do they go???

[Leon Dodd]

hi all,
just wondered if anybody had any ideas on whether or not barbel move far when the water temps drop?
i have had a couple of sessions on a fairly shallow stretch of the wharfe that during the warmer months produces good numbers of fish, but not had a bite since the begining of september. now i know the fish will feed less in colder water and condtions play an important part at any time, but i have fished in all conditions, up, coloured and water getting warmer and cannot get a bite?
have they moved to deeper water with the drop in temps or have i just been unlucky???

 

[Gavin Hoe-Richardson]

Hi Leon,

That's normally the case on the Yorkshire rivers I fish. Up close to the shallow spawning grounds early season and drop further down to the deeper water as the season progresses into late Autumn. Its just a case of trying out different swims until you find them again unless you can persuade someone to reveal where they are catching. Unlikely I know!

Cheers,

Gavin

 

[Leon Dodd]

Cheers for the reply Gavin,
my only problem is the length in question is nearly all shallow!
May have to have a lead around next time see if i can find any deeper spots. Or go to the Ouse which is all deep!
cheers, Leon

 

[Jon Whelan]

If you research the web there is quite a few hours of literature to read on this subject. It will give you a good insight too. A lot of academic papers with little snippets & a few with more juicier chunks.

If I remember correctly, a good portion of this was undertaken by Durham University. One does not have to read the full paper - reading between the lines, the abstract is mostly enough to get the info one needs.

Cheers Jon

 

[Gavin Hoe-Richardson]

May have to have a lead around next time see if i can find any deeper spots.

It is well worth half a day with a lead and braid on the reel. Not only do you get the depth but after a while you get 'feedback' on the nature of the bottom (gravel, mud, weed etc.).

Apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs but you need to cast out then let the lead sink on a tight line, the bump transmitted back through the braid will indicate the nature of the bottom.

 

[Peter Littleworth]

They can move miles, literally, so go hunting, start at big snag type features and any decent bends, if there,s cover, well worth checking out.
peter

 

[Leon Dodd]

Cheers for the replies fellas,
i think having a walk with a lead is the way to go as there is very little in the way of features on the length and when it's warmer it seems that every swim contains barbel, and i can't believe they have all vacated the length altogether,
thanks, Leon

 

[Darryl Davis]

Leon
Have a read of these four. All NIdd-Ouse related. Barbel migrate from Nidd to the Ouse (sometimes 15 miles plus!)

Lucas, MC 2000. The influence of environmental factors on movements of lowland-river fish in the Yorkshire Ouse system. The Science of the Total Environment 251/252: 223-232.

Lucas, MC, Mercer, T, Batley, E, Frear, PA, Peirson, G, Duncan, A & Kubecka, J 1998. Spatio-temporal variations in the distribution and abundance of fish in the Yorkshire Ouse system. Science of the Total Environment 210(1-6): 437-455

Lucas, MC & Frear, PA 1997. Effects of a flow-gauging weir on the migratory behaviour of adult barbel, a riverine cyprinid. Journal of Fish Biology 50(2): 382-396.

Lucas, MC & Batley, E 1996. Seasonal movements and behaviour of adult barbel Barbus barbus, a riverine cyprinid fish: Implications for river management. Journal of Applied Ecology 33(6): 1345-1358.