Starting Barbel Fishing: Tackle and Tips

(This article is produced in partnership with FishingMegastore.com)

Barbel are one of the most exciting species of UK coarse fish you can possibly go fishing for. Long, streamlined and powerful, the experience of hooking their first barbel is something an angler rarely forgets.

Predominantly found in rivers, barbel are now widespread across the country, with most anglers having a spot close by where they can go fishing for them. Notable hotspots are the Rivers Trent, Wye and Severn, with fewer but equally large specimens found in the likes of the River Thames, Hampshire Avon and others.

Going barbel fishing for the first time can be a daunting prospect, it's a little different than sitting and watching a float, and whilst carp in ponds can pull hard, it's nothing like what a barbel will do in certain conditions.

In this article we will be glancing over the basics of barbel fishing and the tackle you need to put these incredible fish on the bank...

Barbel Fishing Rods

Like in many other branches of angling, specialist tackle has now been developed specifically for use when barbel fishing. This obviously doesn't mean it can't be used elsewhere, in fact,many barbel rods double up as excellent surface fishing rods for carp too. But for a beginner to barbel fishing, it is certainly worth picking up a rod that has been designed to handle the species.

The most common method for barbel is to leger/feeder fish for them, which requires a quivertip rod to register the bites (not that you will be needing a sensitive tip with the bites these things give). Traditional quiver rods, however, in most circumstances will be a little light to handle barbel in fast flowing rivers, therefore, a stepped-up specific barbel rod is the answer.

There are many fantastic brands on the market that produce rods designed for barbel fishing, but when it comes to affordable entry level products there are few better than Korum, who you will see featured heavily in this guide. There are a whole host of rods in the Korum range that suit a variety of barbel fishing situations and angler's needs.

Small River Barbel Rods

In our experience it's always better to be over-gunned for barbel rather than under, there are no rewards for lost fish, and trust us, even on rods that you may think are too strong, these fish will give a good account for themselves. On small rivers you will get away with 1.25lb test curve rods in clear swims, but ideally, if barbel are your main target, go for a rod of 1.5lb to 1.75lb for these intimate waterways.

Big River Barbel Rods

So what about fishing on larger rivers like the Trent, Severn or Wye? Once again, we recommend always going with a more powerful rod than you might think you'll get away with. You want to be in control of the river and the fish, not the other way around.

For places like the Trent, most anglers are fishing what would largely be considered carp tactics, with rods of over 2lb right up to 2.75lb test curve. Now the majority of the time this may be more than you need, but when the river is up in flood and you have to use 8oz of lead just to hold bottom, you simply won't be able to fish with anything much lighter. These larger venues may require a bit more casting too, so having increased backbone in the rod will help you get out across the river.

Baiting up is also a consideration you need to make on big rivers too. Most are too powerful and fast flowing to feed by hand, you'd have no idea where your feed was going. For this reason, the majority of anglers carry a separate rod for either casting a bait dropper or a modified Spomb that sinks to the bottom to their spot.

Barbel Float Fishing Rods

Whilst legering is the tactic you will likely be using for barbel 90% of the time, there are days when the fish will only be willing to respond to a moving bait. This can be done by simply rolling a bait through the swim and holding the rod in your hand, but as anglers we all know there's something a little bit special about watching a float bury under (especially one trotted through on a river!).

Float fishing for barbel is incredibly exciting and they will take all sorts of baits trotted past them, from cubes of meat to 8mm pellets and maggots. But do you need a dedicated rod?

The answer to this question all depends on the conditions and what you want to get out of the experience. Again, you want to be able to control the river and a hooked fish, not struggle and risk losing them. There's no excuse for lost fish with the tackle available to us these days.

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.

And that is about everything you need (other than bait) to get out and catch a barbel. Remember to treat these strong and special fish with care and respect. Don't be surprised if they make you work a bit to catch them too, but using the tools we have mentioned in this article, we are sure you will put more than a few in your net. Tight lines!

Author Chris Haydon is a keen and lifelong all-round angler that is currently in the position of Online Editor at Angling Times.