The limited "sit and wait" approach to barbel fishing
by Liam Smyth
Perhaps I should first explain, that the reason that I am confined totally to this method now, is that I have a slight disability.
One that prevents me from the once very active pursuit of my quarry, that I once engaged in, back in my youthful years.
I by no means think, that this is the absolute best method of catching barbel, for a fit healthy and youthful angler.
Also most of my fishing is done on the river Kennet. As some will already know, this has not run clear for many years.
Back to the method. ....... Without scenery and flowers.
Instead of just dictating my approach, I will endeavour to explain my thinking behind how I have perfected it to suit my own circumstances.
The first consideration is that there are very few swims that are fishable to me now, that are within a short distance from the car.
Swims nearest to the car are very often well fished by all.
Especially if they are comfortable swims, with very obvious features.
Most of these swims are very often fished and baited, in exactly the same places in the river, by the majority of anglers.
This is where the first of my thoughts on how to get an edge comes into focus.
I have determined that the fish may sometimes consider that the area that is fished by most is a "danger area" that should be accepted only with caution.
I am not suggesting that the fish use any logical thought process to determine this, but that it is a blind experience reaction.
I have got over this problem on many of these swims, by finding another area in the river in front of me, that is unlikely to be fished so often by other anglers.
This other area is often upstream of where most others fish.
It will almost certainly involve a less comfortable method of fishing and harder to determine bites.
The first thing that I do when I find a new swim, is to spend most of the time on this first visit plumbing and searching the whole of the river area in front of me.
This is done with a sliding "through the middle" pike, or sea float, with a rubber stop above it that also slides up and down easily, when moved by hand.
On the hook end is the heaviest weight that I have in my box, to drag all over the swim until I have determined where the gravel areas and weeds are.
The combination of the float and the weight, will eventually tell us all that we need to know about our swim, including all the holes, snags and ledges.
Also with careful observation of the float while under the water, it can be seen if there are any undertows or movement in the current that is different from the flow at the surface.
Having found and got to know our swim and the area that we intend to fish, (nice gravel spot).
We have now to get the fish into and feeding in our chosen fishing spot.
I have found that at this point, that feeding the whole river in front of me up and down (but more up than down in faster flows) with a catapult and a very tiny particle bait, will encourage more fish into the general area and stop any fish that are moving through it.
The most obvious particle to use is of course hempseed, but to stay on top, many more will need consideration.
Micro pellet, very very finely chopped meat and even bread mash or punched, are just a few more that are easily used.
Your own imagination will add many more.
The main consideration at this time, is not to get the barbel feeding in the swim, but any kind of fish or living creature that is in our area of the river.
In fact the more other species competing for this sparsely, but widely spread bait, the better.
It is not going to fill any barbel up that might be there, but may encourage them to move throughout the swim.
We will of course have to proportionally concentrate this bait a little more towards our own intended fishing spot.
This wide baiting is done with the wise old "little and often" advice that we have all learned.
Although at this point most of our fishing session for this trip is nearly over, we know that we will be coming back to this swim again very soon.
With less to do next time we can not fail to catch barbel.
So any that we catch today we will regard as a bonus.
A healthy attitude to your efforts, will never make it seem as if you have failed and therefore encourage you to give up on this particular swim.
When you have fed all the other fish (and crayfish) in the swim, from your own bank to the opposite bank and have got the whole swim into a feeding frenzy, (feeding encourages feeding) you can start to draw them into your chosen fishing area, by concentrating the particles there a little more and elsewhere a little less, again loose feeding upstream with a catapult.
When I actually get to fish the chosen area I personally like to use bags made from the PVA funnel web tube for som extra bait.
It might be worth a mention at this point, that there are many kinds and brands, of this stuff on the market, that are worlds apart.
So it is well worth trying out a few of them, before being put off by the odd one.
Hopefully I would have already made these bags of bait up prior to my trip, with just two or three intended hookbaits and the rest fine particles.
I always attach this bag to the weight via the link swivel to get it down to the bottom as quickly as possible.
The other reason for attaching to the weight is that I also think that it is preferable to have them upstream of the hookbait as any movement by the flow will only carry the deposited contents nearer to the hook.
We want these extra partials and free offering as close to our hookbait as possible.
Any variations to tackle set up, is positively encouraged though, as the smallest difference can induce a bite on the day.
Everything actually, from this point is variable, and it is advisable to do so, especially to be able to change your hooklength and weight easily.
I usually make the first few casts to the chosen fishing spot
In quite rapid succession about ten to fifteen minutes apart. After that it is just a matter of waiting for the barbel to graze themselves right onto my bait.
During the fishing time the wide baiting process may need to be continued very sparsely, drawing them towards your fishing area.
The main object of this method, is to keep as much of the river in front of you as alive as possible and make grazing trails to your own fishing area, for the barbel.
You may have to go through a new learning process to your bite detection, due to fishing at a different angle than you would normally choose as comfortable.
It will not be long though until you have this particular swim cracked.
Every time that you fish it in the future now, you should be a lot more successful, than you would have been, without that first concentrated effort.
It may also pay to keep a little note book of all that you have learned for future reference.
In any case what a wonderful present to leave to our offspring and even grandchildren.
Now onto the next fishable swim....................
Liam Smyth.