Stalking The Barbel And Chub On The Stour

[Catfish Virgin (Still!)]

With my car being fixed in the garage, I attempted to load my "roving gear" into the wife's Fiesta. It sort of went in but the two piece barbel rod did cause a bit of a problem!

Anyway, the aim yesterday was to have a look at the lower end of Throop as I hadn't seen that area in detail in high summer for many years. I secretly hoped for a barbel or chub but wasn't too worried as I intended to walk around a lot, storing away information for future trips. Lush vegetation, high banks, occassional deep runs between heavy weeds but generally some very shallow water. Certainly very different from last winter!





I eventually picked an area at the end of a shallow run that also had plenty of bankside cover behind me and put some pellet and hemp in a likely spot. Then spent about 3 hours just wandering about with the polaroids on trying to spot useful features. Saw plenty of chub of all sizes and the occassional trout but they were easily spooked in the clear water.



Same swim but played around with the camera and my polaroid glasses!



I eventually returned to the swim and carefully crept into position. Several chub had moved in on the bait and were clearly visible drifting in and out of the weed. I sat for at least another hour watching them and occassionally feeding the odd pellet or two. Eventually I had them feeding very confidently and in the more open water. So I decided to try freelining a pellet. It took about a dozen "flicks" to get it to go through right and straight away I saw a chub turn and flash its gill covers, a gentle lift and he was on. Although at around 4lbs and a very nice chub, it was probably one of the smaller ones in the area! Anyway, definately a very satisfying way to hook a chub. Not suprisingly, the swim was now devoid of fish! More hemp and pellet was introduced and it was time for another stroll and a drink.

When I returned, the chub were back and feeding freely. Same pattern as before, just sat and watched, drip fed a few pellets and watched them become more confident. I then spotted a barbel drift into the swim followed by two others. Whilst the chub stayed in the swim most of the time, the barbel came in, mopped up a few pellets and exited very quickly! I tried to time my casts to match the barbel "visits" but over then next hour or so failed to tempt them. Eventually I hooked another chub, again about 4lbs, and that was the last I saw of the barbel! The chub also disappeared back into the weed cover and that was it for the day!

Well, not quite. I dropped a stray bit of bread from a sandwich into the flow and it was immediately attacked by hordes of minnows, dace, chublets and bleak. Now we need a bleak for The Species Hunt! Here it is!:

[Norfolkboy]

Well done Neil

[pingu]

looked a pleasent eve there neil nice one

dave

[Twiddler]

You are really hooked on the Stour aren't you!? Don't blame you, it's a beautiful stretch......shame the barbel weren't playing ball but I have no doubt you will bag a bigun soon.


Well done on collecting some more points.

[Catfish Virgin (Still!)]

Originally Posted by Twiddler

You are really hooked on the Stour aren't you!?

Two reasons (of many);

1. I'm still getting to know the river in all its moods and the barbel are tough to tempt but worth the effort (if only I could replicate your effort of last March! ).

2. Worringly, Grahame Elliot (ace fishing guide and barbel expert ) won a day out with me in a recent charity auction. I'm taking him to Throop in August so I'd better find a way of catching fish and soon!

[BoldBear]

I haven't fished Throop for many years now, we used to stay at a guest house next to the river for a week each year and had some nice sized Chub out of there plus a few Barbel once we located them but they were a bit shy then as well.
It's a smashing river, my mate had his first ever double figure Barbel there in the late 70s (just over 11lb).
A smashing report Neil.

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Looks a wonderful water - what pellets do you use ?

[Catfish Virgin (Still!)]

Originally Posted by Fishing Forum Admin

Looks a wonderful water - what pellets do you use ?

I have great faith/confidence in Marine Halibut pellets, usually two 8mm/10mm on a hair rig. I've recently been using the Sonubaits "Pellet O's" which are pre-drilled. The general Sonubaits range all seem to be pretty effective. When feeder fishing I tend to use 3mm dampened in Source and dusted in marine halibut groundbait. The hookbaits are also often "glugged" in Source. The same damp pellets process can also be moulded onto the lead and fished in that style (much preferred when the fish may be rig shy). One "problem" is that chub love "halibut" and some people have been using various trout pellet types as an alternative for barbel (I've watched a very successful barbel angler fishing a swim with loads of chub and sort out the barbel that way. However bream will eat anything!).

The hookbait can be set up on a hair or banded to the hook. One little variation I have confidence in is to attach a bait band to the short hair and set up two pellets like this:

[Greenheart]

Nice report Neil & a good tip with the hair rigged pellet. Definately given me the urge to pop up to the day ticket water at Britford...

[ctwhitelaw]

Looks Like A nice spot to fish