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Barbel stocked in the Somerset Levels

And yet the EA stocked the Taff ( a river with no indigenous barbel ) with, if memory serves, 36 barbel in...1994 I think it was.
And look at them now, fish to 18+ I believe.
Also the Usk and Rhymney have some naughty populations that are thriving and spreading.

Amazing they'll allow damn near any commercial to stock them now, but rivers? Nope.

I live at the headwaters of the Taff, we could do with a few up here as they'd thrive. But they're all down below Radyr.
 
Absolutely mind bogglingly frustrating. Inconsistencies and contradictions all over the place. You almost want to get them all in a room with a big map and point at various places with a pointing stick (or presentation laser, if that's your thing) and say "DUH!!!!!".
 
Of course Barbel are the test for water quality, it might be a difficult explaining belly up Barbel. So visual and so emotive. Until they get a grip with these companies that pollute I fear we will just have to go along with their ridiculous utterings. The Barbel is the poster boy for river Angling, and the EA rake in millions by way of licence fees from Anglers who are chasing ever diminishing stocks, what a way to run a business? Believe me we are being conned, I see through all these EA types I run into that count fish numbers on Rivers, crunch the numbers and tell us all is fine, and then rubber stamp the release of Otter.
 
I've never ascribe to conspiracy theories but I believe the EA just want to wreck fishing in every area by doing the exact opposite of what's required.
That way in the end they have effectively banned angling. Or is it just me?
 
Steve Lewis said:
Thinking more about it, does the EA actually have a final say, or can clubs just say to them "do one" and stock away themselves? I'm assuming the latter, given Keynsham AA have been stocking the Chew (which never previously had indigenous barbel).
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No, the EA has to give consent, even if the fish are paid for by someone else. The River Swale Preservation Society had been trying to stock barbel for many years. Only last year did the EA finally relent on its stance of not giving permission.
 
Hence all the 'naughty' stockings.
In the case of the Wye, the salmon anglers are still banging on about them eating salmon roe some 50 years on. Conveniently forgetting that there are no barbel up where the salmon spawn.

And now it's the same situation on the Usk now that it's common knowledge there is a thriving ( albeit localised ) population.
And yet the Usk is similar in character to the Wye and an ideal barbel venue. The chub and dace do very well, largely because they're left alone. I expect the same from the barbel 10 years from now.

The EA/NRW/whatever it is these days are living in a fantasy world where, unfortunately, they have the final say.
They'll happily supply barbel into a muddy hole stuffed with carp, but a river with Ideal habitat and flow? Not on your nelly mate, they're not indigenous.

So what? They're indigenous to Britain, that should be good enough.
And I really should ask them why they stocked the Taff when, at the time there were zero barbel in Wales except for portions of the Wye, and possibly the Dee in N.Wales?

They didn't consult, they didn't publicise it beforehand, they just did it. For whatever reason. Presumably because they wanted to.
And that is the problem. They have the final say, it's either yes or no and that's the end of it.

So they cannot ever claim about impacting on species already present when they themselves stocked them for no apparent reason into a South Wales Valleys River. Much like zander and cats, it balanced out and nature found a happy medium. Such would be the case in every ecosystem on every venue I would presume.

They have their figurative head up their figurative ass. Gotta love human bureacracy when they'll sanction stocking into a stillwater but not a river.

While I'm normally a stickler for the rules, I'm glad of the naughty stockings in the Usk and Rhymney. They show that barbel fit in and don't dominate, and also that every other fish didn't immediately go belly up upon introduction like they'd have us believe.

Note - I do not condone illegal stocking in any way.
But given the inconsistent and backward nature of the regulatory body that has the final say, I can understand why it happens.
 
Barbel in the Welsh Rivers feels my heart with joy, I cannot imagine a more suitable habitat, it really is a fantastic story in that these rivers were just so polluted just a few years back.

Of course all species will eventually migrate to all rivers, so for the EA to have a policy regarding stockings is pointless. As you say Gwynn Barbel are indigenous to these Isles, even Wales ;)
 
They may not be offering stockings to non indigenous rivers on a financial and priority basis and the "non indigenous" rivers go down the pecking order. They only produce so many barbel a year and with many south easterly rivers in decline where they were indigenous these probably get priority after pollution incidents.

I would imagine most local fisheries guys would like to stock barbel into suitable rivers in there area but they would have to put the case higher up the chain of command.

and on commercial pools where barbel are stocked the EA wont be supplying them, they will come from commercially run fish farm's. the EA would only have to give permission for certified fish to be stocked.
 
Colin Bridger said:
Our club controls some Barbel stretches of the Western Rother in West Sussex, and have wanted to top up stocks with 4 or 500 barbel, but we have been told by the E.A. that this will not happen, because it is E.A. policy that in waters where barbel are not indigenous no further stockings are allowed for 150 years. From all the articles in the Angling Times and reports of Claverton stockings on this site it would appear that the E.A. in Sussex are the only ones in the country who abide by this policy, if it exists. This rule has been broken on the Dorset Stour, Hampshire Avon (originally stocked in 1899), Severn, Suffolk Stour, and many others. They will not even allow us to purchase some.
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Numerous stockings over the last 10+ years on the Gt. Ouse. NUMEROUS!!
 
Neil Smart said:
And yet Steve reports that Barbel have been caught. Why would the EA not stock Barbel along with the other species? I had a look at the EA report and the Somerset Levels stocking was the largest at that time, plus why did the EA not correct the 'typo' it still reads that Barbel were released.
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Hi Neil, I think Barbel are now in most rivers, what do you think?
Jamie.
 
Steve Lewis said:
First (small) barbel starting to be caught from the river Brue in Somerset apparently, having been stocked by the EA just under a year ago in association with several clubs. Still only babies at this point, but apparently in tip-top condition according to Brue anglers I spoke to at the weekend whilst on a recce down there.

Until now, the only Somerset river to have produced barbel was the river Axe, but these have been fish that are likely to have got into the river when nearby lakes (many of which had barbel introduced years ago, due to the complete lack of them in the region's rivers) have flooded, and catches have been very few and far between, and by accident. Unlikely that there are enough of these "escapees" to promote a significant barbel population in the Axe.

The Brue, however, is the first proper Somerset river (that I'm aware of, at least) to have benefited from an official stocking, after years of the EA refusing to introduce barbel to rivers where it has never been an indigenous species. Presumably the apparent success of stocking the river Chew in nearby North East Somerset annually since 2009/10, as well as the struggle of existing stocks in other rivers across the country, has made the EA review their stance.

Hopefully this will mean similar stockings in other South West rivers - many of which are more than suitable for barbel - will take place in the near future.

Naturally it's very very early days - and, despite being 7 or 8 years into their introduction, it's still very early days for the Chew barbel as well - but I know the Brue well, and it's a healthy river with a plentiful enough ecosystem to support them. I think this is a good bit of progress.

Now if only the Bathampton and Amalgamated clubs organised themselves and got the EA to re-stock the Avon below Chippenham...
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I am more confused than ever reading through this thread, are there Barbel in the Brue or not? If so which club do I join?
 
Jamie Snow said:
Hi Neil, I think Barbel are now in most rivers, what do you think?
Jamie.
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Well yes they are, but as in what numbers is the question. Steve gives a very good account of the region, and I have some knowledge of these rivers. The Brue is a typical Bream type river, very flat terrain, and also the Axe, the latter would seem to offer more scope as to Barbel I suppose.
The Chew is an ideal River to sustain Barbel I guess, and has a good stock of coarse fish as well as Trout.
If I were you I would be apprehensive about fishing the Brue for Barbel, unless the local intel tells you otherwise. The nearest River to you (I assume you live in S. Somerset, Devon? would still be the Bristol Avon that could offer you a Barbel.
Of course the fly in the ointment as always is the Otter problem and bird predation, so you might have to consider the Wye or the Severn as your best bet in catching Barbel.
If you want any help around the Severn catchment with clubs, day tickets, free fishing just ask.
 
Jamie Snow said:
I am more confused than ever reading through this thread, are there Barbel in the Brue or not? If so which club do I join?
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Jamie

Whilst I trust the reports I had from other anglers about barbel being caught in the Brue, it would appear that they were just coincidental "accidental" captures that happened in a short space of time. Otherwise, as Neil says, with the EA confirming they HAVEN'T stocked any barbel anywhere down there, I wouldn't be rushing out to join any of the Somerset clubs on the assumption you might catch one, because those captures were almost certainly of escapees (or thefts) from any of the lakes down there. I don't know the science or biology behind the likelihood of a stable and ongoing population from lake escapees establishing itself in a river (is there an example of this happening anywhere else in England?), but it's not something I'd recommend pinning your hopes on.
 
Concerning, all this talk of rivers being stocked that barbel haven't been in before, I have been refused permission by the EA to stock them into Throop on the Dorset Stour, even though we stocked them into there in 2014 with EA permission. Needless to say I am fighting this but at the moment things have come to a halt due to coronavirus, we Ringwood angling club were paying for the barbel we didn't ask the EA to supply them.. Will keep you posted.
 
Phil

They're refusing stocking in Throop?!?!?!?!? Did they give you any reason?

I mean, that's pretty much the same as saying you can't stock any in the Hampshire Avon or Ouse.

Baffling. Utterly baffling.
 
Steve Lewis said:
Phil

They're refusing stocking in Throop?!?!?!?!? Did they give you any reason?

I mean, that's pretty much the same as saying you can't stock any in the Hampshire Avon or Ouse.

Baffling. Utterly baffling.
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Steve

No reason in writing yet, all sorts of nonsense and as for stocking barbel into the Hampshire Avon it is a DEFINITE NO, we have tried.
 
Blige. Just when I thought the EA couldn't get any more facepalmy...

Maybe call their bluff and ask to stock some otters and cormorants. Problem there is they may ecstatically say yes.
 
It's odd that they refuse a club stocking Barbel, especially as the club has done just that in the recent past. Could it be the Game fishers have influenced this absurdness?
 
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