| #1  07-20-2011, 07:49 AM | ||||
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| Fat not fit Barbel. Just finished a write up on my blog, and got to thinking that it would be good to hear the opinions of my fishing peers, as the subject may cause some debate. The question I posed is..........does the increased use of Carp type baits such as pellets and boilies contribute to the increase in fat not fit Barbel? As a Barbel and Chub angler I have used, and continue to use these baits on occasion, prefering to use more natural baits as a rule, but have noticed the increase in fat Barbel being caught. Most Carp you see in the angling press have massive distended bellies, which with a quick search on tinternet can be shown to be an un-natural physique. Many, if not all bait manufacturers will state that the ingredients are not detrimental to the health of fish, and this to a certain extent may be true, but what about when it is piled into the lakes and rivers in vast quantities, over the whole season? Barbel should be shaped like a torpedo. Sleek, streamlined, powerful and extremely strong, but big bellies are showing all over the country now, and this cannot be good for them surely. Are we going the way of the Carp angler, bait wise? Should we not return to the more traditional baits of old to entice our Barbel? Would anyone listen to an argument like this, when the use of pellets and boilies get such good results?  The debate goes on, and I for one will try to limit the amount of high fat, high protein baits I use for the good of my quarry. Tight lines Barbus. __________________ Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. Per Ardua Ad Astra.     |
| #2 07-20-2011, 10:49 AM | ||||
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| Re: Fat not fit Barbel. I am as guilty as anyone for using Pellets which are full of oil, and luncheonmeat which contains fat; especially in the warmer months; However I also like using baits like worm, caster or maggots over a bed of hemp and caster feed laced with a few grains of corn which can also be very productive. NB. I have often day-dreamed about the days when an angler could get his ghillie to lay many hundreds of worm filled clay balls on the riverbed the evening before he fished but I don’t think that I would ever have been rich enough to afford that and I would have been the poor guy who had to dig up the worms. I agree that anglers should be made more aware of what we use and the damage it can do to our fishes health and instead of piling in loads of pellets we should start to use more natural baits like hemp & caster laced with corn and baits like worm and maggots for a change instead of relying on the more oily and fatty baits that are used so much today. I think that otters today have far easier a job to catch some of todays fish than they used to in days past. Todays angler (including me at times) seems to be more interested in convenience baits which he or she can buy over the counter and with todays instant anglers with their overstocked commercial fisheries this is getting even more of a problem with overfed and less fit fish stocks all over the country. __________________ My Web Site (The Average Coarse Angler) Happiness is Fish Shaped (It used to be woman shaped but the wifes getting on a bit now) |
| #3 07-20-2011, 07:05 PM | ||||
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| Re: Fat not fit Barbel. Its not the bait itself, but the quantities that go in really. I would love to see a big lake drained, just to see how much detritous and moldy bait is left by the carp. A little different in rivers, but it still must have an effect. Barbus __________________ Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. Per Ardua Ad Astra. |
| #4 07-21-2011, 08:15 AM | |||
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| Re: Fat not fit Barbel. I do use pellets and my own homemade baits, but I hardly feed with them at all. I use an open ended feeder with marine halibut method mix with a few hookbait samples and lots of hemp as I feel it gives the attraction without the food. I do think that overfeeding will inevitably have an impact on the fish, although the current in a river will break the pellets down alot quicker and flush them away, unlike a pond. Large, fast flowing rivers I feel can take alot of pellets people chuck in - For the above stated reasons. I also think that the Barbel stay in trim in the bigger rivers by constantly battling the current. I for one have not had any 'fat' fish from the Severn yet! |
| #5 07-21-2011, 09:12 AM | ||||
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| Re: Fat not fit Barbel. Quote:
Totally agree with you. I think it is the smaller, and perhaps slower area's of the rivers that show up the fatter Barbel. The Severn and Avon can handle more free baiting, but I do think that moderation and correct assessment of depths and flows need to be kept in mind at the start of a session. Barbus __________________ Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. Per Ardua Ad Astra. |
| #6 07-21-2011, 03:32 PM | |||
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| Re: Fat not fit Barbel. Quote:
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| #7 07-21-2011, 04:19 PM | ||||
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| Re: Fat not fit Barbel. Hemp, worms, slugs and to a certain extent sweetcorn (for those of us that still use it) are all baits that are more natural to Barbel and Chub, and can be used in large quantities quite safely and with no major effects on the fish. It is the amounts of added oils, additives and proteins in shop bought baits that do the damage. Hemp has always been, and will remain to be THE killer attractor, it is a fantastic bait that can be used everywhere, with no problem at all.  Barbus __________________ Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. Per Ardua Ad Astra. |
