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Making a return to Barbel

Julian Griffiths

Julian Griffiths

Senior Member
Hi guys.
I thought I'd post here, as this may help others who need a little confidence, and or maybe a little shy in coming forward.
I feel a tad embarrassed having to ask, but decided to do so now. 😊

I'd like to see (if anyone's willing) some barbel rigs, just to re focus my mind on what I use to do.

I haven't fished for barbel for nearly 12 years, and feel a little rusty on set ups.

I will be fishing with homemade boilies mainly, & maggots & scalded pellets on feeder setups once I get to see how you guys do your set ups.

So if anyone's willing to show there's, it will not only help me, but others too, which can only be a good thing.

It's incredible to see what's changed in shops, and my old decent kryston products like merlin silkworm drennan sink braid etc are no longer available.
So it will be nice to get reacquainted with the latest products and hook patterns that you all favour, so we can make an informed decision ourselves.

Thanks for all the help, looking forward to seeing some ideas creep through.

Cheers 👍
 
No pictures I'm afraid, but here's what I do.

I use a Korda lead clip with a quick change swivel inside it that I squash the eye down a little, just enough so it will slide out of the lead clip. 3ft or so of 18lb Supernatural braid or similar, with a loop and an anti tangle sleeve on one end for fixing to the QC swivel, to a knotless knotted ESP hook with a hair at the other. Sometimes I'll fix the hair on the shank of the hook with a little piece of silicone, sometimes I just leave it.

If I'm fishing Meat, then it's mono straight through to a big hook and trap the meat on the hook with a blade of grass.
Figure of 8 knots for the loops and a Palomar knot for the swivels and hooks. (If not using the knotless knot)

Very basic, but I have confidence in it.
 
Julian, You have described some of the method you intend to use, but we really need to know the venues and size of barbel you expect to encounter. For example anglers on the Wye with all its sharp rocks, etc will set up differently to anglers fishing over sand or gravel.
 
If your rigs caught fish before they’ll probably still catch now. I use big chunk of spam on the hook 95% of the time and simple hair rig pellet or boilie the rest with a running rig for both setups. The only think Iv changed really in years is I use shorter hooklinks than I used to and mainly use Nash claw hooks when they’re in stock when I go to tackle shop
 
Clive Kenyon said:
Julian, You have described some of the method you intend to use, but we really need to know the venues and size of barbel you expect to encounter. For example anglers on the Wye with all its sharp rocks, etc will set up differently to anglers fishing over sand or gravel.
Click to expand...
Narrow venue full of features and clear. Shallows with deeps, big beds of weed, gravel substrate. Some big fish within it
 
Exactly as Terry said above Julian. You don’t need to see pictures of rigs mate as anything you’ve used in the past will be just as effective today.
I’d say research on finding them on your chosen venue(s) and I’m sure you’ll have no trouble catching them. Best of luck Julian in the upcoming season
 
With myself also being a decade+ long stranger to the bank, I too had a fair few concerns and resorted to youtube to watch a few of the more up to date angling blogs so as to re familiarize myself a little more with the nitty gritty side of things before the 16th.
One of the the first things to strike me was that most of the terminal tackle/rigs I was seeing, had scarcely moved on (this would not be true of the prices lol), with coated braids and flouros maintaining there popularity.
Being something of a hoarder I still have a few spools of my braids and coatedbraids h/length materials knocking about, just need to get some new flouro, will be going with my tried and trusted bad habits of yesteryear.
 
Julian Griffiths said:
Narrow venue full of features and clear. Shallows with deeps, big beds of weed, gravel substrate. Some big fish within it
Click to expand...

Simple running lead with shortish flouro' leader, 2 foot max, pva bag and acurate placement. I would use a heavyish lead and a bobbin rather than the tip so as to be able to strike before the fish reacts to the tension of the tip going round.

As has been said; rigs that were used 20 years ago still catch today. Baits however have moved on a bit. Try a well glugged boilie with similar in the pva bag and a scattering of hemp and micro pellets over the area you are fishing.
 
I'm a barbel novice yet had a great year last year on a lowly stocked Debyshire Derwent.


I too make my own boilies, props to you for that :)



Rigs don't need to be complicated from what i see.
I use Avid Carp Captive coated hookklink in 15lbs and use Daiwa Tournament ST mainline in 15lbs and it serves me well.
I just tie a basic knotless knot hair rig, sometimes KD style for a more aggressive hook up angle.



Prefer to use ESP Cryogen curve shank hooks in size 10 which have never failed me.



I also prefer not to use a feeder and my catch rate improved. 3-4ft hook length with a small amount of free offerings in a PVA mesh bag on the hook. (seems to keep the barbel away from spooking off the mainline)


Other than that just a straight lead heavy enough to hold bottom, Korum camo running rig kit or a bolt and run kit, fish hook themselves and let you know via the 3ft twitch ;)


Catapult some hemp in over the top to keep them grubbing around but not feed them too much, the tinned spicy sausage stuff seems to work well.
 
Last edited:
Richard Dawson said:
I'm a barbel novice yet had a great year last year on a lowly stocked Debyshire Derwent.


I too make my own boilies, props to you for that :)



Rigs don't need to be complicated from what i see.
I use Avid Carp Captive coated hookklink in 15lbs and use Daiwa Tournament ST mainline in 15lbs and it serves me well.
I just tie a basic knotless knot hair rig, sometimes KD style for a more aggressive hook up angle.



Prefer to use ESP Cryogen curve shank hooks in size 10 which have never failed me.



I also prefer not to use a feeder and my catch rate improved. 3-4ft hook length with a small amount of free offerings in a PVA mesh bag on the hook. (seems to keep the barbel away from spooking off the mainline)


Other than that just a straight lead heavy enough to hold bottom, Korum camo running rig kit or a bolt and run kit, fish hook themselves and let you know via the 3ft twitch ;)


Catapult some hemp in over the top to keep them grubbing around but not feed them too much, the tinned spicy sausage stuff seems to work well.
Click to expand...
Cheers Richard. 👍
 
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