Your favourite Barbel fisheries.

[Stephen Crowhurst]

Being a relitative new comer to Barbel Fishing I've absorbed a fair bit and read about other fisheries over the last few years, delighted in books by the likes of the late Mr Miles and I'm lucky enough to live a stones throw from the Dorset Stour and just down the road the Hants Avon. The likes of Severals, Throop and The Royality available on my club ticket, there's been little incentive to travel further afield. I've visited Fownhope on the Wye, which was a brilliant experience and would like to return as well as other venues and rivers.

So what are your top three fisheries and why? They don't have to be productive or even still relevant but hold a special place for you, the magic touch some places have. So come on what's your favourites.

 

[Derek Funcks]

My number one, would be the Ironbridge area on the River Severn, its where i was first introduced to barbel fishing, and although a few years ago now, when it was more prolific, its where i caught my PB of 9lb12oz. Just magnificent surroundings, I could be a million miles away from my daily life. When i go back there now, maybe once or twice a year, i dont even care if i catch or not, although a fish or two is a bonus. I also had my PB chub from there, 5lb7oz, sitting in the snow, at minus 5 degrees. The place just has a magical feel about it.

Number two, would be a secret location on the River Wye. After winning an auction, i got to spend the day as a guest of Martin James MBE. He is the most gracious, charming man, you could ever wish to meet. No hairs or graces, just an honest and down to earth human being. His stories were fascinating, i could have sat there listening forever, and i was treated like a king. Breakfast and lunch delivered to my peg. Then a superb tea cooked by Martin in the lodge. Many thanks Martin, a day to remember.

Number Three, many options, but i,ll go with another day on the River Wye. This time, under the guidance of our own Mr G Elliott. The fishing wasn't fantastic by any means, it was just so cold. But again, fantastic host, magical surroundings, and a superb pub crawl later on. Cheers Graham

 

[Mark Walker]

Haven't fished for barbel in ten years but here are my favourites

1. Severals- beat me up for three years but such a beautiful fishery where my first Avon barbel and my best ever catch of barbel came from
2. River Kennet Lower Benyons - the most prolific fishery I fished but the resident barn owls, long tailed tits and buzzards live longer in the memory.
3. Throop - if the barbel weren't feeding then fish for 6lb chub! Learn't a lot here in the clear water and had some great float fishing days in winter too.

3 of many, had great times on the Loddon, Severn and Teme too but these are the three I miss the most

Mark

 

[Mark Anderson]

Hi men ,

1- River Windrush , all time great lost to otters/crays.

2- River Teme , spent so much time watching them feed , often not even trying to catch them .

3- River Kennet , making swims , hiding away watching them going about their lives .

Sadly me and Sue are not fishing any of them anymore , in fact not fishing for barbel anymore .


Hatter

 

[Graham Tremble]

Favourite fisheries

Hi Guys,
1. The River Teme as it was 30 years ago. Fishing heaven on earth, standing on the banks in high summer it was possible to see huge barbel drift from under bank side cover and weed beds. Definitely used to get the old heartbeat racing. The environment was lovely too, just so quiet and serene.
2. The lower Severn 'around Worcester' . Cut my teeth on double figure fish many years ago at a time when a ten pound fish would make the front pages of the weeklies. Nowhere as scenic as the Teme but the expectation level for a huge fish was there every time the tip pulled round.
3. The Warwickshire Avon 'around Straford', my local river so somewhere I have fished a lot. A lovely picturesque river where you can still find a quiet pitch if you try hard enough. The fishing can be exceptional when it 'turns on'
Regards,
Graham.

 

[Stephen Crowhurst]

Haven't fished for barbel in ten years but here are my favourites

1. Severals- beat me up for three years but such a beautiful fishery where my first Avon barbel and my best ever catch of barbel came from
2. River Kennet Lower Benyons - the most prolific fishery I fished but the resident barn owls, long tailed tits and buzzards live longer in the memory.
3. Throop - if the barbel weren't feeding then fish for 6lb chub! Learn't a lot here in the clear water and had some great float fishing days in winter too.

3 of many, had great times on the Loddon, Severn and Teme too but these are the three I miss the most

Mark

Just had my first summer and autumn on Severals and I can relate to “beaten up†as a description. The fish aren’t exactly there in droves but they are there and the weather, well there is just no hiding from in on those water meadows.

 

[Alex Gowney]

Shipton on Cherwell, a short but brilliant stretch before it became "known". The venue for my first ever double at 10.5 when a ten pounder was very newsworthy.

Rushey on the River Thames. Quite tough work but every swim looked fantastic and it always had a lovely atmosphere to it.

Like Hatter, the Windrush, now sadly little more than a trout fishery.

 

[Keith Walmsley]

Hi.
My 3 would be:
1. wye -booked a break down near Monmouth and fished wyebank and court field through the wye and usk foundation- setting up one of the locals Steve smith had a chat, he advised that he had pre baited with corn, best area to cast to and this resulted in a haul of 12 barbell up to 12 1/2 lbs.
2. severn -barbell alley-fantastic fishing all kinds of swims-highly/arley/Hampton loade (kinver and unicorn) 6 visits never a blank never to busy.
3. ribble- Tickled Trout-my home river, day ticket area that gets battered, however learned how to fish low water conditions, flood conditions and how to read the river, lots of advice from fellow members and where i caught my first barbell after lots of blanking.

 

[Keith Walmsley]

My number one, would be the Ironbridge area on the River Severn, its where i was first introduced to barbel fishing, and although a few years ago now, when it was more prolific, its where i caught my PB of 9lb12oz. Just magnificent surroundings, I could be a million miles away from my daily life. When i go back there now, maybe once or twice a year, i dont even care if i catch or not, although a fish or two is a bonus. I also had my PB chub from there, 5lb7oz, sitting in the snow, at minus 5 degrees. The place just has a magical feel about it.

Number two, would be a secret location on the River Wye. After winning an auction, i got to spend the day as a guest of Martin James MBE. He is the most gracious, charming man, you could ever wish to meet. No hairs or graces, just an honest and down to earth human being. His stories were fascinating, i could have sat there listening forever, and i was treated like a king. Breakfast and lunch delivered to my peg. Then a superb tea cooked by Martin in the lodge. Many thanks Martin, a day to remember.

Number Three, many options, but i,ll go with another day on the River Wye. This time, under the guidance of our own Mr G Elliott. The fishing wasn't fantastic by any means, it was just so cold. But again, fantastic host, magical surroundings, and a superb pub crawl later on. Cheers Graham

Used to love "At the waters edge" on radio Lancashire, with Martin James.

 

[David Craine]

I dont have a lot of experience with many venues, I regularly fish the Ribble, but away from the prolific areas, and as such have had my share of doubles and upper single figure fish, liking really to fish the quieter less used stretches of any river.

This year was my first visit to the Wye... again a little fished stretch and I was lucky enough, nay blessed with 3 double figure fish on my first 3 casts, an amazing thing for me, things went down hill from there if you call an average of two fish a night at about 7-8 lbs , and chub to 5 lbs downhill ( all caught in a quick 2-3 hours shift on 7 consecutive nights, never fished any longer but did prebait swims the afternoon prior to the sessions )
I will be back.

I really must get into fishing the Yorkshire rivers again, not really tried for many years as they are a bit of a drive for me, whereas the Ribble is only 33 miles there and 33 miles back again.

Dave

 

[Ian Booth]

The river Severn at Bridgnorth (I have never blanked) the Wye at Cannon Bridge (again not blanked) the Swale and the Wharfe. Because they are beautiful places to fish. Also the Avon at Stratford. That's fishing for Barbel I have another list for Pike.