• You need to be a registered member of Barbel Fishing World to post on these forums. Some of the forums are hidden from non-members. Please refer to the instructions on the ‘Register’ page for details of how to join the new incarnation of BFW...

Float fishing for barbel on the lower Severn...am I mad??

Roger Hopkins

Roger Hopkins

Senior Member & Supporter
I read Andrews post “floats” on Wednesday with interest, his big floats for big baits.
Had such a bad season last year locating fish with the ledger rods, thought perhaps trundling a big bait down a deep lower Severn swim might help searching them out! So, being bored during lockdown I knocked up some big floats with 4.5mm and 6mm plastic float tips with a view of trying it this year over a big bed of hemp.
Anybody gonna confess to having tried this? Am I barking up the wrong tree or just barkin !!
EE80E477-64AF-4729-95A1-B26FF81938A6.jpeg
 
Roger Hopkins said:
I read Andrews post “floats” on Wednesday with interest, his big floats for big baits.
Had such a bad season last year locating fish with the ledger rods, thought perhaps trundling a big bait down a deep lower Severn swim might help searching them out! So, being bored during lockdown I knocked up some big floats with 4.5mm and 6mm plastic float tips with a view of trying it this year over a big bed of hemp.
Anybody gonna confess to having tried this? Am I barking up the wrong tree or just barkin !!View attachment 15146
Click to expand...
Fantastic floats 😎
 
Roger Hopkins said:
I read Andrews post “floats” on Wednesday with interest, his big floats for big baits.
Had such a bad season last year locating fish with the ledger rods, thought perhaps trundling a big bait down a deep lower Severn swim might help searching them out! So, being bored during lockdown I knocked up some big floats with 4.5mm and 6mm plastic float tips with a view of trying it this year over a big bed of hemp.
Anybody gonna confess to having tried this? Am I barking up the wrong tree or just barkin !!View attachment 15146
Click to expand...
I reckon it’s the way to go on a lot of rivers Roger 👍
 
Obviously my local H. Avon and D. Stour are very different to the Lower Severn but trotting for barbel with big baits is very effective. The nearest I've got to the lower is way upstream at Highley and surrounding area! But having experienced the barbel feeding well in mid river (over my droppered hemp - dumped there via a 2.5tc rod) slowly and surely drift away towards the far bank beyond the range of my centrepin and waders, I eventually switched to a fixed spool and fat waggler. It worked a treat that time and on several more trips. Bits of meat, corn or bunches of caster were very effective.

Accuracy was far easier with a dumpy 10gr waggler than any "top & bottom" float. Fishing over depth with a BB or AAA shot down the line was the tactic. Typically watching the float go under and waiting for the rod tip to go round as they hit the bait. I stopped using the Whopper Dropper and turned to very stiffly mixed groundbait packed with hemp delivered by catapult.
 
Roger Hopkins said:
I read Andrews post “floats” on Wednesday with interest, his big floats for big baits.
Had such a bad season last year locating fish with the ledger rods, thought perhaps trundling a big bait down a deep lower Severn swim might help searching them out! So, being bored during lockdown I knocked up some big floats with 4.5mm and 6mm plastic float tips with a view of trying it this year over a big bed of hemp.
Anybody gonna confess to having tried this? Am I barking up the wrong tree or just barkin !!View attachment 15146
Click to expand...
Give it a go! I've caught barbel on the float on the Lower in the past, it gives you the chance to maximise the potential of the swim with a moving bait. Back in the late 90's one of the biggest barbel off the Severn at the time(15+) was caught on the float off the Lower.
 
The 90's matchmen used to catch them on stick floats all the time on the WDUAA waters, Oak Meadows/Lathams Farm etc. Might be easier on a shallower (for the Lower) stretch though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top