Where do the barbel go?

[Tim Lawrence]

As winter draws closer and we’ve already seen the first frosts. Where do the barbel go in your rivers?

I’ve been fishing my local small river this season, exploring a stretch over a good few miles, and with good success. I’ve caught 11 barbel from two swims, but mostly only those swims, despite trying many others. Part of the reason for that is my fishing time was often limited to just two to three hour sessions after work, and tended to fish where I could almost guarantee a barbel.

The swims that have worked for me are slightly deeper sections following shallower gravel runs. Further downstream the river deepens and slows as it runs towards the river Don confluence. What I’m trying to work out now is how the cold weather has affected where the barbel want to be. Is it likely that they head to deeper slower areas? I feel like I know where to fish for them in flood conditions but at normal levels, when they seem to have left their summer haunts, it’s a mystery to me.

I need to refine my approach in terms of tackle, feeding and bait. And I need to get out and try different areas to work it out. But I’m keen to hear your experiences with locating winter barbel.

 

[Phil Heaton]

On the Don itself I've had them trotting with a bunch of 3 to 4 maggots, especially over undulations in the river bed where they are tucked in out of the main flow. I also stop using high oil based pellets / feed as the water cools as I believe the oils / scent don't leech out as much.

 

[Tim Lawrence]

Cheers for the reply, Phil.

Do you find that the barbel are in the same places where you fish? And you just need a different approach to catch them? Or do they seem to migrate elsewhere?

The pellets have been put away already, I’ll be on the maggot feeder next time out with maggot, caster and hemp.

 

[Ian Sewter]

I was intrigued recently when Graham Elliot wrote of "holding swims" and "travelling through swims". The first could produce a number of bites but the second much fewer bites. In my experience some "holding swims" can produce barbel all year round although clearly higher water and colder temperatures can induce barbel to move - sometimes a few feet and sometimes miles! I think bait placement can be critical in colder water where barbel are tucked under rushes or a snag or in a slight depression in the river bed and will not venture far for food. I would not suggest they are like tench which almost go into a state of hibernation and I know some have caught barbel in the snow, but clearly cold water reduces feeding and in really cold spells fishing for chub etc. may be a better proposition - but be prepared for barbel when there is a warmer front with substantial rain!

As for bait although I have caught well on pellets some friends have used much smaller baits, specifically maggots, and have continued catching when anglers using pellets and boilees did not have a touch. So I would suggest small baits and try say one hour in each "holding swim" as well as the deeper water downstream to find where the barbel are located. As well as persistence and skill - I wish you Good Luck!

 

[Graham Shaw]

I've always assumed that not only do they drop down to deeper water, where they expend less energy, but also they stop feeding until there's a temp rise. So is there any point in looking for where those swims are or is there a bit of a Catch-22 in winter barbel fishing in that as soon as you get the rise in water temps that switches the fish on to feed, they will move to either (a) where the water temps has risen most quickly, which is also where most food is, ie the somewhat shallower water below riffles and weirs which they were in before it went cold, or (b) if the rise in water temps is due to a flood of mild rain, which makes it too difficult to feed in full flow, they will move to classic flood holding swims where eddies may bring some food?

 

[Tim Lawrence]

I was intrigued recently when Graham Elliot wrote of "holding swims" and "travelling through swims". The first could produce a number of bites but the second much fewer bites. In my experience some "holding swims" can produce barbel all year round although clearly higher water and colder temperatures can induce barbel to move - sometimes a few feet and sometimes miles! I think bait placement can be critical in colder water where barbel are tucked under rushes or a snag or in a slight depression in the river bed and will not venture far for food. I would not suggest they are like tench which almost go into a state of hibernation and I know some have caught barbel in the snow, but clearly cold water reduces feeding and in really cold spells fishing for chub etc. may be a better proposition - but be prepared for barbel when there is a warmer front with substantial rain!

As for bait although I have caught well on pellets some friends have used much smaller baits, specifically maggots, and have continued catching when anglers using pellets and boilees did not have a touch. So I would suggest small baits and try say one hour in each "holding swim" as well as the deeper water downstream to find where the barbel are located. As well as persistence and skill - I wish you Good Luck!

The holding swims and passing swims are difficult to work out. But I do think I know of one holding swim at least, and I’ll always start off there just to see if any fish are present. It’s hard to say with any real certainty though because you can’t see the fish. It could be a case that I always catch there because that’s where they live, or are they just passing through regularly? I’m voting that they’re there in the summer, so may visit in the winter.

The warm fronts and timing sessions to coincide with warmer rain and increased temps, makes sense.

Persistence is the key, as is trying something else if it’s not working.

 

[Richard Parsons]

They tend to find deeper water, and become more dormant as the temperatures drop. Feeding windows also become smaller.