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Viewing 1 to (32 Total) Severn Barbel |
Total Posts: 37
Joined: June 21, 2019
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Re: Severn Barbel
Hello Staffie, glad your catching a few mate, i mainly fish from Bridgnorth-Hampton Loade and i have heard that Coalport is fishing ok, must get up that way.
I give Knowel Sands as an example, last season yes 7-9 fish a session this season 2-4 if your lucky and a few blanks thrown in. what i'm getting at is the difference within one season, the fish in these areas seemed to have declined rapid.
But i do agree that the barbel are getting bigger yes, i've also had 8s 9s but the numbers have dropped, its obvious that these larger fish are the diehards and have suvived to get this size,the smaller ones ( 2-4lb ) are seemingly getting less and less and what also happends when these mature fish go ?
I guess nature never stays still and all the other problems listed within this post add to the decline, but from my part and others it seems this year the decline is much more evidet, next season may give us more answers....i mean 2020 is not one to remember is it 
Posted on November 22, 2020 at 4:43 PM
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Total Posts: 28
Joined: March 3, 2017
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Re: Severn Barbel
Hello Terry 49. The average size of Middle Severn barbel does seem to be increasing, but there is a good range of sizes on the Coalport stretch. The bigger fish are nearly all females and I am led to understand that several males to each female are needed for good recruitment. Over the last few years nearly every barbel I was catching on the Dove was a double and when this happens it is the beginning of the end, especially if otters are taking the big females. The same situation appears to be taking place on the Upper Trent
Posted on November 22, 2020 at 5:04 PM
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Total Posts: 37
Joined: June 21, 2019
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Re: Severn Barbel
I rember listening to John Baily talking about the Wensum, the same thing happend on that river and now a few lonely larger fish remain. i guess rivers peak with species then drop and is that now coming to the Severn ?
Posted on November 22, 2020 at 5:21 PM
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Total Posts: 27
Joined: June 5, 2015
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Re: Severn Barbel
Hi Mick Grove
I couldn't agree more with you . I walk the Middle Severn quite a lot (Stop at the Ship for a sharpener ) I despair when I seen folk fishing in a perfect trotting peg with a feeder. I have caught loads of Barbel on the float. Some days they will ignore a static bait .
Posted on November 23, 2020 at 11:12 AM
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Total Posts: 110
Joined: December 31, 2018
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Re: Severn Barbel
To put my opinions on here might upset a few but I'm going to do it anyway.
I think the decline in the barbel population is down to the loss of breeding fish. People have mentioned streamer weed beds being lost but don't barbel spawn over gravel beds which would still be there? If they were being killed off due to pollution then you'd surly see large numbers of dead fish. The truth is, you're not.
This would also be true of otter kills. OK, we have all come across fish on the bank that are a direct result in otter or other predators like mink. But not in vast numbers.
Plus otters have been around for centuries, there'd be no fish left if they were doing that much harm.
Same can be said of cormorants and goosanders, they wouldn't feed on 2 or 3lb fish when the river is teaming with silvers, dace, bleak and roach.
Fish lost on floodplains? Can't see it. Yep, the odd few but there must be thousands of fish seeking sanctuary from the floods that find there way back.
My personal opinion is the loss of sizable fish to the pot by our ever increasing EU population. Please don't tell me I'm being racist, I'm stating what almost every angler believes.
But until the government changes the small print on our licence to state that NO fish can be removed from our waters then we really cant do anything about it.
Posted on November 23, 2020 at 12:52 PM
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Total Posts: 27
Joined: June 5, 2015
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Re: Severn Barbel
Hi Brummymoorey
I have long held that opinion. Some days you will come across the fires and BBQs that have been used to cook the fish on. When you see three and four people fishing together using crap tackle , I have good idea what they are up to. Again I don't think I have ever seen a representative from the Environment agency on the banks .
Posted on November 23, 2020 at 1:59 PM
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Total Posts: 373
Joined: August 21, 2018
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Re: Severn Barbel
Many years ago I was talking to a bailiff at Ripple .He was telling me how he came across a group of our EU friends at Ripple who had night permits who had a barbue on the go and they were cooking fish ? They were quickly stopped and told to leave .
Just like many other BAA members I have had my renewal for my membeship come through the post .
Why not put some where on the form in bold letters ? or when applying on the online form ?
'' NO FISH TO BE REMOVED FROM BAA WATERS ''
Then any one caught removing fish has no excuse and cant plead ignorance to the rule ?
Many years ago if memory serves me correct . On the middle Severn there was always abundence of weed and for what ever the reason that weed has now gone . If I am wrong in that assumption . Some one will tell me other wise ?
Assumimg that if the weed was still there ? Then I would of thought that would give barbel and other fish a safe haven to hide from predaters ?
Posted on November 23, 2020 at 4:52 PM
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Total Posts: 42
Joined: January 31, 2019
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Re: Severn Barbel
A few of my observations, and even more ‘wonderings” regarding the contents of this thread:
This year for obvious reasons there has been much more activity on the Middle Severn, and yes loads of remains of fires on the banks. Personally I have done ok for Barbel this year, most between 6-11lb, even though I am able to avoid weekends it’s still been very busy with anglers, walkers, canoes etc.
Which begs the question - with all the bait going into the water at popular venues is this an advantage or disadvantage to attracting or discouraging fish into these pegs and the general section of river, on the plus side does more food equal more fish, or is more activity on the banks spooking fish. Guess I’ll never know.
I gave a popular section of the Severn, heavily fished with visiting anglers a go earlier in the year, nice easy well used pegs with undoubtedly loads of bait poured in - blanked !
The Severn is a huge river, how long do fish stay in one area ? Do the fish remain in popular venues where more bait is being put in ? Or head off to less fished quieter areas of the river ?
Is it worth a long hike to less fished areas or sticking to well fished pegs ?
Regarding predation, yes it is not unusual to see see otters, wonder how many fish they take.
Also noticing more pike striking at smaller fish- again wondering how many fish pike take. And of course fish taken for the table. There has always been otters and pike in our rivers.
Guess we would all love to know the answers to my ‘Wonderings” especially the number of Barbel in our rivers.
Not sure that the amount of information available to non members on the website is a help as it openly publishes the locations and general information of waters. Probably bit like closing the stable door though.
PS still love being able to fish as many of the BAA sections as I can - keep up all the good work and thanks to all the Bailiffs and Work parties for the work they do
Posted on November 23, 2020 at 7:10 PM
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Total Posts: 407
Joined: June 10, 2015
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Re: Severn Barbel
Good post Paul. Angling pressure on a given day makes a huge difference to ANY fishery. On commercial carp pits, the winning weights are always bigger with less anglers on a pool, it's one of the reasons why open matches are won with a lot more than clubbies, with every peg in.
In my opinion, the same applies to rivers. On every session I've managed to catch a double figure barbel this season (all on well fished stretches), no one else has been there, and I've pretty much had the place to myself. It happened to me this weekend just gone, a good barbel of 12lb+. If you want a better chance of catching a barbel, a good tip is to go when it's raining, you can double or triple your chances of catching. It's why winter fishing is so much better, all the summer boys have long buggered off.
JC
Posted on November 23, 2020 at 7:53 PM
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Total Posts: 24
Joined: January 10, 2020
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Re: Severn Barbel
For my tuppence worth, I think Barbel have wised up to static baits. I know a few anglers who trot for them and rarely blank. I keep meaning to give it a go as I think I might be pleasantly surprised (and won't need to carry two tonnes of feeders, leads and pellets.) I also think we might be missing a trick on the tidal as I've had barbel as small as 8oz in there - access and safety on the banks is a nightmare though!!
Posted on December 14, 2020 at 3:50 PM
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Total Posts: 373
Joined: August 21, 2018
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Re: Severn Barbel
For my tuppence worth, I think Barbel have wised up to static baits. I know a few anglers who trot for them and rarely blank. I keep meaning to give it a go as I think I might be pleasantly surprised (and won't need to carry two tonnes of feeders, leads and pellets.) I also think we might be missing a trick on the tidal as I've had barbel as small as 8oz in there - access and safety on the banks is a nightmare though!!
Chrispi I have been told that small barbel have been caught from the tidal Severn . As you say access can be a nightmare ?
Posted on December 15, 2020 at 10:07 AM
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Total Posts: 27
Joined: June 5, 2015
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Re: Severn Barbel
Hi River novice . My advice to you is give the float a try . I worked out years ago static baits very hit and miss. Heres my method to fish the middle severn 13ft rod with a 1.25 tc 6lb line straight through , a truncheon waggler about 4 swan shot under the float then bait of choice , a 14 eyed hook . I use a centre pin . If using luncheon meat no weight down the line let the meat bump the bottom . Lose feed meat . if using maggots about 8 - 10 on the hook , thats a target bait again loose feed plenty . Fish the full, width of the river . The fish will come . I look for a decent pace in the water . I have plenty of Barbel and specimen chub on this method.
Posted on December 15, 2020 at 12:37 PM
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