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Barbel rods for carp

Michael Weir

Senior Member
Been reading threads, where carp rods have been used for flood barbel fishing. I'm wondering how would that work vice versa. A 2.75 barbel rod for carp in a lake. What distance cast could you expect? Not having 50mm butt guides and a softer tip. What the stopping power would be like on 25lb carp? I think it would work.?
 
I caught carp in a large lake on my 1.75 barbel Torrix.

38lb, 35lb x 5, and a 28lb. Also a 35lb one on a Sundridge Proton 13ft match rod for tench.

None of the fights were extended. Leads were light though below 2oz.

There's an article or two somewhere on BFW.

Admittedly very few snags within 75 yards.
 
I caught carp in a large lake on my 1.75 barbel Torrix.

38lb, 35lb x 5, and a 28lb. Also a 35lb one on a Sundridge Proton 13ft match rod for tench.

None of the fights were extended. Leads were light though below 2oz.

There's an article or two somewhere on BFW.

Admittedly very few snags within 75 yards.
Great fishing Graham
 
I've had a few 20's on my 1.75 lb Interceptors, and whilst I've worried about my hook length being up to the job, I've never felt 'under gunned' by the rod. As Graham says a bit different in there are snags or heavy weed.

I'm sure I read once that the hook pressure applied by lighter TC rods can often be greater than in heavier rods - I'm not sure why that would be as I don't understand the physics involved.

I can cast a 1oz lead more accurately at range with my interceptor than I can with a heavier lead a heavier TC rod.
 
Been reading threads, where carp rods have been used for flood barbel fishing. I'm wondering how would that work vice versa. A 2.75 barbel rod for carp in a lake. What distance cast could you expect? Not having 50mm butt guides and a softer tip. What the stopping power would be like on 25lb carp? I think it would work.?

If you read my post https://barbel.co.uk/forum/threads/...-in-france-barbel-and-carp.17652/#post-256930

The 29lb (ounces off 30!) was taken from a fast flowing river with a Greys Prodigy Barbel 1.5lb tc 3-piece rod. It was not a great problem but more a case of "leading" the carp back up the river. Bullying was out of the question!

A couple of days ago I hooked another carp on a Sportex Morion 2.5lb tc carp rod. The river had almost no flow at all, yet that carp made me look silly! From mid-river to the far bank in one 50 yd fast sprint, it found the rocks and fallen trees so cutting my trace!

So, the answer is "It depends"......depends on the size, fighting power, snags etc.

After my three carp day I thought I had it all sorted - now I have had to think again :rolleyes:
 
Did you see the culprit Steve? I've had silure go off like that.
 
Did you see the culprit Steve? I've had silure go off like that.
No, but it did a rapid change of direction at one point. Generally fought much like the previous carp - but heavier!

I have had a couple of mid-double silure and they were nothing like the carp for speed.

But....who knows?!!!
 
I caught carp in a large lake on my 1.75 barbel Torrix.

38lb, 35lb x 5, and a 28lb. Also a 35lb one on a Sundridge Proton 13ft match rod for tench.

None of the fights were extended. Leads were light though below 2oz.

There's an article or two somewhere on BFW.

Admittedly very few snags within 75 yards.
Show off 😜
 
No, but it did a rapid change of direction at one point. Generally fought much like the previous carp - but heavier!

I have had a couple of mid-double silure and they were nothing like the carp for speed.

But....who knows?!!!
That is the dilemma. Set up with 6lb line and a feeder for 5lb - 8lb barbel and some zoo creature makes a monkey out of you. Set up with an Uptider and sea reel and odds on a 2lb barbel nicks your bait.

I've had three confirmed large silure make off with my luncheon meat barbel / carp baits and the acceleration was phenomenal. Yet silure of up to 35lb have been landed with little fuss on a medium spinning outfit.

I don't know if you are aware, but one of the signs of a catfish in your swim is a sudden eruption of small bubbles. They are like tench bubbles that suddenly come up in a patch of around 2 square feet. It is caused by the swim bladder of a victim being crushed by the silure's hard mouth pads. Last time I witnessed this, I was margin fishing about 2 metres out and saw the damned thing take a double figure carp from the area I had baited up. It brushed my line as it turned and nearly took my rod with it.
 
That is the dilemma. Set up with 6lb line and a feeder for 5lb - 8lb barbel and some zoo creature makes a monkey out of you. Set up with an Uptider and sea reel and odds on a 2lb barbel nicks your bait.

I've had three confirmed large silure make off with my luncheon meat barbel / carp baits and the acceleration was phenomenal. Yet silure of up to 35lb have been landed with little fuss on a medium spinning outfit.

I don't know if you are aware, but one of the signs of a catfish in your swim is a sudden eruption of small bubbles. They are like tench bubbles that suddenly come up in a patch of around 2 square feet. It is caused by the swim bladder of a victim being crushed by the silure's hard mouth pads. Last time I witnessed this, I was margin fishing about 2 metres out and saw the damned thing take a double figure carp from the area I had baited up. It brushed my line as it turned and nearly took my rod with it.

Yes, I have been seeing all of this during my three years here!

Silure of all sizes can take any size of bait, from a single crevette to half a bream. I stopped using crevettes for bait as silure were too eager to snaffle them, pity as they work for barbel, chub and bream as well.

As the barbel seem busy elsewhere just now I will try the heavy outfits with big baits for a while. I have a Harrison Ballista 3.5 tc that I have taken 4" off the tip and 2" off the butt, matched with a Shimano 14000 XTC Ci4 loaded with 40lb braid, heavy leader etc. Just in case that is not enough I have an uptider based on an ancient Century TT which matches with my ancient Swedish ABU 8000c (added carbon drag washers). If that does not stop them..........

and I have seen the bubbles and caught a mid-double silure as well. There are giants here!
 
That is the dilemma. Set up with 6lb line and a feeder for 5lb - 8lb barbel and some zoo creature makes a monkey out of you. Set up with an Uptider and sea reel and odds on a 2lb barbel nicks your bait.

I've had three confirmed large silure make off with my luncheon meat barbel / carp baits and the acceleration was phenomenal. Yet silure of up to 35lb have been landed with little fuss on a medium spinning outfit.

I don't know if you are aware, but one of the signs of a catfish in your swim is a sudden eruption of small bubbles. They are like tench bubbles that suddenly come up in a patch of around 2 square feet. It is caused by the swim bladder of a victim being crushed by the silure's hard mouth pads. Last time I witnessed this, I was margin fishing about 2 metres out and saw the damned thing take a double figure carp from the area I had baited up. It brushed my line as it turned and nearly took my rod with it.
What river do you fish are they in all rivers ?
 
Not sure about the Thames, but a 98lb specimen was caught at Tewkesbury on the Severn a few years back by a Barbel angler.
 
To my knowledge they have been caught in the Thames, Trent and Severn for quite a few years. The video above shows just how many there can be in a relatively shallow, clear river such as the Loire. Now look at this one........

 
Not sure you are correct about quite a few years regarding the Severn. That big cat was the only one I know of reported, and I do live here. But you have to wonder how the Hell did such a big specimen get in the system? Probably from a stocked lake upstream I imagine.
 
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