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Barbel Newbie needs advice

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Paul Eve

Senior Member
Hi Guys

I have just joined this forum after spending some hours fishing for Barbel on the Wye...unsuccessfully i may add! However the experience has fired my enthusiasm to try and catch some of these fish rather than my usual quarry..Carp. I live in Sussex but i am able to fish the Wasing estate section of the River Kennet. I intend to try a few days on the Kennet before the end of the year and wondered is any of you seasoned veterans have any advice for a novice? Not turning up to the water is not an option of course.
All The Best
Paul
 
Welcome to the forum Paul.
I don't fish Wasing but a different stretch of the Kennet. It's hard going these days, although there are still fish to be caught, & some decent sized ones at that. I suggest you type 'Wasing' into the search bar, there has been a fair few mentions of that particular stretch (and it's issues/problems) on here.

Best of luck.
 
Best bit of advice I can give you as you are coming from carp angling !
IS DONT think Barbel are like carp when returning them !!!!!!
Barbel do not recover like Carp and if you have them out of the water for weighing and maybe a picture if you then put it in the water it will always give a kick
BUT !! should you then release it there is a massive chance it will go belly up and die 20 yards downstream !

you must get in the habit of resting them as they will fight to exhaustion especially if your using lighter lines and gear that prolongs the fight

one thing that PISSES me off is all these people that make Barbel videos not one of them that I have seen mention this vital information to the new angler they should in my view have a section on how to rest and release the fish in their videos
 
Paul
Just spend time on the water talking to other anglers, that is the best way to learn, tackle shops can also help.
 
Hi Paul
My best bit of advice would be don’t give up on it. I’d expect you’ll go through a lot more blank sessions and that’s very easy to make you believe your doing something wrong. You won’t be I’m sure it’s just the nature of the game.
Study and understand water craft, features, potential fish holding swims because that’s Far more valuable and likely to land you on a fish than studying rigs rods and baits.
After this you need to know how to feed it and fish it.
Don’t give up on it because that first rap round will have to waiting an eternity for the second one. There is nothing in the river that bites and fights like a big bronze barbel.
 
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