Joe Winstanley
Senior Member & Supporter
I wonder if perhaps an inline drop-off rig might be the answer? It's easy enough to use them without the need for lead-core by using a plastic peg and some shrink tubing or using the ones produced by Avid. For fishing short hook lengths an inline lead will give you better self-hooking properties (imo) then a lead clip.
Also it might be worth trying a blow-back rig, it's not something I've tried yet for barbel but they do work very well for carp.
David's point about hook sharpness is a valid one. Last summer whilst tenching, over a bankside brew a carp angler showed me, to my amazement, how to make a fresh out of the packet SSBP even sharper. And as he described it, 'stickier'. The technique takes a bit of mastering though and the right tools for the job aren't cheap.
Also it might be worth trying a blow-back rig, it's not something I've tried yet for barbel but they do work very well for carp.
David's point about hook sharpness is a valid one. Last summer whilst tenching, over a bankside brew a carp angler showed me, to my amazement, how to make a fresh out of the packet SSBP even sharper. And as he described it, 'stickier'. The technique takes a bit of mastering though and the right tools for the job aren't cheap.