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Deep Hooked Barbel

Steve Walker

Steve Walker

Senior Member
I have never experienced this phenomenon but I caught a fish the other day that had about 6''of what looked around 10-12lbs nylon hanging out of it's mouth.On closer inspection the line went deep into the fish's stomach and the hook couldn't be seen.I ended up cutting the line as short as I could and leaving the hook in,hopefully it will be ok.
It made me think on how this could have happened.I use hair rigs for all my barbel fishing and use a hook with a slightly in turned eye,this has the desired effect with the barbel picking up the bait,bolting and the hook flipping round into the lip.
Nearly all my fish are hooked either in the bottom lip or scissors and not far into the mouth.I think the angler that lost his hook in the fish must have been using a soft bait like meat or paste and buried the hook completely inside the bait.
 
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Never experienced it either Steve, and if you hadn't seen it yourself and posted I'd say poppycock! But it's very strange that it's happened. I'm stumped.
 
Paul Collins said:
I'm thinking a baitrunner/ bite alarm, sleeping angler might be involved.
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Knowing where Steve usually fishes I would like to think that such bad angling practice is not the reason.
However, my guess would be a soft bait and a 'confidence' rig which would avoid bolting, coupled with lousy bite indication. Still not good angling practice though.:mad:
 
Maybe down to some of the overly long hook lengths being used by some anglers giving the fish far to much time to take a bait in without feeling hardly anything at all.
 
I once saw this on the sidestream on Ouse at Ravenstone,an angler was struggling to unhook a barbel and i intervened because he was taking too long and i feared for the fish,(his fish handling skills were very very poor,).The hooklength was about 6 feet long with a size 14 with 2 maggots.The fish wanted all the maggots in the area and did not bolt when feeding,the hook was a long way down and i managed to get a long disgorger onto it and unhook it.It can sometimes happen with small particle baits, long hooklengths and low flow the fish will stay in the tightly baited area and swallow everything before moving off.With a bigger bait or fast flow it will usually move off/bolt or have to move to get to the next piece of bait giving you a bite,even on a long hooklength.
 
Graham Young said:
Maybe down to some of the overly long hook lengths being used by some anglers giving the fish far to much time to take a bait in without feeling hardly anything at all.
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My hook link is regularly over 5 foot long and for as long as I have Barbel fished, I have never had a deep hooking. My money is on someone pulling for a break and have lost the lot with the hook link being free. It's a shame and it happens often enough for an impact.
 
I fish pellet on a hair, and meat with the hook inside. I have never had a deep hooked barbel with either rig.
Like others, I think this is down to bad fishing practice.
 
If a baitrunner/ alarm is used the Barbel will not come up against a stop and hook itself in the mouth, if a free running weight is used.
 
On a swim I used to margin fish using a dropper the fish got so engrossed in feeding that even with a relatively short hook link they were deep hooking , hook links 18 - 24 inches long . A change to a 8 inch hook link resumed normal service , I never use long hook links these days .The fish recovered as witnessed by repeat captures .
 
It is possible that the hook point was partially covered by the bait (maggot turned over etc) when the barbel took the bait. Once in the stomach the hook is not coming out. Never had a deep hooked barbel and I normally fish long hook links with a bait runner and a semi bolt rig that lets the lead run free after the bite.
 
Jon Frisby said:
My hook link is regularly over 5 foot long and for as long as I have Barbel fished, I have never had a deep hooking. My money is on someone pulling for a break and have lost the lot with the hook link being free. It's a shame and it happens often enough for an impact.
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Jon I don't consider 5 or 6 feet as a long hook length I use them that length myself but I do know that hook lengths in excess of 12 feet are being used on the Trent, how do I know? because one of the anglers using them is a friend that has told me how well he has been doing with them while others struggle on the same stretch.

Your thoughts on lost tackle may be correct, its hardly given a second thought by some but who knows how many fish become deep hooked or tethered because of it? out of sight out e.t.c.
 
It can happen when float fishing over depth and as stated already when using long hook lengths. Doesn't happen often but it def can happen.
 
almost had that happen to me. £ years ago was out, nothing happening , hadnt had so much as a twicth. When i started to reel in i got resistance and eventually landed a barbel around 8lbs with the hook well down the throat but still visible and i was able to remove it ok. I assume the fish had slowly moved on to the bait and started eating it without moving off so no indication. f i hadnt reeled in when i did, the hook may well have gone deeper.
 
What a load of tosh some of the 'my way or the highway' elitist types come out with on here at times. For reasons I don't feel the need to explain, when I do manage to get out and fish for barbel, I fish all night, using only one rod. I use a baitrunner and an alarm for 'belt and braces' reasons, although the number of times I have actually nodded off are as rare as hens teeth.

I have fished for all but the first few of my 72 years, with possibly the last six or seven specialising in barbel. During that time, I can honestly say that I don't recall ever deep hooking a barbel. Come to that, I can't remember deep hooking a fish of any sort for many years. That being so, what gives anyone the right to say that what I do amounts to "bad angling practice"?

People should get on and do what they enjoy, the way they enjoy doing it...and allow others a similar freedom of choice. Providing people stay within the law, abide by all regulations, respect the rights of others, cause no annoyance to those around them and respect and cause no harm to their quarry....then they are doing nothing that requires comment or criticism from others.

For those who don't know, the use of long set lines with a number of hooklinks coming off the mainline paternoster style is now common practice by poachers and those fishing for the table. They have a heavy lead on one end, with the other tied to stakes or tree roots out of sight. The fish are EXPECTED to swallow the hook, often dying before the poacher returns hours/days later to heave in his catch. Now THAT is 'bad angling practice', and a fish breaking free from on of those could be one of a hundred possible explanation for the OP's experience. I can assure you that what I do is NOT one of those options.

Cheers, Dave.
 
if i caught a barbel that had a hook set deep in it i wouldnt hesitate to cut the line as close to the hook as possible, at least the fish has a reasonable chance of both surviving and thriving where as if prodding and probing trying to free the hook could cause fatal bleeding
 
Well said David.

I too use a baitrunner and alarm and have never deep hooked a barbel (or carp) - and I've had a few. It does seem that some people look down their noses at such an "un-purist" method of fishing - I've had a few comments before now on my club stretches regarding my setup.

1. I have not lost a barbel yet
2. I have never deep hooked a barbel
3. I have never "missed" a bite
4. I have my fair share of the fish

There will always be some that have a dig at others - especially when you are catching more than them ;)
 
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