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Barbel feeding times.

Richard Barrett

Richard Barrett

Senior Member
I've been going fishing mostly for the day. Not early but arriving by 11am and staying until dusk.

The fish on the Trent (where I fish) seem to feed late afternoon. I cannot buy a bite any earlier than 2pm. This gets one into a set routine that's not really productive for any change in the fishes feeding pattern.

Do your fish have a preference, if so, do you gear your fishing around it? Are we missing other key times do you think?
 
11.30pm where I fish on the Loddon.

Had a few between 8.30 - 9.30 but 90% of the fish for the last couple of seasons have come at 11.30pm - you could almost set your watch by them (if they are biting of course).
 
Although am down south. I fish from 6am. I find the Barbel have their breakfast around 5am to around 9am, depending on the Sunlight and temperature. Same goes for the Evening. If am allowed i fish when the sun starts to go down to around 11pm. Between these time there is not much action. In the quite times i bait up a couple of swims with 3 to 4 large dropper full of hemp and casters with a few chopped up pellets. I wait around 30 minutes before casting into these swims.
 
Luke.

Nice to hear someone else not catching all the time. If you go by this forum everyone seems to bag up every trip. I'm still sticking with the trotting as I love it, but feel I'm missing a lot of fish doing so?

My diary tells me I'd average 1 to 2 fish each trip with feeder. Now it's half a fish every trip (I know what's half a fish look like) But the river is so very clear currently.

Cheers.
.
 
I have loads of Blanking session. Sometimes ive gone a couple of weeks without even a knock. Most people will only report on good days and some will just tell porkies. Today i had some nice Chub but No Barbel but i was baiting up at 4:30 AM. My last Chub came about 9AM then nothing for 2 hours. So packed up and went to the cafe for breakies. Remember the early bird catches the worm.
 
Richard - pop into the Bristol Avon thread. Plenty of long-time blankers and tales of woe in there!


My experience of barbel on the BA is that they have no real preference - I've caught at all times of the day. When they put in an appearance. BA barbel seem to be more tuned into the weather than the light levels or time of day.
 
For sure - I'm a serial blanker too! When I do catch, however, the time of day varies regardless of the river I'm fishing. Some chaps are adamant that on some rivers barbel only feed at night - however this soon becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy when the said angler starts to fish only at night. :)
 
I never get takes after dark on the rivers I fish, the feeding times are predominantly first light and dusk as the light changes with feeding times extended to daylight hours when the river is carrying colour, but in normal conditions if i am going to get a take it happens last knockings or just before, never after dark
 
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