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French barbel fishing

One of my friends, Ron, has done only sea fishing previously but is showing interest in my fishing adventures on the Lot. He has quite a few health problems so I am limited with where is safe for him to fish.

He had seen a french angler catch a couple of pike in Cajarc, this town has some lovely fishing "lay-byes" where you can park the car and fish a level plarform. So this afternoon we gave it four hours, even though I had my reservations on its fishing potential. I expected bream as it's above a massive barrage and wide,deep and usually slow moving.

Set up one rod with a size 12 baited with a soft hooker (think that's what they are called) and a second rod with a size 8 hair rigged 10mm monster crab boilie. Both were fished with medium feeder.

Lovely spot and if the bream appeared we would be happy.

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The best laid plans often go astray, no bream! But bites came quickly and soon a 4.5 lb barbel was netted, followed by barbel of 5 lb, 6 lb then 7.6 lb.

Ron brought the 5 lb fish in and I had the best fight ever from the 7.6 lb fish. On a soft 1.5 test Shimano barbel rod it took 30 yds of line and went around that marker buoy to the right of this swim. Plenty of runs but it finally came back upstream and did not tangle the buoy rope.

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One very deep bodied and fit barbel, best I have caught this year. We did not miss the bream! 😍

Despite the unusually miserable autumn weather the fishing this October is pretty damned good!
 
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Great catch Steve!

I love Cajarc. Not just for the fishing, but there are some lovely restaurants in the town too. It is good to know that there are barbel of that size in the lake part. I have seen carp anglers bivvied up there but not seen them catch anything. I fish for barbel just a little further down, alongside the large island where the flow is greater. You could park your friend there as there is a chemin running alongside. There is also a good barbel swim on the other side just downstream of the hydro dam. But, it means clambering down the concrete reinforcing blocks to get to the run off.

I'm supposed to be going down to the lower Charente next week for a few days barbel fishing, but now you've got me thinking..................
 
Clive Kenyon said:
Great catch Steve!

I love Cajarc. Not just for the fishing, but there are some lovely restaurants in the town too. It is good to know that there are barbel of that size in the lake part. I have seen carp anglers bivvied up there but not seen them catch anything. I fish for barbel just a little further down, alongside the large island where the flow is greater. You could park your friend there as there is a chemin running alongside. There is also a good barbel swim on the other side just downstream of the hydro dam. But, it means clambering down the concrete reinforcing blocks to get to the run off.

I'm supposed to be going down to the lower Charente next week for a few days barbel fishing, but now you've got me thinking..................
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Hi Clive, I live just 15 minutes drive from Cajarc, lovely town and it has everything a holiday visitor can want. This "lake" part of the river can be a little busy in the short tourist season - even water skiing! But outside of that it has plenty of easy access fishing, though I usually search for places I can have to myself! Within 10-20 minutes drive there are plenty of those quieter spots!

It's taken me almost three years to work out the fishing around here. At least now I have some confidence, but plenty more to learn!
 
Hello, I’m one of the few French barbel fishermen. I captured barbels in the rivers Lot, Aveyron, Tarn, Agout, Eure, Seine, Oise, Aisne, Meuse, Somme... The problem for the southern rivers (except the Lot) is that there are more carp than barbel. Carp are accustomed to violent flooding and their strength is exceptional. In general, conventional equipment for the barbel is not enough. Fishing can become very frustrating due to the many line breaks. The otter is not a problem for us, but the giant catfish occupy the same area as the barbels. No barbel is safe against a large catfish. I confirm what I read above, The chances of catching a double are better in the north. I’ve seen pictures of huge barbels in the Loire ( 1 meter long) but these are caught by lure anglers. Never by carp anglers.
 
David Desmitt said:
Hello, I’m one of the few French barbel fishermen. I captured barbels in the rivers Lot, Aveyron, Tarn, Agout, Eure, Seine, Oise, Aisne, Meuse, Somme... The problem for the southern rivers (except the Lot) is that there are more carp than barbel. Carp are accustomed to violent flooding and their strength is exceptional. In general, conventional equipment for the barbel is not enough. Fishing can become very frustrating due to the many line breaks. The otter is not a problem for us, but the giant catfish occupy the same area as the barbels. No barbel is safe against a large catfish. I confirm what I read above, The chances of catching a double are better in the north. I’ve seen pictures of huge barbels in the Loire ( 1 meter long) but these are caught by lure anglers. Never by carp anglers.
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Well summed up David!

When the Lot floods in this area it does not spread sideways but rushes at great speed through the gorges. There is a monitoring station at Bouzies that in summer will show flow of 20 cubic metres a second - last winter on one night it recorded 1700 m3/sec!!!! The river at this point is not wide so that force was channelled at great speed.

Not sure if I have already posted this photo of the top end of the famous Bouzies tow path walk......

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The tow path has been cut into the base of the cliff face. In the winter that path is often completely submerged and the force of water flowing through immense. There are many carp in this stretch and some top 50lb, large shoals of barbel as well but mostly under 4lb. The fish probably shelter in the entrances to locks and in the canalised sections.

How on earth a large fish such as a carp can survive this? Well, as you said "their strength is exceptional" as some lucky anglers (myself recently included!) can attest.
 
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This is the towpath Steve mentions. The summer river level is a metre below the path.

I agree with all the above. Catching large barbel in French rivers is much more difficult than in UK rivers in my experience. As has been said; where you would expect to find a specimen barbel you will find large catfish. Also, many French rivers are wide and shallow. Locating deep channels that have a good flow is paramount to success. Carp are everywhere and in summer take up stations in shallower, faster water or on the edge of such places. At this time of year they will have moved to deeper, slower water. Catching double figure carp in barbel swims in the summer months is a regular occurrence. In winter the carp are more likely to be found in the deeper stretches where the water does not flow through as quickly.

I noticed that the three largest barbel listed in the French specimen fish list were all caught in spring by lure anglers. I have not heard of any specimens coming from the Loire system, quite the opposite, with local barbel anglers complaining about the small size of their quarry. The largest was recorded at just over 8kg and the next two wouldn't have made the UK fishing news. It seems that the Seine and Rhone systems are the most likely place to catch an English double.
 
Ce pêcheur est habitué à ne mesurer que les barbillons. La prise de vue rend difficile l'estimation du poids. Mais il semble les attraper souvent. Je pense que ce poisson pèse au moins 6 kg. La Loire est immense et sans barrage, il faut travailler dur pour trouver les grands. Je tenterai ma chance en 2021.🤞
 
Oups:
This angler is used to measuring only the barbels. The shooting makes it difficult to estimate the weight. But he seems to catch them often. I think this fish weighs at least 6 kg. The Loire is huge and without dam, you have to work hard to find the big ones. I will try my luck in 2021.
 
I really do hope that barbel of 6 kilo do exist in France. But, despite extensive searching of the web, talking to anglers and tackle dealers and posing the question on a French fishing forum I still am not convinced. I have seen local newspaper reports about barbel of just over 3kg being caught. Look up on Google or youtube for large barbel in French and you get loads of photos and videos of 3lb fish. The 8kg barbel I mentioned in a post earlier were caught over 30 years ago to a lure fisherman. The next two were also caught long ago and were 'only' 12lb fish. I write a monthly article for ex-pat anglers in this region and almost all of the messages I receive from readers concerns the whereabouts of the larger barbel. It seems that many if not all anglers struggle to get anything over 6lb.

Unfortunately the way that the photograph David has posted is presented prevents any meaningful estimation of its size. And, as he says; many French anglers do not weigh their fish. I have been out here for over 8 years and travel extensively in my work and on holidays in our camping-car. I am off for a few days from tomorrow hoping to find a gros barbeau, but so far I have three fish over 4 kg to my name but nothing over 9lb 3oz.



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I cannot believe that British carp anglers fishing the Lot or Dordogne rivers would not know the value of an English double barbel and post photos or include it on their videos. I catch a lot of carp when fishing places that look to suit large barbel and so it would follow that the bivvy brigade would account for large barbel if they existed. Same with the ex-pat barbel anglers such as Gareth Watkins and Ade Kiddell who feature on youtube.

As I said; I would love to be proved wrong, but at the moment I have seen nothing to suggest that the current ceiling on French barbel is around 9lb to 10lb and the best chance of achieving those weights are in the northern rivers.
 
I think Ade has a best of 12.07 with quite a lot of doubles near 50 to his and customer names.

He is a very good teacher for anyone searching for a first French Double
 
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Perhaps that is one of the reasons that they don't? Carp have a more varied diet and are more adaptable. Also catfish tend to inhabit the same swims that you would expect the larger barbel to be found. I asked the question on a French forum and nobody could give the answer.

My local rivers are absolutely full of barbel from this year's class upwards. But at around 4lb the numbers drop significantly and some local British anglers have never seen a 6lb barbel over here. The angler in David's post is catching them using spinners in the Ondex pattern, revolving blades. He claims to have caught them in excess of 100cm. Now that is a big barbel - far bigger than you will find in catch reports from bait fishermen. By Steve Burke's estimated length to weight table you are looking at around 20lb; double the ceiling found in bait angler's catches.

I hope that it is true, but I am sceptical.
 
Clive Kenyon said:
I really do hope that barbel of 6 kilo do exist in France. But, despite extensive searching of the web, talking to anglers and tackle dealers and posing the question on a French fishing forum I still am not convinced. I have seen local newspaper reports about barbel of just over 3kg being caught. Look up on Google or youtube for large barbel in French and you get loads of photos and videos of 3lb fish. The 8kg barbel I mentioned in a post earlier were caught over 30 years ago to a lure fisherman. The next two were also caught long ago and were 'only' 12lb fish. I write a monthly article for ex-pat anglers in this region and almost all of the messages I receive from readers concerns the whereabouts of the larger barbel. It seems that many if not all anglers struggle to get anything over 6lb.

Unfortunately the way that the photograph David has posted is presented prevents any meaningful estimation of its size. And, as he says; many French anglers do not weigh their fish. I have been out here for over 8 years and travel extensively in my work and on holidays in our camping-car. I am off for a few days from tomorrow hoping to find a gros barbeau, but so far I have three fish over 4 kg to my name but nothing over 9lb 3oz.



nqPfsV7.jpg


I cannot believe that British carp anglers fishing the Lot or Dordogne rivers would not know the value of an English double barbel and post photos or include it on their videos. I catch a lot of carp when fishing places that look to suit large barbel and so it would follow that the bivvy brigade would account for large barbel if they existed. Same with the ex-pat barbel anglers such as Gareth Watkins and Ade Kiddell who feature on youtube.

As I said; I would love to be proved wrong, but at the moment I have seen nothing to suggest that the current ceiling on French barbel is around 9lb to 10lb and the best chance of achieving those weights are in the northern rivers.
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After 20 years of main carp fishing, I have only been fishing for 4 years, and my current pb is 11.25 lbs. I have personal conviction that fish over 17 lbs exist. The Meuse produces a lot of fish, but not the biggest ones. I compare it to the Wye in your area. In France there is no official record census. Moreover, barbel interests few fishermen here. According to different parameters I know that the search for big barbels is more difficult here. But we must not deny their existence. Look again😉
 
I would love to see the evidence of fish of this size David. But, while anglers are happy to show off their specimen carp, catfish, pike and zander, there seems to be a total lack of photos or videos of large barbel. Why is this? I asked the forum Peche Maniacs and nobody had an answer. Look online at the photos and videos of anglers fishing in France. There is nothing that shows barbel of 5kg or more.

I envy your personal best. I am still 2lbs short of that weight. Every year I decide to forget chasing the elusive 10lb barbel and concentrate on carp where I can count on catching 30lb fish from the rivers. But I keep coming back for more 😀
 
I have just had a few days away fishing the lower Charente. It was an idea that I had discussed with Alex Dalton spawned on the basis that if there were any lunkers in this river, the tidal section that is relatively unfished by bait anglers might turn up a specimen barbel. I am almost totally inexperienced in tidal fishing other than a small Lincolhshire creek and a long time ago, a few sessions on the Bure near to Acle. None of that had prepared me for what I experienced 😲

Let us just say that I was under gunned and ill prepared. So, after discovering that my Monday morning swim was a seething maelstrom I packed up, had an early lunch and headed downstream where the river only flows one way.

Before :(

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After :)

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Nothing above 5lb 8oz, but a nice break away. I am just awaiting Alex's book on fishing the tidal rivers before equipping myself with a couple of beachcasters ready for next time. 😀
 

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Clive, I have fished plenty of estuaries for sea fish, quite understand your problems!

Many sea anglers use rods that are similar power to barbel rods for estuary fishing. But on most estuaries during much of the tide you would not hold bottom even with a beachcaster that can cast 7 ozs.

What you have to have is good tide tables for the stretch you are fishing. Difficult to find for most estuaries unless they are open to navigation!

If you know when the tide is turning around low and high you can usually fit in a few hours fishing most places. Spring tides usually give you less slack water around the turn of the tide, neap tides give you much longer.

For my bass fishing on the river Forth in Scotland the lower end of a channel leading off the main estuary would often fish well around low tide and for two hours of the flood on neap tides. Often such places have soft, deep mud above the gravel channel - take care!

Further up this estuary I had a few salmon on spinners, usually on the flood tide. Here, on the start of the ebb, I once had some good roach on trotted bread flake. Never repeated that feat!

It is not easy work these things out unless you live close to tidal stretches or have a local source of info.

Good to see your "Plan B" brought you some nice fish!
 
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