Having been away from fishing for 10 odd years it has been great to return and resume my focus on the Kennet. Have had a great 2012 with my first ever double followed by 9 more in the past couple of months-all in the dark on spicy meat. But recently my rig confidence has evaporated as its been a real struggle to catch (everything else being equal-location/temp/bait/darkness etc) as bites have changed from the usual confident pull to taps and knocks and half hearted pulls. Some I have hit (by holding the rod and feeling the bites) and they have been barbel. I have tried smaller hooks/baits/different baits/in-line running leads and longer hooklengths (up to 2.5ft)/just burying the hook rather than using a hair, but it has still been difficult. I have not tried a fixed rig as I am not yet confident setting it up safely. The real question is just how important is it to pin down the line behind the lead? I struggle with a backlead casting towards the opposite bank (I will need to practice) and dont want to use leadcore. I also worry about fish feeling the extra weight of anything on the line (rig putty etc). Is weighted rig tube the answer if it is vital for more tricky fish to pin the line down and where the main line can be passed through the rig tube? Advice and thoughts gratefully received.
Howard,
I'd take a bet that you've got cute, and spooky Barbel in front of you who've been round the block a few times, the worst thing you can do is start messing with your rigs that have been catching for you, unless you are pretty sure your previous captures were lucky, and there is something such as along the lines Graham has suggested that is fundamentaly wrong.
Older Barbel -( not necessarily big ones - some are males which don't grow to prodigous weights, you could have 20 year old 8 or 9 pounders in front of you ) - are spooky all of the time, they'll test your bait, pull it, tug it, mouth it, waft it with their tails, i'm sure all of it to see if it takes off !
Whatever you do don't try and hit twitchers, whats the point of using a hair rig - ( which is what i assume you're using most of the time ) - and trying to hit twitchers - the thing you have to do is get the Barbel to take the hook fully in it's mouth, to do that you have to gain it's confidence, once you've achieved that 90% of the time unless it's very lucky it's game over, and i promise you give it a couple of seconds and that twitch twitch, maybe as it's trying to shake the hook out will turn into that 3 foot twitch, whilst you are getting twitches you can't be sure whats going on whether it has the hook in it's mouth or playing with it, if you try hitting it, and miss it's over for the evening with that fish.
I use a small amount of rig putty about an inch from the hook, if the Barbel lifts it's head even an inch the weight of the putty will pull the hook down, the point will catch the inside of its lip and jab it, if it's really really cute, it might try and shake it, i believe this is the rapid twitches you get sometimes the instant before a wrap round, this will only jab it more, and i'm pretty sure will be a complete fluke if it does manage to shake it out.
if you are making your own baits make them unusual shapes, very different from every one else's, if you can visit the river regularly or when you fish bait a swim with these in small amounts, at least 2 or three times, whilst fishing another, let them get used to them and confident they are safe, then fish with them over no more bait than you usually bait with, even less is good.
If you start messing with rigs, and bait and such like, you'll end up so far up your own rear end you wont be able to see where you start and where you end LOL !
If your bait caught for you before it will again, and so will your rig, the difference is you are probably encountering a few fish a bit wiser than the previous ones, or possibly seeing the others getting caught, have heightened their caution.
They will suss a fixed rig out double quick if they are mouthing the bait, so you are right to leave them out.
Reduce resistance as much as possible by fishing with your lines slack and back leaded if safe, and possible, attach the back lead after you cast, your cast will be far easier and more accurate.
If you are fishing the far bank, cast then keep your line tight as you pay it out, and manouver your rod until you can attach the lead, whilst all the time keeping your line tight, you can then swing out your line with back lead attached and lower it into the water, then raise the rod and reel in line if needed, walking forwards if need be until you are happy with the position of your back lead, i then even pay out a few feet of slack as well.
So ...
Take on board Grahams advice with hairs,hook, and bait size, attach some rig putty, make your bait unusual in shape, - and do keep your flavour levels low.
Keep resistance as low as is possible to make it.
When you get the twitches let them play with it for as long as they like, sooner or later their greed will get the better of them.
Hope that helps a bit Howard, good luck it's going to be a few months before you can try it out, but you'll have the advantage of Barbel that haven't been fished for for 3 months, it wont take them long to remember though
All the best
Ian.
