymphs, crustaceans and molluscs, grubbing around among the bottom debris for the many micro-organisms which live there.
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During the summer months barbel can be found in weir pools and the faster stretches of water.
During the autumn and winter months the fish favour the deeper more slower waters.
Baits for catching Barbel
The top baits I consider best for catching Barbel are Luncheon meat, Worms, Sweetcorn, Pellets and Small Boilies.
Maggots, Casters, Cheese paste and cheese cubes, Dendrobaena worms, Red worm, Brandlings, Bread, either crust, flake or paste.
When a barbel is hooked it will NOT give up easily and it will fight until it is exhausted. Try to land and unhook the fish quickly.
Barbel do not give up easily and fight with great determination hence strong fishing tackle is needed to match the barbel's power.
Due to their hard fighting qualities Barbel are much sought after by anglers.
Ledger or feeder is considered the best method for catching Barbel but they can be caught using various methods including float.
Although barbel are caught all year round they are more of a summer and autumn fish.
If youre not tackled up with the correct gear youll have no chance of stopping it or landing it.
When you hook your first barbel you are unlikely to forget it because when a barbel is hooked it will tear off like a steam train.
Growing to over 20 lb a 7lb fish is considered a good fish and over 10lb a specimen.
A powerful fish with a body shape perfect for living in fast flowing waters barbel are regarded as the hardest fighting coarse fish in the river.
Barbel grow fairly rapidly and mature when they are five or six years old with the female barbel larger than the males.
Of course most other baits can be used and all have proved to be successful at sometime.
Fishing Methods to catch Barbel
Barbel inhabit strong, fast flowing waters, so a strong rod with a fixed spool reel fitted with a minimum of 6lb line should be used.
It is important when legering to use a weight or feeder heavy enough so that it will hold the bait close to the riverbed,
Hook size will depend on the size of the fish you expect to catch and the size of the bait used but hook sizes between 12 and 4 are fine.
A typical approach when barbel fishing is to use a swimfeeder or blockend feeder on the 6lb mainline with a 24 inch 4lb hook length and size 10 hook baited with a large piece of luncheon meat
Advice
The weight will be determined by the strength of flow of the water.
When landed and unhooked, hold the barbel in the flowing water facing upstream until it is ready to swim away. This can take a couple of minutes to 15 minutes or longer
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