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Help with weight guess.

Re colouration in Barbel . I have noticed , at least with Barbel from Yorkshire spate rivers that fish caught in a period of heavy flood are very often very pale in colour . On the odd occasion when I have re caught a fish in normal conditions they are much darker in colour . Strange ....
 
Mike Hodgkiss said:
Re colouration in Barbel . I have noticed , at least with Barbel from Yorkshire spate rivers that fish caught in a period of heavy flood are very often very pale in colour . On the odd occasion when I have re caught a fish in normal conditions they are much darker in colour . Strange ....
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It's actually just science. From what I remember, scales show colour by refraction, because of a kind of crystalline structure. These need light to "charge" up pigments. During floodwater the fish themselves are exposed to far less light, effectively discharging the colour. What your seeing in a washed out fish is the scales colour with reduced pigment. This is why gravel pit fish often appear paler than clear water fish.
 
Stephen Crowhurst said:
They will all of corse be Barbus Barbus, however I think what's being suggested is that some cross breeeding will have occurred over time. It's s bit of a mess of corse because of introductions, many "Barbel rivers" didn't have barbel naturally and who knows where some of the early fish were sourced from.
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Absolutely, but the reality is that man's tinkering with barbel populations is only something that has occured in the last fifty years or so. I've seen and heard of no evidence to suggest that significant harvesting and introductions were taking place much before the fifties, and there was certainly no Calverton. There's a distinct possibility, that prior to that, barbel in separate river systems, where they occured and bred naturally over thousands of years, could have developed into slightly different strains. I would agree that, due to ongoing stocking programs, it won't take long before any hint of distinct strains are lost and the population becomes totally homogenous.
 
Mike Hodgkiss said:
Re colouration in Barbel . I have noticed , at least with Barbel from Yorkshire spate rivers that fish caught in a period of heavy flood are very often very pale in colour . On the odd occasion when I have re caught a fish in normal conditions they are much darker in colour . Strange ....
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It's the same with all species Mike, clear rivers produce more colour on fish, Perch, Roach and many more.
 
Hello Neil , yes crystalline chalk streams are a bit thin on the ground here in darkest Yorkshire ! In my post I highlighted Barbel as it seemed particularly noticeable with this species but yes water turbidity does effect colouration in most species . Interesting as well some fish like perch tend to 'fade' as they get old , it's not often you see big perch with stunning sergeants stripes whatever the clarity of the water they come from . I suppose we all fade as we get older .....
 
Great pics Dave.

Dan. Having just looked at some of the different varieties of barbel I caught in Spain it does make you wonder if barbus barbus potentially might have consisted of slightly different strains/species at one time.

Maybe less succesful at the breeding game when mixed. Ie. Trent fish into Ouse.
Just ramblings probably!!
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Bit of an aside, but has anyone fished the river Tagus in Spain? - big Barbel in there! I went to Toledo (Just south of Madrid) in the summer, didn't take the rods, but think I will next time - amazing looking river.
 
Fished the Tajo ( which may be the same) East of Madrid.
Upper near Trillo.

Yes. Some huge. But timing is KEY to Fishing for the barbel.
 
Fished La Pedra in Torremendo- Orihuela, it's a gigantic man made reservoir, it's a flooded valley that holds some gigantic Barbel, I have caught small Barbel, Carp and Black Bass.
Where the river joins the reservoir is where the big Barbel are located, I do believe that there was a post on here in the past about the fishing in this area.
Brian.
 
Brian Willson said:
Fished La Pedra in Torremendo- Orihuela, it's a gigantic man made reservoir, it's a flooded valley that holds some gigantic Barbel, I have caught small Barbel, Carp and Black Bass.
Where the river joins the reservoir is where the big Barbel are located, I do believe that there was a post on here in the past about the fishing in this area.
Brian.
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Thank you for that. I know the area to the east fairly well, but I've never fished out there. I knew that there were loads of small(ish) carp in there, but I'd not heard about the barbel before.
 
For your interest, and I cant find the original thread, think it was called 'Lemon Barbel', my late dear friend and fishing partner, Keith Speer and I had a number of "Golden Barbel' from the Thames [Windsor area- 2004/6]. Between us we had approaching 30 captures although, I suggest, that was only about 6 or 7 fish from say 5 to 9 lbs. Each fish was bright yellow in colour. One fish we did recognise went upstream, through a lock, and was caught at a weir above. No further captures appeared after the heavy floods of 2007 although in fairness I haven't spent any major time fishing that area. Some of you may very well have seen pictures of these fish at the odd slide show I've done in Uxbridge and elsewhere.
Perhaps Andy can find the original thread……

Take care everyone

Mike
 
Thanks Mike and Chris for resurrecting that interesting thread,...must have been a genetic quirk that was carried on through a generation or two.
If I had banked one of those fish for first time,..I would have returned armed with a Geiger counter to check water quality!!:eek::D
 
Hi Mike. Hope all well and DD is keeping you in big chub still:D

Are you talking about Tango barbel as caught around Maidenhead and Windsor? Very strange fish almost goldfish colour.

I think I've got a picture somewhere I'll pop up if I can find it.
 
Hi Graham. Nice to hear from you. Yes the Golden Barbel from the Windsor area. Did Keith show pics at the slide show he did for you [Paleys ?] I've got all those pics somewhere.
Chub hard to come by at present. Had to put up with them BarBoils, 14.02 today. Take care
 
Hiya John. Hope your keeping well.
Reminds me when we were fishing side by side on the Loddon and a snake appeared opposite you. Never seen anyone move so fast !!!
Take care

Mike
 
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