Page 11 - RIFFLE4-flip

P a g e | 10 paste these days, as this is now a proven bait to them where they are lying up. As I have method in wintertime. I have often privately stated, in the rivers I fish they are not exactly thought it a little strange that frequently the prolific, so for every twenty picture book swims, paste and boilies will be completely different the chances are that maybe one of them may flavours, but it does not seem to matter actually hold a barbel at the best of times! Any anyway! Barbel still get caught! beds of bait also attract crayfish and in great numbers on my local rivers! All of these are Worms are a good bait in early winter but I get factors which have a bearing on my own the impression that by January or February, approach. after a few flash floods and lots of extra water, the barbel are sick to death of them. This is For me it is usually a fairly mobile approach in purely conjecture however, with no factual the colder months. I rarely sit in the same swim basis. A lobworm is a good bait for barbel and for longer than an hour, often far less - although especially on small, under-fished rivers such as I may bait up a few spots and return later in the the ones I frequent. I just tend to prefer a big day. If so, I use a bait dropper and prefer halibut lump of meat as a first choice. I also have a habit pellets, meat and hemp. I never use much bait of catching unwanted chub on worms as they on small rivers, but obviously always use less in seem to love them all year round. If the water winter. Half a pint is about the norm for me and has run clear for a while though, a switch to a I only ever bait up one or two spots that I plan to fat, wriggling lobworm can provoke a reaction return too. That is if I bother at all! My usual from a lethargic barbel and it is worth taking a method is one that seems vastly under-used few along in these conditions and trying this out, these days. Rolling lumps of meat down the particularly if you have fed for a while and feel riverbed. that the barbel are there, but not having it! Rolling meat successfully is a bit of an art form in In the summer months barbel actively patrol a coarse fishing. In my mind, it is a good example beat. I have seen no evidence to prove how of where the science is definitely second to the large this beat may be, but I would expect it to art! I have read with interest that many people be quite a long stretch in our smaller rivers. In use plasticine as weight and prefer to use this as the colder months however, they spend most of their ‘rolling meat’ method. I have never tried it, their time resting, shoaled up in tight groups but it strikes me that this is more ‘bouncing’ within a small area. I believe this is partly in than ‘rolling’. I cannot picture a bait bouncing preparation for their next stage in life, away down the current, before the plasticine reproduction in the spring, when they will move up together into the shallower water to spawn on the gravel runs. At this point in time however, it is possible they are grouped up together solely for reasons of security. I suspect a perceived, collective, ‘safety in numbers’ mentality prevails, particularly as the barbel are lethargic with cold and especially with all the otters now on the prowl! The point being that the barbel are less likely to be travelling and to either come across, or actively seek out, the bait; whatever it may be and whether the water is coloured or clear! Therefore, to maximise any chance of catching one, I feel that I really need to firstly locate them and then try to present a Keeping it simple on small rivers with a mobile approach…