Up or down, tight or slack ?

[Ian Wetton]

I've been fishing the Dove for a few years with some success, but I'm not sure I am making the most of my time on the bank with my current approach.

Rod up, tight line to a running lead with indifferent hook lengths.

After seeing a small barbel spook after touching my line in shallow water, it made me wonder if my approach could be improved.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Joe Winstanley]

I don't know the Dove well so can't you any specific advice, but I don't see the need to have your line particularly tight, allow it to bow around so just enough for your feeder or lead not to get dislodged by the current. Some anglers seem obsessesed with having their rod set up up almost perpendicular - why? Im sure some anglers must get neck injuries as a result... Trying setting it up lower it should not make any difference to your bite indication.
I like using back leads on smaller rivers where there are no snags - try a 1oz coffin lead or bomb a few feet above your lead/feeder.

Not sure about 'indifferent' hook lengths though - they don't sound much cop

I prefer my hooklength to be at least 2' usually much longer - but not in snaggy swims or on windy days for obvious reasons.

Cheers,

Joe

 

[Adam Francis]

Rod position is always determined by the flow for me. The lower to the water I can get the rod the better as I'd prefer as much of the line to be on the bottom as possible. I use to 3-4 tungsten droppers around 18 inches apart on the mainline and fish a fairly slack line.

I always fish shortish 6" or less hooklengths on bolt rigs though so no need for a tight line. Different opinions on hooklengths but I don't want fish playing with the bait so I like short ones.

 

[Jon Frisby]

I fish the Trent a lot and never have my rod higher than 45 degrees. Always makes me laugh when I see rods near on 90 degrees. Small rivers anything from below the horizon for tight down the edge and even underwater if need be. But if I'm flicking it out a little further a comfy 10 to 20 degrees. I fish pretty slack and never tight.

 

[Anthony Pearson]

I'm sure there's footage of Bob Roberts fishing the Dove (Barbel Days & Ways?) when there's loads of weed being washed down. He had the tip of his rod underwater and almost touching the bottom. As above, I try to keep my rods low on small rivers, but still tend to have them over the water in many spots (which others may frown upon) because the banks are so steep and overgrown that it isn't easy keeping it all bank-side, so-to-speak. On a different note, upstream ledgering has been a revelation for me and keeps the line pinned down in the vicinity of the bait.

 

[Stephen Scaysbrook]

I use to fish the Dove but now on the Derwent. I always keep my rod low' some times just above the water but more often level and at a highth sort of level with my chair for easy pick up. I mainly fish close in but as I move firther out if needs be I lift my rod higher to get a little more line out of the water just to try and keep the lead in place.
After I've cast in or more often lowered in I always pull line of from the reel spool to the first guide ( 3ft Ish ) I do this so as when the Barbel picks the bait up hopefully it feels little or no resistance and it allows the fish to turn. I feel that if I fish a tight line as the fish turns it can acctualy pull the bait out of its mouth ( this was also shown on the " Barbel Days & ways DVDs).
As for hook links I usualy fish a 3ft hook link made of 10lb fluorocarbon with a couple of inches of Drennan sink braid as a combi link so the soft braid allows the bait to move a little. Im not sure how much differance this makes compaired to a mono or fluorocarbon straight through link but I do OK on it so it stays that way.
Lead wise I always use a running lead usualy of 2oz but up the size if needed.
I always use a quick change hook link swivel the kind with an eye at one end and the hook on the other then an anti tangle rubber goes over the hook end. (can't remember what there called) but I find this helps when I have a fish in the net I can just unclip the hook link get the rod out of the way and let the fish have a good rest before taking out of the water.
I'm not saying this is the best or most correct way of Barbel fishing but it works for me and I settled on this method 5 or 6 years ago and stick with it.