Avoiding bream !!

[Neil Smart]

I would happily endure a few barbel amongst many bream on the Teme. I assume we are talking lower Teme?
Asking for Barry.

 

[Stephen Crowhurst]

Ive just read Tony Miles, Elite Barbel for the umpteenth time.

When he was on Adams Mill before it became well known he would regularly introduce large amounts of corn into a different area of the swim to concentrate the chub.

Once they were preoccupied he would focus on the spot he knew the barbel frequented and more often than not it worked, leaving his rig in prime position to be picked up by a barbel.

Possibly the best book ever put together about barbel fishing and in particular singling our bigger fish or fishing for low stock numbers when other species are present.

Thanks

Lewis

That’s the exact bit I was thinking of, thank you for reminding me where it came from.

 

[Jack Magill]

I would happily endure a few barbel amongst many bream on the Teme. I assume we are talking lower Teme?
Asking for Barry.

No mate , middle Teme

 

[Andrew Jackson]

I’ve done this on numerous sessions and it’s just relentless bream mate , one of the first times I fished it the barbel were feeding amongst the bream but chances are so slim as only very few barbel if not only 1 or 2 sometimes amongst 30 odd bream . After catching a couple of bream the barbel soon disappeared and spooked off . I could play the numbers /chance game but fishing time is limited and just trying to put things in my favour without compromising a pick up to much from a barbel if possible , just looking for the happy medium really .

I know with Chub what can work is to bait an area then fish your hookbait away from that area. Barbel will sometimes hold back from the main baited area. Also just fishing singe hookbaits so as not to attract the Bream in numbers. If you can see the Barbel that is a big advantage of course enabling you to pick out the Barbel and pull the bait away from the Bream. It is though I agree a frustrating game! Good luck. I do know from people I trust that Barbel will eat Tiger nuts, Peanuts and Maples so persevering with those trying to find one that is acceptable to the Barbel might work.

 

[Jack Magill]

I know with Chub what can work is to bait an area then fish your hookbait away from that area. Barbel will sometimes hold back from the main baited area. Also just fishing singe hookbaits so as not to attract the Bream in numbers. If you can see the Barbel that is a big advantage of course enabling you to pick out the Barbel and pull the bait away from the Bream. It is though I agree a frustrating game! Good luck. I do know from people I trust that Barbel will eat Tiger nuts, Peanuts and Maples so persevering with those trying to find one that is acceptable to the Barbel might work.

Thanks mate , I have managed a couple from right at the top of the stretch in some faster water , it seems the bream don’t tend to get up this part until it drops dark so I try get to it before they do . As for the 4 better fish I saw in the middle of the stretch I’ve not seen them again but fishing it regardless and catching bream . Hopefully a bit of extra colour and water in the river soon will help and give me more confidence to fish larger single hookbaits

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Jack, if you're catching barbel and bream on the Teme you're doing great, seriously, stick with it !

this would be my advice also.
Don’t change things if you’re already catching the barbel among the bream.

You might end up negatively affecting your intended species by trying to wave off another.
Stick with it for sure.

I don’t know the river at all but from what I’ve read it’s not an easy one to crack with many anglers practically writing it off nowadays so top angling to you Jack and that picture is fantastic.
Would be great to see more in the Teme gallery.

 

[Simon Haggis]

Try a KD rig and use a hook two sizes bigger than you think reasonable. So if you think size 8 go for a size 4 hook with it.

The bream are fussier than barbel and they’ll reject the bait when they feel the hook - just got to get over it looking agricultural but it’s worked for me on the Thames.

Ignore me. Had 5 bream in the last two nights..! Buggers are reading the forums now.