Heat!

[Alan Palmer]

Is it just me or anyone else finding it hard to muster any motivation to get out on the bank in this heatwave? Just can’t get motivated, even for first light…..I’m quite looking forward to getting my winter clobber on and stomping across the frosty fields come winter

 

[Graham Elliott]

I'm just getting out a bit after 6pm.

 

[Connor Smith]

Too hot for me, did want to go this evening but il give it a miss with this heat. I don't really agree with fishing for them in this weather but each to there own as long as the angler who's fishing for them knows what there doing then that's up to them

 

[Terry Simner]

Well the Barbel Society have stopped the fishing on all their stretches, and that's good enough for me. No, fishing for barbel atm is not on IMO.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Too hot for me, did want to go this evening but il give it a miss with this heat. I don't really agree with fishing for them in this weather but each to there own as long as the angler who's fishing for them knows what there doing then that's up to them

I’m not really convinced competency in the angler makes the situation any better.
If you have to stand in the middle of the river for 20 minutes keeping it upright and taking excessive steps to recover it enough to leave the anglers care on its own accord, then that’s just red flags as far as I’m concerned and that fish was in no condition to be caught.

Personally if I’m not completely comfortable I can release a barbel after 5-10 minutes maximum recovery time then I don’t believe they are in the right condition for capture.

 

[Jon Frisby]

Any right minded Barbel angler should abstain in these Acute conditions... they will still be there when the weather breaks and the O2 levels rise....I have seen it for myself, people literally killing a fish, just for the glory of a Facebook like or weighing a fish to log it, with total disregard for its welfare...
On the Trent now some are still spawing FFS.....

 

[Connor Smith]

I’m not really convinced competency in the angler makes the situation any better.
If you have to stand in the middle of the river for 20 minutes keeping it upright and taking excessive steps to recover it enough to leave the anglers care on its own accord, then that’s just red flags as far as I’m concerned and that fish was in no condition to be caught.

Personally if I’m not completely comfortable I can release a barbel after 5-10 minutes maximum recovery time then I don’t believe they are in the right condition for capture.

Oh 100% I agree with you Richard. That's why I said if the angler knows what they're doing then it's up to them. And if they know what they're doing then really they should stay well away from barbel fishing at the moment. Any fishing in my opinion. But try telling someone who thinks they're 100 per cent right that they're wrong( about any subject) then most of the time it falls on death ears anyway. I myself won't be fishing until we've had a lot more rain and it cools down.
What doesn't help is high profile anglers saying barbel like hot weather and it's ok to go fishing in this heat, just to keep themselves in the spotlight or to make a few quid from fishing.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

But try telling someone who thinks they're 100 per cent right

Yeah your dead on there, drives me mad when I hear “swam off strong no problem” because this usually only tells you part of the story.
The other part of the story where the guy was practically carrying out cpr for half an hour just to keep it up right often doesn’t get mentioned

 

[Stuart Linton]

I'm guessing DO levels of less than 4mg/l is the critical mark. That is my understanding for stillwaters but is this the same for rivers and in particular do barbel need a higher minimum DO level. Bit of a specialised question but would be interested and sure someone on here will know.

 

[Barry Garwood]

I was meant to be going to the Hampshire avon for the week on monday, I think I might just sack it and wait for some rain!

 

[Matt Shipley]

I went fishing last night and had a nice barbel about 9 o clock after a few blanks. The fish was rested for a couple of minutes and was gone, I’m sure that fish went back fine. It was only out of the water for a minute or two while I weighed it, most of the time I try to unhook them in the net if they’re smaller.
I’ve only been fishing 7 or so til dusk while it’s been warm, but is it not more dependant on the stretch you’re fishing, your own personal experience of releasing fish etc that dictates if you should go or not?

 

[Ian Sewter]

The problem is that (eventually) the fish can swim off strongly seemingly without a problem and then (unbeknown to the angler) turn belly up downstream. There can be so much more to returning fish safely than simply releasing them back into the water.

 

[Stuart Linton]

Waiting for air bubbles to be expelled from the gills is a good sign of being near ready for release and this can take a good long while even in ideal conditions. I've always assumed this was excess air being taken on from being out of the water, some form of buoyancy adjustment. I never really hear of anyone talk about this when it come to releasing fish but I'm sure others must have noticed the phenomenon.