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Severn Barbel

Terry49

Terry49
Total Posts: 37
Joined: June 21, 2019

Hello chaps

Well its nearly coming to the end of November and as we know Barbel fishing should be on top form after the dreadful summer, i can honestly say i've struggled this season compared to previous years and still no sign of improvement for my catch rate. How have the rest of you chaps been getting on ?

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Posted on November 18, 2020 at 7:05 PM

Yorkie

Yorkie
Total Posts: 53
Joined: September 1, 2016

Re: Severn Barbel

Yes, my experience also. Nine trips on the river this year, one medium sized barbel only, no others hooked or seen. Typical summer's evening on the river this year seems to have been an odd chub on pellet or meat, alternatively floatfishing maggot or caster yields 2-5 pounds of bits - bleak, small dace, chublets, minnows. Only two double figure bags of fish so far in nine trips, even other species aren't really feeding well.

Posted on November 18, 2020 at 7:21 PM

Johnny_Care

Johnny_Care
Total Posts: 407
Joined: June 10, 2015

Re: Severn Barbel

Last season, I was fortunate enough to have 108 barbel, 90 of which were on the Lower Severn, and 17 of which were doubles. My best season ever.

What a contrast this season has been. 50 barbel so far, with only 5 doubles, and just a dozen or so of those from the Lower Severn. The rest have been from the Middle river, and a few from the Avon. The October upturn in sport didn't happen, and I, just like many others, don't know what's going on.

Posted on November 18, 2020 at 8:09 PM

Terry49

Terry49
Total Posts: 37
Joined: June 21, 2019

Re: Severn Barbel

That Autumn upturn was what i was waiting for also, i passed the summer off as being, well just the summer and as we know can be a challenge but it still should have fished better ? Autumn not far now from over and still its hard work.

I have chatted to many on the middle who also report the same sad news this season ?

So yes its a bit strange on what has happened this year ?

Posted on November 18, 2020 at 8:26 PM

mickgrove

mickgrove
Total Posts: 107
Joined: June 2, 2015

Re: Severn Barbel

Don't think you will find many who will say that barbel fishing has not declined over the last few years. Perhaps this is part of the problem - angler's determination to fish more or less exclusively for one species puts that species under enormous pressure. On a typical walk along the river you will see loads of pellet feeder rods pointing at the sky and not many other methods. Easy to blame predation and floods for declining barbel returns which undoubtedly don't help. However, putting barbel in keep nets in matches in low water conditions and this ridiculous obsession with prodding, poking, weighing and photographing every single barbel caught cannot help. Photo and record exceptional fish, other than that, get them back in the water. Oh - and get out the trotting gear and you will find there are loads of other fish in the Severn.

Posted on November 18, 2020 at 9:43 PM

Johnny_Care

Johnny_Care
Total Posts: 407
Joined: June 10, 2015

Re: Severn Barbel

Good points Mick, the problems you've mentioned have been exacerbated this season by the numbers of folk out fishing for barbel. There was a post lockdown boom of new barbel anglers this season, doing the things you've mentioned, I think Stew M mentioned BAA numbers are up by 2000 this season, and a lot of mid-Sev stretches have been rammed. I don't think that's the sole reason though, something else has happened. Speaking to others though, it seems that the Severn isn't the only river that has suffered a downturn in sport this season, it does seem to be countrywide.

Posted on November 19, 2020 at 8:32 AM

Terry49

Terry49
Total Posts: 37
Joined: June 21, 2019

Re: Severn Barbel

I also agree Mick/John with your points made, and yes i agree that Barbel fishing on some rivers is in decline. I've been fishing the Severn for 30+ years and have seen the changes over time, but this season i feel something is wrong.

I fish mainly the middle Severn, It seems that all of a sudden many Barbel have gone and something doesn't feel right ?

I'm interested to see how next season develops now.

Posted on November 19, 2020 at 9:56 AM

RiverNovice

RiverNovice
Total Posts: 373
Joined: August 21, 2018

Re: Severn Barbel

Cast your mind back to the floods on the Severn and W/Avon in 2007 and the barbel seem to go in decline ? We had the floods in November last year when the river was in the fields and by a strange coincidence once again nearly 12 months later from last November the barbel seem to be in decline .

I cant comment on the middle Severn because I don't fish it . I do know that guys I talk to on the Lowers Severn all agree it been a struggle this year ? So ask your self this question . What got in to the rivers when we had the floods in 2007 and again in November last year . When it appears on both those times barbel numbers have declined ?

In September of this year I put up a post asking please sign this petition ?http://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/330416... if you open the link only 3066 people have signed it ?

Ask you self this question ? What is being put in to our rivers that is having affect on our fish stocks ?

Posted on November 19, 2020 at 12:14 PM

mickgrove

mickgrove
Total Posts: 107
Joined: June 2, 2015

Re: Severn Barbel

Interesting points River Novice and certainly the summer floods of 2007 had a big impact, especially on rivers like the Teme which was devastated as a barbel fishery and never really recovered. I'm not sure that the issue with floods is pollutants being washed into the system, as the sheer volume of water would have a diluting effect. Perhaps it is simply a matter of the physical damage of weed beds being ripped out, fish washed downstream or left stranded on floodplains. Rivers are meant to react with their floodplains and occupy them at times, but the speed of run-off due mainly to urbanisation in river catchments, means that increasingly we are faced with sudden, violent almost flash flood situations. As lag times shorten and peak discharges increase, it must create a fairly hostile environment for fish, for increasingly prolonged times.

Posted on November 19, 2020 at 1:10 PM

Meatman

Meatman
Total Posts: 156
Joined: May 24, 2016

Re: Severn Barbel

It's a strange one, whilst I think we all agree the Severn is in decline, or at least different. With less numbers of barbel but a generally bigger stamp of fish than some years back. What is baffling is such a marked drop in catches this year. Looking at John's figures - they show a roughly 50% drop.

I've struggled big time and concentrating more on the Avon recently.

I think the point about the number of barbel anglers is valid. However if we roll back to the 80's for instance, there were a lot of matches on the Severn every weekend. Pegs were at a premium on the remaining free stretches, turn up late and you'd struggle to get one. And similar scenes with rods pointed to the sky in most pegs.

Main difference then was we were mostly using caster and hemp in the feeders rather than pellets, and notably the biggest difference, there were a lot more to be caught - albeit mostly in the 3-4lb bracket.

I can't put my finger on what's happening. But I think some of the 'instant' barbel anglers will get bored with it, let's hope for an upturn in catches next year!

Posted on November 19, 2020 at 4:56 PM

stewpar

stewpar
Total Posts: 191
Joined: May 3, 2016

Re: Severn Barbel

Does anyone think the massive amount of pellet type of bait that make up a large proportion of the fishs diet has contributed to the decline in the fish numbers? Is there any scientific evidence that these baits do any harm? Maybe when everyone was using natural baits it was helping to build the river?

Posted on November 19, 2020 at 5:35 PM

Terry49

Terry49
Total Posts: 37
Joined: June 21, 2019

Re: Severn Barbel

Meatman i can also remeber those days back in the 80s 90s, the river was very busy back then and yes if you was late arriving it would be hard to get a peg. times have definitely changed baitwize, it was maggot feeder,hemp & meat all the way for me, i do wonder about the use of pellets Stewpar, but they dont seem to affect carp fisheries that get hammerd each day on them ?

It was mentioned about those floods last year, and i can remeber at the time the Severn constantly flooded for weeks on end and thinking this will be bad news next season, i do wonder as before those floods the fishing was good. I just hope the flooding is not as bad this winter, but with the winters now getting wetter each year this looks the norm.

Posted on November 19, 2020 at 5:46 PM

Meatman

Meatman
Total Posts: 156
Joined: May 24, 2016

Re: Severn Barbel

I'd like to think there's been lots of research by manufacturers to make sure pellets are super safe for our fish.

There again, lots of foods are scientifically safe for us to eat, but gorge on say pies and not much else for a few years and you'll notice a difference. Which may explain why I've ended up the way I have!

It's frustrating for the likes of us and all we can do is speculate. I'm not hopeful there'll ever be any meaningful research to answer this and many other similar issues.

Posted on November 19, 2020 at 6:04 PM

Terry49

Terry49
Total Posts: 37
Joined: June 21, 2019

Re: Severn Barbel

You know when you add up all the negatives that are stacked up, the future looks very bleak indeed for our natural fisheries sad

Posted on November 19, 2020 at 6:52 PM

stewpar

stewpar
Total Posts: 191
Joined: May 3, 2016

Re: Severn Barbel

Meatman, maybe pellets and boilies are a unhealthy diet for our fish or for barbel in particular, no doubt they have contributed towards the growth of massive carp, big chub and huge barbel, could it be the same case as diabetes in humans?

Posted on November 19, 2020 at 8:27 PM

stew83mul

stew83mul
Total Posts: 663
Joined: May 30, 2015

Re: Severn Barbel

On the middle Severn there definitely aren’t the numbers of Barbel there used to be when I started fishing it and being around a lot of the big matches as a kid in the late 80’s and 90’s but the Barbel seem to be getting bigger on the middle.There was a massive dip in silver fish catches for a few years but they have been making a comeback on the middle anyway,out of nowhere people have been having bags of big Roach on 6mm pellets,where were these Roach before?Maybe it’s just a cycle and the catches will return to what they used to be?I think it might be a combination of all the points mentioned and not necessarily one stand out reason.

Posted on November 20, 2020 at 6:58 PM

RiverNovice

RiverNovice
Total Posts: 373
Joined: August 21, 2018

Re: Severn Barbel

Any one who owns a dog or cat should read this ?

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/17/pet-flea-treatme...

Posted on November 21, 2020 at 11:00 AM

mickgrove

mickgrove
Total Posts: 107
Joined: June 2, 2015

Re: Severn Barbel

Interesting article Rivernovice and who knows? I do find it hard to believe that decline on middle Severn down to dog / cat flea treatment, as opposed to severe, regular floods, over-fishing, poor handling, otters, water abstraction, sewage overload, agricultural run-off etc, but who knows? Other rivers do not seem to be suffering quite the same decline and on the Severn, barbel stock seem to be most affected, but there again, most anglers target them.

Posted on November 21, 2020 at 7:28 PM

RiverNovice

RiverNovice
Total Posts: 373
Joined: August 21, 2018

Re: Severn Barbel

Mick other rivers have declined over the years not just the Severn . Smaller rivers have been hit by Otters . Then you have poaching where fish are taken for the pot .The increase in the cormorant population on our rivers . Sewerage being washed in to our rivers . Just some of the many nails in the coffins of our rivers . Bearing in mind that barbel are bottom feeders . So what are they picking up when they feed ? Perhaps that is one of many reasons why barbel are suffering more than most ,

Posted on November 22, 2020 at 1:55 PM

staffie

staffie
Total Posts: 28
Joined: March 3, 2017

Re: Severn Barbel

I have been barbel fishing the Middle Severn on the Rowley and District AS stretch at Coalport this season. I have averaged about two barbel per 5 hour session. I have had several blanks but have also had 6 or 7 fish in a session. I have caught several 8's and 9's with two doubles at 10.3 and 12.0. For several years I have concentrated on the Upper Trent and Dove. These stretches were prolific up to a few years ago but have gone downhill fast. If you think it is difficult to catch barbel from the Middle Severn, it is a piece of cake compared to the Dove and Upper Trent.

Posted on November 22, 2020 at 3:06 PM
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