Preferred feeding areas

[Chris Thomson]

Hi, does anyone here find they catch barbel fishng over other types of beds apart from gravel? Ive found some nice clear spots in amongst thick weed but the bed seems to be silty/clayish and was wondering if others on here have caught fishing over similar types of bed ?

 

[Richard Isaacs]

I can’t say that I have tbh but that’s probably because I only ever target gravel and rocky river beds.
If the lead don’t come back covered in dents I don’t feel confident and cast somewhere else.

 

[Bob Gill]

Through the lily pads and roots - often at the side of a gravel run but sometimes not.

 

[Mark Swaby]

I Have caught some very big fish over massive areas of silt where the swim was boiling like a brown Jacuzzi, massive plumes of filth being kicked up. Its probably the most exciting Barbel fishing I have ever done.You know the fish are there long before getting a pick up ,you can see the plumes of silty bubbles approaching the feed area and then the 7ft of water would boil. I should have taken some video it was amazing and so tense, even better than stalking in clear water

 

[Darren Hawen]

I catch over silt on the Wey so definitely don’t rule out those areas. Might need to modify your approach though, I target these areas with a light link ledger. Also consider that loose feed might move out of the swim more readily than if fishing over gravel.

 

[Joe Winstanley]

I Have caught some very big fish over massive areas of silt where the swim was boiling like a brown Jacuzzi, massive plumes of filth being kicked up. Its probably the most exciting Barbel fishing I have ever done.You know the fish are there long before getting a pick up ,you can see the plumes of silty bubbles approaching the feed area and then the 7ft of water would boil. I should have taken some video it was amazing and so tense, even better than stalking in clear water

That does sound exciting. Spent many a happy hour in my teens stalking wildies using freeline tactics on peaty and clay bottomed waters relying on the ‘smoke screening’ to betray the presence of the fish. Almost more exciting than being able to see them, and you have no idea how big the fish are. Would love to try the same approach with barbel.

 

[Mark Swaby]

Joe, It was a deep slow area on a small river I had not Barbel fished before, a couple of the fish were over 14lb but fairly unknown. Not being able to see them and not knowing how big the fish were made it all the more exciting. There were also big Carp in the area. The massive bubble streams would come up river and approach the baited area up to 15 times over an hour and a half gradually getting closer and closer until a fish was hooked and I had the rod in my hand watching everything.

 

[Joe Winstanley]

Joe, It was a deep slow area on a small river I had not Barbel fished before, a couple of the fish were over 14lb but fairly unknown. Not being able to see them and not knowing how big the fish were made it all the more exciting. There were also big Carp in the area. The massive bubble streams would come up river and approach the baited area up to 15 times over an hour and a half gradually getting closer and closer until a fish was hooked and I had the rod in my hand watching everything.

Sounds perfect.

Did you get the fish feeding on the silt by baiting up, or where they initially feeding on naturals within the silt, like bloodworms (if you get them in rivers?) ?

 

[Steve Stratton]

A couple of my largest barbel were caught from a very silty area only about three foot from the bank, in a back eddy slack. I kind of found the spot by accident (dodgy cast) ! You could see bubbles rising when they were feeding very like tench fishing.

 

[Mark Swaby]

90% of the section is slow and silty and the fish naturally have to silt feed. Put a pva bag out and it will be in silt. Its quite weird I keep telling anglers to target the slower areas but they keep fishing the small fast flowing areas of Gravel and struggle. Another area I fish is a slack behind a tree where the silt is very deep probably 4ft with only a foot of water to the surface. I lower a freelined bait usually a big piece of meat, so that it sits on top of the silt .The Barbel and big chub take in total confidence. They often get caught on the gravel around the area and become careful but nobody ever puts a bait on top of thick silt in a slack. For years the Barbel and Chub have been getting free food there without getting caught. In that swim you only get one series of bubbles and silt with the bait taken instantly. I used to pole fish the section many years ago and close to the far bank there is silt all along. When the bites dried up you could see these little silver lines moving tight to the far bank. I forced my way through the undergrowth whilst a mate feed maggot over. The silver lines were chub top fins trying to get to the maggot lying on top of the silt. It added a lot of extra fish to our days fishing laying the maggot on top of the silt with an extra section of pole when it went quiet. It also added cash to our pockets if drawn along there in any matches

 

[Stephen Goderski]

You can use silt to find the barbel. A few pellets into a silty area and watch for the magic puff of brown smoke. As Mark has mentioned above, it is very exciting fishing as you know that you have barbel in your swim (although it could be carp, but not chub due to the way they feed) and that they are looking for your bait. In my experience you don't have to wait too long......

 

[Terry Harman]

Caught over silt on the upper lea... in fact they wouldn’t pick a bait up on the gravel but just off it in the silt probably see the gravel as a danger area