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So what has changed?

Paul Whiteing

Paul Whiteing

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I've been barbel fishing for around 50 years. I remember my 1000th barbel and I remember my 2000th barbel, then I stopped keeping a meaningless record. How many have I caught? who knows, few care. I've had lots of 10s, 11s, 12s, 13s two 16s and one stunner of 18-07. I really would like to fill in the gaps (14, 15, 17) but will I be able to?

Something changed, or in fact many things. Back in the day, as they say, I could catch anything between zero and thirty barbel in a session. It was easy to rack up numbers.

Looking back, the venue on the Kennet where I fished a lot is sadly in decline. So much so that the club I was a member of for over 35 years has dropped the venue from its fisheries. As far as I know the syndicate that fished the opposite bank for perhaps 15 years (?) doesn't have it any longer. The sad decline of a river, due to predation, diminished water clarity, lack of weed growth, crayfish etc etc

The venue on the Lea I fished for many years, became less attractive when overrun by walkers, ramblers, non-fishermen. I fished there four times a week at one point, often the only one on the stretch, parking anywhere along the river. It was overgrown, it was brilliant. The last time I fished there I realised it had become a characterless big fish water, limited parking, quite horrible in fact.

I joined a club and fished an upper-Lea venue, manicured and quite unnatural. On my first trip I had (something like) 25 barbel, 20 chub, 20 roach yawn yawn. It really wasn't for me - although I had mentioned earlier that 0-30 barbel were possible on the Kennet, so something changed in me for sure.

So in recent (ten or so) years I've been fishing two club waters, few fish but they can be large. I guess a big fish water but so so much nicer then the afforementioned venue on the Lea. But even here something has changed.

These days I'm happy to fish the way I fish, for one fish, leaving a bait in the water for hours - doesn't suit everyone but it suits me.

But something has changed. This season I didn't fish at all for a long period early on, because I didn't think it fair on the fish in the heatwave - I don't knock those who did, but it wasn't for me.

So to date, this season I have not had a single barbel !! Five sessions on one river, two on the other. I have even had two sessions on the Trent, but conditions were not ideal for any of these, so (hard to do so I must be good) no fish there either.

Am I just becoming a bad angler as I get older? I hope not, I shall be out there as soon as I can. I'm just happy to have been a barbel fisherman in the barbel heydays, I think It's just over.
 
Sounds to me Paul that you live in the same area as me judging by the venues you have been fishing
the simple answer is there are no decent barbel rivers around here anymore ( except the upper lea and we all know what a circus that is ) ...... the simple answer is you can slog it out say at kings weir ...fish it 3-4 times a week for maybe 4 fish a season or sit on the Ouse for a season hoping you get 1 fish... or do as I have in recent years and travel.....I live in Stevenage and I’m on the A1 so the Trent for me is 1hr 20mins..(quicker than I can get to the Thames)..... or if you don’t want to travel that far there is the nene....the only problem with fishing like this is it’s almost impossible to do little evening sessions . And getting to know stretches of river takes longer due to the travel implications ie not going as much..
I don’t know why we no longer have decent barbel rivers in our area probably a culmination of reasons..... except the Ivel that was solely down to otters and Otters alone and I won’t be told anything different...... that river was cleaned out of barbel in a couple of months
 
Paul,
I didn't fish in the barbel heydays. I fished the Dove 50+ years ago and had some great chub. Move to Yorkshire 35 years ago, but got heavily into gliding. So my angling rebirth only occurred in the last 6 years. Tried carp fishing and have a water close by where big twenties are reasonably easy, but got bored and fished for the crucians instead. Filled a gap during the close season, but didn't really inspire.
Barbel have somehow cast a spell on me. Never had a double, have far more blanks than days I catch, but I do not feel I have missed anything. Give me a quiet stretch of running water in beautiful scenery and as long as I know there are some barbel in there, I am happy to sit and enjoy being able to have the opportunity.
I wish you and everyone on this site a very happy New Year, and hope you enjoy sitting by a river wherever you are.
Mike
 
Hi men ,

Same with Sue , the reduction in the way we liked to fish took away the major part of her enjoyment . Iv often posted that we have watched barbel feeding and left them to it , because watching the in wild places was part of the whole story . Slightly different on parts of the Teme & Kennet where our other love of making swims or fishing where others fear to tread overcome the fact that we may not be able to watch them . This was a help in winter where we could drop into swims knowing what we were looking at .

We live near the upper Lea , but lots of it ain't for us , already having a couple of incidents of people taking fish , and close season fishing , and as for waiting at a gate for people to draw for swim not really our scene .

Future for us I perhaps an odd trip back to old haunts to see if things have improved , certainly not the fantastic Windrush , that river is dead forever .

Hattet
 
In all bar the Trent and Wye the barbel heyday, numbers wise at least, is well and truly over. I remember back in 1995/96 walking a stretch of the Windrush and seeing over 30 barbel in half a mile. Not big but plentiful. Also, same river spinning for trout and it would be chub after chub. Now it's just trout, you seldom see anything else, and that's only because trout are stocked. The Cherwell still has good chub in some places, nothing like it used to be on stretches like Long Meadow, one or two bites a day on a venue that used to produce great catches of chub. Barbel on the Cherwell, at least as far as I know, a distant memory. Five or six big (for the time) barbel were always on the cards once you had located a group. Crayfish, otters, water abstraction and summer colouring of the water etc, as Paul says, all contribute to the demise of these two formerly wonderful rivers. The Thames has big fish for sure but can be hard work. The Warks Avon, similarly in decline for numbers of fish possible. Back in 2008 myself and two friends fished on a rising river (the optimum time IMO) and in just a few hours had over 20 takes. I haven't fished the Avon for a couple of years but I found it increasingly difficult to get a bite. In consequence, I also no longer fish for barbel, or very rarely; maybe the odd short session on the Thames after work in Culham. I will have a couple of chub sessions when the rivers calm down but for spring it will be tench and carp. At least if I blank fishing for these fish I know it's not because none are there to catch.
 
Used to fish the Bristol Avon twice a week going back 10 to 15 years ago would normally catch a couple each visit and plenty of chub. Stopped fishing about 6 or 7 years ago due to personal reasons and the demise of the fishing due to otters and poor breeding habitat in my opinion. Started to venture back out again this year and had the river to myself mainly but my god the fishing is hard think I've blanked completely the last 10 + times out and had one barbel which was a 12lb fish in August. As much as i like nature and watching the wildlife i want to catch the odd barbel if possible but not sure things are going to improve anytime soon. Used to watch the fish spawning up to 50 fish up the brook now not one fish, very sad days on the Avon.
 
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The decline is staggering, but of course nothing will be done so we have accept our fate. I was watching
Mark Erdwin's latest video, on the Loddon, he had I believe 11 straight blanks, but did get one on this latest video. He is of the mindset , although depressed about the situation, inspires him, and prefers to leave the few Rivers left that hold a reasonable head of Barbel. I get that, but the Rivers that are dying give up solitary big females, that can't spawn because of no male suitors.
He says that stocking Barbel is not the answer, agreed, until the environment improves it would be futile. The lack of concern by the EA is borderline criminal, but of course do very well mugging us off.
 
I think the prescence of hormones in the water is a big factor in the lack of recruitment.

Interesting re doubles, some of the "newer" barbel anglers might not appreciate (then again maybe they will :) ). It was over 20 years and I still had not ever had a double figure fish, and was advised that it was unlikely in the river/venue I fished. One of my then venues was on the Cherwell and my first double was 12-05 in 1995, which was considered quite a big fish in the day.

Now I was told that once I'd had my first they'd come along like busses. Well that didn't happen, and it was 10 years before I had my second, on the Kennet. Now followed a period when all I could catch was doubles, in fact thirty doubles with rarely a fish under ten. Was I getting better as an angler? No, but it was worrying and it was clear there were no younger fish coming through. Now one thing I hate is barbel given names .....

............ and to me a barbel is a barbel, not a bertie, or a whiskers, or a bar of gold, or a boris - but then I digress :p

...... my close fiends and I did recognise one particular barbel that we did (amongst ourselves only) know as "marmite". We have so many pictures of this fish coming out to many of us, and a huge range of weights, over a long period of time. This the classic case of multiple captures, again was worrying. My good friend DaveC could add to this. :)

On the Loddon I spent 25 blanks before I got my first fish. Catching quite a few over the next few years, mostly doubles. But last season I did have one session where I had four barbel (a rare catch, max two was the norm, apart from the blanks) none of which was over nine pounds. I was very pleased with this :)
 
I didn't return to fishing in time to catch the prolific days on the BA and it has always been rock hard for me at least. My timing has been poor all round as I lived half a mile from the Gt Ouse in the mid nineties and never fished it. Most seasons I am happy with 3 or 4 fish (barbel) and enjoy trying to track down other species as well. Haven't had a barbel off the BA yet this season but I am hopeful for tomorrow. I suspect because I am used to not catching, when I do the memory made is enough to keep me going in search of another. However I can understand why those on here who have far more experience feel the loss so keenly; sadly this is a very visible warning of what is to come for the environment generally. Here's hoping for a little glimpse of the past tomorrow!
 
Perhaps Paul, in a funny way, we are luckier in the north. Our Yorkshire rivers have never held large numbers of barbel and only limited stocking has taken place. Cooler climate and probably poorer water quality has ment they have grown slower and reached less impressive weights. We see otters on all Yorkshire rivers and I am sure they have had an impact on barbel numbers, but as stocks were never high perhaps that keeps otter numbers down.
I have had perhaps 20 barbel this year, fishing on average once a week and always in daylight. They have ranged from perhaps 8ozs to just under 10lbs.
It is really upsetting to hear how once prolific waters have declined so rapidly. We can only hope that the situation will improve enough for younger anglers to enjoy in the future.
 
The way I look at is we have what we have, difficult yes but I still enjoy it. I have a few trips to the Wye each year to build my confidence for fishing the Hampshire Avon and Dorset Stour, I enjoy my trips to the Wye but wouldn't want to fish it all the time. If I catch a barbel on the Avon or the Stour I am happy, if I blank I am still happy to be in such beautiful surroundings.
The one thing I don't like now is the breed of barbel anglers who fish swims day after day after day, they are not breaking any rules but ruin stretches for the anglers who have been fishing them for years and occasionally want to fish the "best" swims.
Being sat on a river and being asked "what time are you packing up" or "are you fishing late" is not how it should be.
I have caught some large barbel but the best fish I have had this season is one about 3lb from the Avon, they wouldn't appreciate that fish but I do.
 
Hi Paul.
I can remember the Pats and Loddon when half a dozen barbel a day was not uncommon.

And then things got tougher. But the fish got bigger. It was not that many years between my RR at 13+ to fish around 16lb showing.

Likewise I caught the first df barbel recorded on the Loddon in the club.

While the larger fish were being caught, people did not appreciate the fact that smaller sized ones had reduced. Or that many of those big fish were recaptured time and time again.
One mutual pal had photos of 6 x 16's......actually only 2 fish.


Your conundrum. On the Kennet /Loddon / Pats...there are still a few decent fish. But static one swim tactics will rarely work.

The fish were in such numbers they came to us. Now we have to find them by being mobile.

Lucky to have Wye Severn W Avon nearby. They should last me out.
 
@Paul Whiteing with a catch rate exceeding 2000 barbel I certainly wouldn’t say you need to question your skills or tactics as an angler. You could take a zero off the end of that figure then maybe double it and you’d be nearer to my total number of barbel caught. A mere fraction compared to some I know (Unsure exactly but I’ve never kept count).
ive never been lucky enough in my quest for barbel to fish a really prolific river in a really prolific “hey day” but in the 15 years I’ve been seriously targeting them I’ve also noticed my catch rates to be going down by the year with general fish sizes going up.
ive had a pathetic 10 fish this season which I can put down to many things (new river learning the ropes been probably the main one) but the strange thing is I’ve had 8 big doubles and the smallest was 8lb. For the amount of sessions I’ve done it’s an approximate catch rate of 1 fish per 3 sessions.
the ivel was my hey day. 2011-2015 I’d be down there once a week and I knew exactly where they would be, when and what they wanted pretty much every Tuesday night I’d have at least 1 or 2 big doubles. 11,12,13s every single week. It was paradise for me. That was my prolific river/heyday. A blank was a major disappointment.
Now it’s completely wrecked and as said above solely at the hand of the otter.

30 fish in a day you say?? That’s a session I can only dream of. I wish I’d had the chance to be on those waters at that time. I guess on the Wye and Trent sessions like that are still possible now and I’d love to have a go. However I still think I’d prefer to roam the banks of a small river chucking a bait in a hole hoping something special has occupied it as a home. Sadly I’m worried those small river days are becoming numbered.
im a happy Nene angler now and despite the fact I’ve got some water to learn and had a tough season I’m loving the water and hopefully there will be a couple more for me before March.
 
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The Yorkshire rivers that I fish are holding up well for whatever reason. There have always been otters even before the 're-introduction'; those involved obviously didn't ask the people who regularly sat quietly on the riverbank at dusk and saw them 30+ years ago. Not a great deal of stocking goes on up here in the north so I'm guessing that water quality and suitable spawning gravels is a major factor. Many of our rivers are spate rivers so get a very good flush through pretty frequently.

Twenty to thirty years ago I went hoping to catch a barbel, nowadays I expect it on most of the rivers I fish. I don't think my methods have improved much, if anything I've become lazier as I'm now willing to stick it out with a proven method in a previously productive area rather than work hard for a fish. What I have noticed though is that rivers often fish very much differently year on year, I'd swear that a river has been virtually cleaned out of fish one year then the next they're all back again, very odd but that's what keeps me interested. Yorkshire's river Wharfe is a good example, some were declaring it virtually devoid of barbel five years ago, now it's full of 6 to 8lb fish that haven't suddenly appeared overnight!

Get thesens moved to Yorkshire, you could buy a whole street for the price of a house in the South-East and we drink proper beer at proper prices!
 
The demise of the Thames tributaries is well documented. I have many happy memories of catching barbel on the Loddon which provided me with a series of PBs I could only have dreamed of when I was cutting my barbel teeth back in the 70s. I still fish the Loddon for barbel but without the same intensity or enthusiasm. The thought that there are still some undiscovered monsters keeps me going back but realistically, the river's days as a viable barbel fishery appear to be over. Fry surveys across the catchment this season have, I understand, failed to show a single baby barbel. The river is in crisis and the return to a situation where barbel can spawn successfully and establish a self sustaining population seem a long way off. Everything seems to be going in the wrong direction. There is a huge amount of housing development all along the river and every potentially negative factor appears to be getting worse. I understand that stocking is a sticking plaster and habitat restoration is the proper way forward. However, I am getting on a bit and I might not be around to enjoy the results of an improved river environment. The EA have been doing significant barbel stockings on a number of rivers and if they dropped a few thousand in the Loddon it wouldn't worry me!

Based on the fact that there is little point fishing for what isn't there, I have begun to diversify. A perch campaign on the Thames, grayling on the southern chalk streams, rediscovering trotting for roach, more fly fishing etc. etc. I think the Loddon is still a decent chub river so I do fish it every week and if a barbel comes along it will be a pleasant surprise.

Steve
 
I think the Bristol Avon is suffering from a very similar thing in that they are no longer breeding properly and the habitat needslooking at.
 
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