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Barbel off the surface

Ian Hugo Arnott

Ian Hugo Arnott

Senior Member
Years ago when the Kennet was full of streamer weed and crystal clear I used to regularly catch barbel by casting a lump of meat to the densest weed bed and leaving the bait on the surface, this was after dark.

The barbel could be heard slurping like carp and on moonlit nights it was wonderful to watch them feeding.

Happy Kennet days!

Regards,




Hugo
 
Seem to remember reading a piece written by Ray walton doing similar on the Royalty during the 1980's.
 
I remember when staying at Joe and Tina's round about 1980 another angling guest had taken some great photos of barbel taking bread off the surface in the Royalty's parlour pool.
 
Can't recall precisely which DVD, but Stuart Morgan and Guy Robb captured images of barbel surface feeding.
 
Hi men,

A couple of seasons ago my son phoned me and Sue to get round to his swim on the Kennet to watch that exact thing happening !. Barbel made the way up the shallow margin opposite to some trailing willow branches , and the steamer weed was in a couple of bands . The barbel slurped at the surface , poss at suspended pellets , and more than one as well . I'm sure had we tried to place a bait it would have spooked them , and we really needed to be on the far bank , awesome site , fantastic . James went on to catch them with normal tactics , but it made our day .

Hatter
 
I 've often watched barbel feed off of streamer weed on the avon Mark,..flipping upside down and working they way towards the surface.
My favourite memory was standing on the parlour pool pumphouse gantry and watching two biggies work their way up and down the algea encrusted piles right under my feet,..quite oblivious to my gawping face just above them!
 
I've seen it happen on a stillwater (full on upside down meandering and slurping), but never on a river. I suspect the distinct lack of weed growth that gets to the surface accounts for that. It doesn't surprise me one bit that it would happen regularly on the likes of the Kennet, Avon, Stour, etc.
 
I've watched barbel coming straight from the bottom to the surface to take small black flies blown off the bank side vegetation on several occasions on the Teme.
 
Mark Anderson said:
Hi men,

A couple of seasons ago my son phoned me and Sue to get round to his swim on the Kennet to watch that exact thing happening !. Barbel made the way up the shallow margin opposite to some trailing willow branches , and the steamer weed was in a couple of bands . The barbel slurped at the surface , poss at suspended pellets , and more than one as well . I'm sure had we tried to place a bait it would have spooked them , and we really needed to be on the far bank , awesome site , fantastic . James went on to catch them with normal tactics , but it made our day .

Hatter
Click to expand...

Mark,

I have not fished the Kennet for a couple of seasons, but the last time I fished near Newbury there was hardly any streamer weed. Is there much left anywhere>

Regards,

Hugo

 
Hi men,

Ian , enough of it to make you think of your bait placement . In places it's quiet thick , but as it was ?, I'm not sure .

Hatter
 
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