Starting Barbel Fishing: Tackle and Tips

Barbel are among the most thrilling species of coarse fish in the UK that anglers can pursue. With their long, streamlined bodies and impressive strength, the experience of landing your first barbel is truly unforgettable.

Primarily inhabiting rivers, barbel are now prevalent throughout the country, and many anglers have a nearby location to catch them. Popular hotspots include the Rivers Trent, Wye, and Severn, while fewer, yet equally sizable specimens can be found in the River Thames, Hampshire Avon, and other locations.

Embarking on your first barbel fishing adventure can be intimidating; it differs from simply sitting and watching a float. While carp in ponds can put up a good fight, nothing compares to the power of a barbel under certain conditions.

In this article, we'll explore the essentials of barbel fishing and the gear you'll need to successfully land these remarkable fish.

Barbel Fishing Rods

Specialised tackle has been developed specifically for barbel fishing, much like in various other angling disciplines. This doesn’t mean it can’t be utilised for other types of fishing; in fact, many barbel rods serve as excellent surface fishing rods for carp as well. However, for those new to barbel fishing, it’s certainly advisable to choose a rod specifically designed for this species.

The most prevalent technique for catching barbel is legering or feeder fishing, which necessitates a quivertip rod to detect bites (though you won't need an extremely sensitive tip given the strength of their bites). Traditional quiver rods may be too light for barbel fishing in fast-flowing rivers, making a sturdier, specialised barbel rod a better choice.

Small River Barbel Rods

In my experience, it's always wise to have more rod power when targeting barbel rather than less, as there's no compensation for lost fish. Trust me, even with rods that might seem overly strong, these fish will put up a good fight. On smaller rivers, you can manage with 1.25lb test curve rods in clear spots, but ideally, if barbel are your primary focus, opt for rods in the 1.5lb to 1.75lb range for these intimate waterways.

Big River Barbel Rods

What about fishing in larger rivers such as the Trent, Severn, or Wye? Once again, I definitely would opt for a more powerful rod than you might initially consider. It’s essential to maintain control over both the river and the fish, rather than letting them dictate the experience.

For locations like the Trent, many anglers adopt tactics that are typically associated with carp fishing, utilising rods with a test curve ranging from over 2lb to 2.75lb. While this might generally be more than necessary, during flood conditions when you need to use 8oz of lead to hold bottom, lighter rods simply won't suffice. Additionally, larger venues often demand a bit more casting power, so having a rod with increased backbone can assist in reaching across the river.

When it comes to baiting on large rivers, it's essential to plan ahead. Most rivers are too strong and fast-flowing for hand feeding, making it nearly impossible to control where your bait lands. Consequently, many anglers opt to carry a separate rod specifically for casting a bait dropper or a bait rocket that sinks like a Korum bopper.

Barbel Float Fishing Rods

While legering is the method you'll typically employ for barbel fishing about 90% of the time, there are occasions when fish will only respond to a moving bait. You can achieve this by rolling a bait through the swim while holding the rod, but as anglers, we all appreciate the thrill of seeing a float disappear beneath the surface, especially when trotting it through a river!

Float fishing for barbel brings immense excitement, as they will eagerly take various baits that drift past, ranging from cubes of meat to 8mm pellets and maggots. But do you really need a specialized rod for this?

The answer hinges on the conditions and your goals for the fishing experience. It's essential to maintain control over both the river and any hooked fish, rather than struggling and risking a loss. With the tackle options available to us today, there's no reason for lost fish.

Your lighter barbel rods with Avon tops will double up perfectly as trotting rods in fast flowing swims, and give you more than enough grunt to bully fish up the current, but they do lack a little finesse when it comes to casting and striking. They are also very heavy to hold in the hand for long periods of time, so if trotting for barbel is your main intention, you will want to get a dedicated tool for the job.

To land barbel regularly without too much trouble you are going to need a 'Power' float rod, which are basically a stronger version of a traditional waggler rod, designed to handle bigger species like carp. Whilst the power is very much needed to control the fish, these rods still have the balance required to cushion lighter lines and hooks. You'll also notice power float rods have quite a fast action, allowing you to connect with bites easier and navigate the float down the current.

Barbel Fishing Reels

It's no good having the world's best barbel rod if you aren't going to balance it with the right reel for the job. Fortunately, barbel fishing reels need not be too complicated and just one or two will serve you for all the situations you might encounter.

For legering and feeder fishing, a 6000 - 10000 sized Baitrunner reel is really all you will need. The reel needs to be able to hold a healthy amount of thick and heavy line, plus have a reliable clutch that can let off a controlled amount of line when these fish really want to go. The Baitrunner mechanism is pretty much essential due to the time it can take for bites to develop when you're barbel fishing and the violent nature of the take. Even if you're watching the tip, just a moments lapse of concentration could see your rod flying into the river, something far less likely with the Baitrunner switched on.

For float fishing for barbel, the rod you will be using (as already mentioned) will likely be far lighter and balanced, you therefore won't want a big heavy 6000-plus sized Freespool reel on the end of it. For float work, look to go down to 2500-4000 sizes depending on the target river, size of fish and conditions.

As with leger reels, your barbel float fishing reel needs to have a reliable drag to cope with these powerful fish and a generous line capacity for slightly heavier reel lines than standard float fishing requires.

Other Barbel Fishing Essentials

There are loads of little bits and pieces you will need for barbel fishing, but most you will likely have from other forms of fishing already.

Your reels should be loaded with a strong mainline with a breaking strain of around 10-15lb for legering and feeder fishing, dropping to maybe 8lb for float fishing.

In your tackle box you will need a mixture of different sized open-end feeders and flat 'Gripper' style leads in varying sizes, to ensure you have enough weight to hold the bottom in the fast environments barbel live in.

For landing the fish, a good quality large landing net with a long handle is essential. Whilst barbel can fit in smaller match-style pan nets, these aren't the best for the fish for several reasons. Once landed, the net needs to be big enough to allow the barbel sufficient resting time, something that simply can't be achieved with a small net. After a good rest, the fish can then be taken to a large unhooking mat for photos of your prize.

Whilst being mobile can be a massive advantage when barbel fishing, there are times when you will need to sit it out and wait for a bite to develop. Therefore, our final barbel fishing tackle tip is to grab yourself a comfortable, lightweight and affordable chair. You want something that is easy to set up and pack down again, without loads of attachments and is not so heavy that you need a barrow to transport it to the bank.

Author Jonathan Longden, is an experienced angler. With over 20 years experience in the tackle trade specialising in match and coarse fishing he has an extensive practical knowledge of the latest equipment and the specific needs of anglers. He currently occupies the role of digital content writer at Angling Times.