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Barbel (Barbus barbus) |
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Fact File: British Record 19lb 6oz 8drms (8.802kg) |
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Barbel – A Fish of Beauty Ask any group of coarse anglers which species they would most like to catch, and barbel would be the choice of many. This fish gets its name from its two pairs of fleshy barbels – the smaller of which is underneath the snout with two longer ones at the rear corners of the mouth. The large mouth is underslung and leathery to touch. Barbel are stunning. They’re usually golden bronze, fading to a creamy white on the belly. The fins are reddish brown, sometimes with an orange tinge. It’s not only an attractive combination of colours, but also a highly effective one for camouflage purposes. Torpedo-shaped like a gudgeon, barbel are long, muscular fish with large triangular pectoral fins that have the power to cope with periods of high flow and to take off at extremely fast bursts of speed. An average adult is usually between 15 to 30 inches long and weighs between 2lbs to 6lbs although specimens over 15lbs have been recorded. Sexual maturity usually occurs at four to five years old. Spawning takes place from May until the end of June, although given the right water temperature it sometimes carries on into July. Where to Find Barbel Barbel are a bottom-dwelling species, preferring cleaner rivers with stretches of gravel, riffles, pools and deeper glides. Females congregate in shallower areas and are usually accompanied by more than one male. Their eggs and milt are shed simultaneously and depending on the size of the female, up to 30,000 can be liberated at one time. These are fertilised and stick to nearby fronds of weed and gravel. During the process other fish species downstream of the spawning adult will try to devour any stray eggs. Temperature can affect the time it takes the eggs to hatch, but it’s usually 10 to 15 days. After hatching, the tiny fry drift off into quieter waters and spend a few days absorbing the yolk sac. At 7mm to 8mm long, they start to feed on small insect larvae and crustaceans, graduating to larger invertebrates such as snails and mussels and various insect larvae as they get bigger. As larger barbel occasionally feed on frogs and small fish, anglers will sometimes try to tempt them by using dead minnows as bait A Good Fight According to folklore, barbel used to be called pigfish. It’s an unflattering reference to the way they root and grub on the riverbed while foraging for food. Barbel could also be described as pigheaded, given the way the fiercely resist once they have been hooked. Such fighting helps explain why the species is so popular among anglers. Its resurgence in our rivers, following habitat improvement and targeted restocking programmes, is one of the biggest success stories of recent years. If you haven’t yet sampled the unique beauty of the barbel and the thrilling sport it can provide, perhaps this is the time to give it a try.
are varied from casual feeding
with the use of swimfeeders and legered baits, sitting and waiting for that
rod-bending bite to stalking; stealthily walking the bank, gazing through the
water with Polaroid's and a selection of baits to hand.
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