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Removing Hooks from barbel

Russell Shevlane

Russell Shevlane

Senior Member
I had a barbel last night, Small fish of around 7ish pounds.

Best fight I have ever had with one, took ten minutes to land from some very shallow and weedy conditions.

On unhooking I found not one, not two but three other peoples hooks inside his mouth.

I removed them all and it did take longer than normal to get him right side up and on his way.

I was shocked to say the least.

Can anyone beat 3 hooks?

Russ
 
Yes, not for 20 years, landed a carp around 7 pounds and it had 5, 2 inside the mouth, 1 on its head and 2 on it's body, looked like a scene from hellraiser.
 
Funnily enough last Tuesday I had a fish of about 4lb with 3 other hooks + mine in its mouth.

I did the usual - leave in in the net as soon as I netted it for a few mins (I don't even lift them from the water usually), as I have said before I can't run 100 yds and then hold my breath for 3 mins so I don't expect my fish to.

But when I did get to un-hooking, I found the other hooks, they ranged from size 12 to size 4 and 2 were attatched to 8 -12lb line and one had no line on the hook at all.

The fish was in spanking condition I returned it hook-less and in fine form!


Not quite sure how someone can loose a 4lb Barbel to breakage with 12lb line but Hey Ho!

My most unusual capture was a 16 hook going through the eye of a size 8 hook previously embedded in the fish’s mouth, this is made a bit more strange by the fact that there was still a knotless knot on the eye!!:eek:
 
On the Severn in the seventies and early eighties, it was common for lots of anglers to float fish for dace, roach and chub - you obviously had to use lighter breaking strain lines. Consequently, if a barbel was hooked it was rather difficult to get them in on light gear and breakages would often result. I remember frequently landing fish only to find several size 16 or 18 hooks in their mouths - I've seen as many as four or five! This was the Punk era after all, and the number of barbel with 'mouth piercings' reflected the times.
 
Always worth checking the whole fish once landed, I get amazed how many just unhook em and put em straight back, I always carry a first aid care kit, I think the one i have right now is from korda.
 
Actually Russell it was on an un-disclosed HERTFORDSHIRE water:p

I don't disclose anything now!
Don't need the ag;)
 
only ever had 2 others in a barbel,one was a very long length of very strong braid,so an el crappo not I expect!! but had a pike with 4 other bits of tackle in it!!
 
Once took six trebles out of a smallish very skinny pike that I foul hooked. Poor little sod could not open its mouth. I took all of them out but had to cut three hooks up. It bead from the gills a bit and I doubt it survived. Should have banged it on the head once it started to bleed but after I got everything out I didn’t have the heart.
 
In the 70s and 80s it was common to find several hooks in a fish on the Severn.
The matchmen would fish very light for silvers and if they hooked a barbel they would simply pull for a break rather than waste time trying to get it out.
I always used to try and get to the river as the weigh in was going on and ask which pegs had been pestered by barbel.
 
Adrian Williams said:
In the 70s and 80s it was common to find several hooks in a fish on the Severn.
The matchmen would fish very light for silvers and if they hooked a barbel they would simply pull for a break rather than waste time trying to get it out.
I always used to try and get to the river as the weigh in was going on and ask which pegs had been pestered by barbel.
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I know a lot of that went on Ade, be it barbel or carp. I sort of understood it, but it still struck me as a wee bit cynical and sad, looking on from a non match fishing stance. Enjoying your fishing seemed to definitely take a back seat to the very serious business of winning matches...and money. Purposely breaking off on a fish was just a decision made after weighing up the odds. Mind you, if that's what pulls yer string, then who am I to judge....everyone to their own and all that.

Cheers, Dave.
 
The idea of someone pulling for a break on a big fish is disgusting, I'd have to be saying something if I knew it was going on. It may take longer to land but as long as your not playing the poor thing to death then your better getting it out. They don't call em bonus fish for nothing, 6lb of dace can take a while to catch!
 
I fished a peg on the Apley EState on the Severn, the guy below had set up with his platform out in the water, maggot feeder keepnet all the match gear. He caught a few and lost a few. I was fishing pellet my usual 10lb line size 10 hook and getting a few barbel although bigger than he was getting but not as often. I caught two fish that day with size 14 barbed hooks with maggotts still attached and both were bleeding from where the hook was. It sickened me to see the condition some of the fish were in.
I tried to politely point out that the tackle he was using was totally inadequate for catching barbel and the damage he was causing the fish. Response was there'ss a 60 pegger here on Sunday and I'm practising, won't catch much with heavy gear. Funny I wasn't doing to bad.
It's no good practising on a flyer the odds of drawing it are 60/1.

Paul
 
I always check the mouth for hooks found 3 in one fish once. Then if needed treat with Friars Balsam and remove any lice too. I had a fish last evening which had a cut to the mouth that was hollow so I dabbed some Balsam on that too.



Brian
 
Kevin Daly said:
Once took six trebles out of a smallish very skinny pike that I foul hooked. Poor little sod could not open its mouth. I took all of them out but had to cut three hooks up. It bead from the gills a bit and I doubt it survived. Should have banged it on the head once it started to bleed but after I got everything out I didn’t have the heart.
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I think theres a new sad craze kev mate ,it seems as tho some novice pikers would rather cut the wire trace than face unhooking the pike,its very sad as if the pike cant feed it will die,as you know I had to remove metalware from a couple of good fish last year,i hope the culprits take the trouble to attend PAC teach ins mate,and learn to unhook them,so many pike with bits of rigs in last year:mad:
 
Iain J McDonald said:
I think theres a new sad craze kev mate ,it seems as tho some novice pikers would rather cut the wire trace than face unhooking the pike,its very sad as if the pike cant feed it will die,as you know I had to remove metalware from a couple of good fish last year,i hope the culprits take the trouble to attend PAC teach ins mate,and learn to unhook them,so many pike with bits of rigs in last year:mad:
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Despite Eric "pike god" Edwards and his PAC coaching team it’s getting worse Ian. The thing that really kills my pig is the numpties who stand behind the I use semi-barbed badge so I am due for sainthood soon brigade. Hooks don’t get themselves out, even if they only have one barb.
 
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