Viewing 1 to 20 (32 Total) Severn Barbel |
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Terry49Total Posts: 37
Joined: June 21, 2019
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Hello chaps
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Posted on November 18, 2020 at 7:05 PM
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YorkieTotal Posts: 53
Joined: September 1, 2016
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Re: Severn BarbelYes, 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
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Johnny_CareTotal Posts: 407
Joined: June 10, 2015
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Re: Severn BarbelLast 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.
Posted on November 18, 2020 at 8:09 PM
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Terry49Total Posts: 37
Joined: June 21, 2019
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Re: Severn BarbelThat 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.
Posted on November 18, 2020 at 8:26 PM
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mickgroveTotal Posts: 107
Joined: June 2, 2015
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Re: Severn BarbelDon'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
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Johnny_CareTotal Posts: 407
Joined: June 10, 2015
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Re: Severn BarbelGood 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
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Terry49Total Posts: 37
Joined: June 21, 2019
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Re: Severn BarbelI 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.
Posted on November 19, 2020 at 9:56 AM
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RiverNoviceTotal Posts: 373
Joined: August 21, 2018
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Re: Severn BarbelCast 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 .
Posted on November 19, 2020 at 12:14 PM
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mickgroveTotal Posts: 107
Joined: June 2, 2015
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Re: Severn BarbelInteresting 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
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MeatmanTotal Posts: 156
Joined: May 24, 2016
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Re: Severn BarbelIt'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.
Posted on November 19, 2020 at 4:56 PM
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stewparTotal Posts: 191
Joined: May 3, 2016
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Re: Severn BarbelDoes 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
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Terry49Total Posts: 37
Joined: June 21, 2019
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Re: Severn BarbelMeatman 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 ?
Posted on November 19, 2020 at 5:46 PM
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MeatmanTotal Posts: 156
Joined: May 24, 2016
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Re: Severn BarbelI'd like to think there's been lots of research by manufacturers to make sure pellets are super safe for our fish.
Posted on November 19, 2020 at 6:04 PM
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Terry49Total Posts: 37
Joined: June 21, 2019
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Re: Severn BarbelYou know when you add up all the negatives that are stacked up, the future looks very bleak indeed for our natural fisheries
Posted on November 19, 2020 at 6:52 PM
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stewparTotal Posts: 191
Joined: May 3, 2016
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Re: Severn BarbelMeatman, 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
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stew83mulTotal Posts: 663
Joined: May 30, 2015
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Re: Severn BarbelOn 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
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RiverNoviceTotal Posts: 373
Joined: August 21, 2018
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Re: Severn BarbelAny one who owns a dog or cat should read this ?
Posted on November 21, 2020 at 11:00 AM
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mickgroveTotal Posts: 107
Joined: June 2, 2015
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Re: Severn BarbelInteresting 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
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RiverNoviceTotal Posts: 373
Joined: August 21, 2018
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Re: Severn BarbelMick 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
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staffieTotal Posts: 28
Joined: March 3, 2017
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Re: Severn BarbelI 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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