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Maybe some do exaggerate the intelligence of fish, but I think more people underestimate it. They do act on instinct but instinct requires most wild creatures to have a certain capacity for learning in order not to go extinct. Therefore the more they are pursued the more and quicker they are...

Yes definitely Damian. My pb did exactly that. I could see the rod tip shaking and the baitrunner was very slowly letting out line. It was pretty clear what was happening, the fish picked up the hair rigged bait, felt the hook and tried to very carefully eject it and back slowly out of the...

At The Waters Edge by Martin James is an excellent book as is Redmire Pool by Kevin Clifford and Len Arberry. Both have been out a long time but great reading.

Some good barbel rivers there Mark where you haven't fished for them. Well I'll qualify that by saying some of them used to be good barbel rivers..

Caught barbel from these rivers; Thames Cherwell Kennet Windrush Severn Arrow W. Avon Teme Great Ouse I've also fished; Bristol Avon Wye St Pats Lost barbel on Bristol Avon and on St Pats, blanked on the Wye. Compared to most on here I seem to have fished very few rivers. Hope to fish the...

If the question relates to how the river fished at it's best as opposed to how it is now, then for me the Cherwell at Shipton on Cherwell down to Thrupp.

That is the great thing about rubber/plastic imitations, you know there is still something resembling a maggot or caster on the hook despite the attentions of small fry. I've caught many barbel and tench like this with an inline feeder and 1 imitation to two real maggots/casters. As well as...

£799.00 a kilo on Amazon :D

I think this is where experience and familiarity with your water comes in. I'm sure we've all gone for a barbel session, summer or winter, maybe baited a few swims with some free offerings and moved about. But always wondering, are the barbel coming into a swim just as you are moving? And when...

Usually, expectations in winter barbel fishing all hinge on the condition of the river but they need to be realistic. We all know that a high coloured river with the right temperature should equal barbel bites providing you can locate them. However, difficulties can arise when the weather is...

They look great Julian, like baked russet apples! I tend to boil the mix in flat squares and have a result more like a cake or slices of bait. You can very the thickness of the bait and tear or cut off whatever size you choose, both for freebies and hook baits. As others have said, no real need...

Sound advice but perhaps not so easy to implement. Due to the major decline of the Thames Valley rivers ( and the Warks Avon as regards barbel) I resumed carp fishing, something I hadn't done seriously for 30 years. Linear is close but nearly always rammed and is also not cheap. Horseshoe is...

I find it easier to keep up the enthusiasm if I'm actually on a campaign. This may be barbel from a certain stretch, trying to catch a big chub from a hard water or just fishing for carp on floating baits. If you have no particular goals it can be difficult to remain enthusiastic. And as others...

Hi Scott, the only rivers with a reasonable expectation of a fish these days are the Trent and Wye. It hardly matters that you live in Norwich, I live in Oxfordshire and have no local rivers with a reasonable expectation of Barbel. Yes the Thames has barbel, and some big ones, but I don't know...

Yes no doubt, just putting my findings of worms as a barbel bait that's all.

Very interesting. I have tried cheese for barbel before without success, similarly with bread, but I have seen others catch on bread.

That's true and as an all round bait worms are among the best.

Meat is, and always has been, a top, top bait. Not even sure it needs to be flavoured either. It is also a very deadly carp bait and will very often totally out fish boilies or pellets when carp fishing.

The big problem is everything that swims has also heard of worms! They will catch every fish in the river and there is no worse bait for having to constantly disturb a carefully prepared barbel swim.

The original Activ8 was s superb bait.