Not All Barbel Bites - Are Three Foot Twitches

As you listen to anglers at the waterside, or in a pub discussing barbel, you will hear many of them describe how the fish whack the rod tip round. It’s the same message on internet sites and in some magazine features. Not true, many barbels just gently move the rod tip a fraction of an inch and no more. Leave those touches alone, and wait for that big whack, and you could return home fishless. Remember barbel don’t always give a strong pull on the rod tip. I write from many years of experience. This season it’s certainly been one of tiny movements on the rod tip, most of my fish including double figure fish wouldn’t have been caught if I hadn’t set the hook on feeling the line tighten on my index finger. It would have been another fish missed, and I would have ended the day like many anglers saying. “The fish didn’t want it today”. I say this with confidence, “I reckon many anglers miss out on hooking up to barbel through not recognising those small taps on the rod tip as barbel bites and so you go home fishless”. I say “Learn to hold the rod and detect those small taps, some will be leaves or other rubbish , perhaps the weight moving other will be fish. The more you practise, the more you will learn the difference between weed and rubbish touching the line. The weight moving and which are fish and your catch rate will increase”.

On a recent trip with Blackburn angler Brendan Ince to the River Kennet, I can say without doubt, “that that none of the barbel I caught moved the rod tip more than half an inch; in fact most of the bites were just a tightening of the line, more like crayfish bites”. Colin Colley fishing the Wasing syndicate water with sausage meat had the same experience when he caught a 11-1-0 barbel. As Brendan and I walked various beats of the Kennet we kept getting told, “Nothing biting today” On our first day on the Kennet conditions were atrocious gale force wind and heavy rain, we could have sat in a pub, but we had come to fish, and fish we did. We were both dressed in Grauvelle chest high waders and a quality waterproof jacket. No problem in keeping warm and dry.

We fished near the Rowbarge at Woolhampton, choosing an eight foot deep swim over gravel with lots of Water-crowfoot Spiked water-milfoil and cabbages the river flowing quite powerful. The only problem was the amount of dog dirt, once having watched a dog deposite its filth on the bank, I spoke to the slobbish owner pointing out what the dog had done, he said ”My dog didn’t do that its always under control” as he walked away he threw a stick in the water sending the animal to retrieve it, no doubt thinking it would ruin my fishing. It didn’t within minutes I had a good chub.

It doesn’t matter where I am fishing it could be the Thames, Ribble, Wye, Kennet or Teme, but my tackle choice is quite simple, 12lb Gamma line, 12 foot Avon action rod with centre pin reel, and a size 2, 4 or 6 barbless hook. The number of LG shot in use would depend on the swim being fished, its flow rate and the bait in use. Much of the time its crust, I then lightly pinch LG shot about six inches from the hook. Two baits are sausage meat and Pallarax Jungle paste fished on a fifteen inch tail. Brendan chose the same rod and line combination, but used a fixed spool reel with swim feeder rig, with a bunch of gentles on a size 10 hook. Our choice of bite detection in the gale force wind was holding the rod with the tip below the bank then feel for the bites. Brendan was soon off the mark with some nice roach.

Half hour into the session my rod tip moved a fraction of an inch, was it a bite, the wind, or rubbish hitting the line I thought as the rain sheeted down. A minute later the tip moved slightly to the left, the line tightened on my index finger I said to myself “That’s a bite” as I set the hook, nothing moved all seemed solid. Blast I though it’s the bloody bottom, then I felt movement down the line. I cramped on more pressure suddenly I was forced to give line, a good fish moved powerfully downstream. Fifteen yards of line were gone in quick time, suddenly the fish turned then moved upstream as I quickly gained some line. After a good tussle lasting several minutes, I spotted the boil of a good fish in my head light; Then Brendan quickly netted a good fish. Grabbing the arms of the landing net he dragged the fish and net up the bank. In the headlight it looked as if it might be a double. It wasn’t, weighing in at 8-6-0 still a great fish which gave me a lot of fun. What it didn’t do was whack the rod tip round. An hour later we retreated back to the cabin for hot food and drink.

Five Fish - But No Rod Wrenching Bites

Next day we are on the Wasing Estate fishery where we collected some rubbish, then we went off to Aldermaston where we spent some time covering a wooden bridge with chicken wire and doing some other jobs around the fishery, Our next locations were the Dalston Warren and Brimpton beats were to check permits. Every member checked was fishing the same way, two rods pointed skywards, using pellets or boilies as bait. None were catching. On reaching Brimpton weir pool I found Darren another bailiff who was fishing a chunk of rolling meat and catching. After a long chat Brendan and I went off for a late lunch, I suppose it was around 6 o’clock when we pulled into the car park to be told by 2 anglers leaving that we were wasting our time, saying how poor the fishing was and it’s been like it all season. We ignored these comments. After sorting out our gear, we went off downstream. Both choosing to fish in front of some willows using crust and bouncing the bait downstream. Within ten minutes I felt a slight pluck such as given by a crayfish, it happened again. Striking I set the hook into a nice fish which was quickly lost. Another chunk of crust was dropped in front of the first willow bush. It moved ten feet I felt a slight pluck, hen set the hook the rod hooped over I was forced to give line. After a strong fight Brendan netted a fish about six pounds. Again no rod wrenching bite.

Thirty minutes later without a bite or any indications we moved downstream a couple of hundred yards. Sitting side by side we fished the same swim with a chunk of crust as we did so we chatted about all aspects of fishing, while holding the rod to feel for any indication a fish had picked up the bait. Ten minutes later I felt three light taps on the rod tip, saying to Brendan “The crayfish are active” then thinking the bait had gone I lifted the rod tip, immediately it was savagely pulled downwards. A fish was on; soon barbel number two was netted. Quickly followed by two more fish all giving a slight pull on the rod tip. My next fish got off; this was quickly followed by another fish. After half an hour without a bite, with mist rising off the river I said to Brendan “The feeding spell is over let’s pack up” Back at the cabin we discussed the fishing. I reckon Brendan summed it up very nicely when he said “All these anglers keep going on about three foot twitches, if we waited for those bites we would be fishless like all the others have been today. I reckon I’ve missed a lot of fish in the past through not holding the rod more often”. I was Brendan’s statement that gave me the title of this feature. Over the course of the weeks fishing every barbel caught up to 10-8-0 plus good chub to 5-7-0 all gave light pulls, if we had waited for those bites which nearly pull the rod from the rest we would certainly have been fishless.