barbel in tidal section

[Gareth Mckean]

barbel tidal vs freshwater?

hello i have some experience of fishing for barbel on the ribble in freshwater. im thinking of trying the tidal strectes, can anyone tell me how they would rate and compare tidal vs freshwater for baberl on the ribble or severn or other rivers?

i have been told that generally the barbel are bigger the lower down a river you are? i am interested to know whether peoples experiences coincide with this statement?

a lot of the freshwater strectches if fish on the ribble have snags and big bourlders with rough edges, are tiidal streches generally less snaggy?

 

[Jim Foxall]

barbel tidal vs freshwater?

hello i have some experience of fishing for barbel on the ribble in freshwater. im thinking of trying the tidal strectes, can anyone tell me how they would rate and compare tidal vs freshwater for baberl on the ribble or severn or other rivers?

i have been told that generally the barbel are bigger the lower down a river you are? i am interested to know whether peoples experiences coincide with this statement?

a lot of the freshwater strectches if fish on the ribble have snags and big bourlders with rough edges, are tiidal streches generally less snaggy?

Hi Gareth and welcome to Barbel Fishing World.

There is no doubt that the saltwater barbel (tidal) are a much stronger and bigger variant of the freshwater species. Their diet tends to be more saltwater in nature, mussels, shrimps and small squid thrown in. However they will take all manner of worms, lobs, lugs etc and any meat products. Those rivers that run out to the channel have barbel in them which tend to favour garlic flavoured lunchy/spam meat products. Tidal stretches of rivers generally have more sandy bottoms with big snags such as sunken barges etc. Some of these snags can become apparent at low water.