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Barbel weights at end of season after cold weather

S

Simon Haggis

Senior Member & Supporter
What's your opinion please on how the cold weather will affect the barbel weights come the end of this season?

If we'd not had the "biggest big freeze since the last one" (TM any sensationalist redtop) do you think the barbel would weigh more or less if the weather had been nice and mild through dec and jan?

cheers, simon.
 
The ones I have caught this week have been very rotund porkers just like they were at this time last year. They have obviously been feeding on something at some point. I suppose that they would have been even bigger had it been mild.

Conrad
 
Made a comment on another thread that a barbel caught had taken quite a while to recover.
I wondered if it could be attributed the recent prolonged cold snap and maybe not been on the feed?
 
Simon,

I think we need to consider everything, not only the cold spell.......they do fatten up in winter and gorge at every opportunity as they don't know so well when they will feed again. They do however feed to survive and will all feed in very cold conditions as they still need to live in flowing water and that requires energy, unlike still water where some species just simply rest in the silt.

The big push at the end of the season as we know it is more related to feeding up prior to spawning, which they will still do. Last year, due to the mild temps, many fish spawned really early, in some cases spawning was witnessed twice (not necessarilly the same fish but the same sites).

So don't worry, you still have a chance of that really, really big one you aspire to, at least if one of the others or I don't get to it first :D
 
Ian

I've already had my fish of a lifetime twice frankly :D

I know my lucks all out now and the pressure is off.

You on the other hand have some catching up to do :)

cheers, simon
 
I have always had a theory that they often gorge on the weed once it has been broken down by the cold water and the sugar rich carbohydrate is available in a digestable form.

Its not uncommon to see garden pond fish tucking into weed.

It always surprises me that even though no seems to be catching, the fish often seem stuffed full after a cold spell.

Graham
 
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