How far North do barbel live

[Paul Bullinger]

A week ago my wife and I were in Scotland as she was running in the Loch Ness Marathon (rather more brutal than she expected!!)
Anyway, we stayed up there for a few days to look around. The rivers were impressive. Many had fast sections but with areas of slack water. They seem ideal for barbel but they aren't found up there. Is it purely due to them not being introduced or is there another factor?

 

[Tony Byrne]

Not a chance of them being stocked in salmon rivers in scotland might be a bit cold that far north too

 

[Christian Tyroll]

I think (but stand to be corrected) barbel were naturally found here in rivers thought to be historically connected to the Rhine system? And everywhere else they’ve been introduced?

 

[Haydn Clarke]

I think (but stand to be corrected) barbel were naturally found here in rivers thought to be historically connected to the Rhine system? And everywhere else they’ve been introduced?

This is what I’ve read in various different sources. Easterly flowing rivers such as the Thames, Trent, Gr.Ouse and so forth.

 

[Chris Jones]

Once you get to Cumbria/County Durham and further north, you are firmly into game fishing territory. Details are anything but set in stone, but it's often suggested that rivers flowing to the south and west coasts do not naturally hold barbel. I know that the Tees holds barbel and the Wear does or did. I've seen plenty of suggestions that a few barbel have turned up in the Tyne over the years, but real evidence is thin on the ground. I've also heard the odd unconfirmed whisper about barbel in the Clyde. Whether barbel are indigenous to the Tees, Wear or Tyne is anyone's guess, I have my doubts. The most northerly river where there's little doubt barbel are indigenous is the Swale.

 

[Joe Winstanley]

These spate rivers in Scotland which originate in upland areas are just too acidic to support coarse fish like barbel. They are only suitable for Salmonids.

Likewise with most of the rivers of Wales and the far South West of England.

 

[David Robson]

Once you get to Cumbria/County Durham and further north, you are firmly into game fishing territory. Details are anything but set in stone, but it's often suggested that rivers flowing to the south and west coasts do not naturally hold barbel. I know that the Tees holds barbel and the Wear does or did. I've seen plenty of suggestions that a few barbel have turned up in the Tyne over the years, but real evidence is thin on the ground. I've also heard the odd unconfirmed whisper about barbel in the Clyde. Whether barbel are indigenous to the Tees, Wear or Tyne is anyone's guess, I have my doubts. The most northerly river where there's little doubt barbel are indigenous is the Swale.

As far as i'm aware Chris, barbel are not indigenous to the Tees and It also receives stockings of barbel by clubs, one being Darlington Brown Trout.

 

[Chris Jones]

As far as i'm aware Chris, barbel are not indigenous to the Tees and It also receives stockings of barbel by clubs, one being Darlington Brown Trout.

As I said, I'm not convinced that barbel are indigenous to the Tees, but it is unusual for the (current) EA to allow barbel to be stocked into rivers where they aren't considered indigenous. My understanding is that DBTAA does not routinely stock any coarse fish into rivers, though they do stock trout in the Tees and Swale. However, the EA do/did regularly stock coarse fish into areas of the Tees they control. The EA has also helped with stocking into DBT ponds. Recent EA stocking policy for the Tees has seen far more fish introduced into Clow Beck and the Skerne. The theory is that juvenile fish will have more cover meaning greater protection from predation when they are small.