On barbel rivers that experience a migratory run of salmon It is not unknown for a big barbel to by caught by a salmon angler.
Infact over the past couple of hundered years there are many records of big barbel being caught by salmon anglers on flies and spun deadbaits.
Yet we never catch one while pike fishing
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
All fish are predatory to some extent. Certain times of year most fish capitalise on whatever glut is available and that can often be spawn and fry. Barbel get caught on lampreys and minnows.look at the Spanish barbel, they like a lure and as Mike says on salmon rivers they fall to Devon minnows.
I've had bream on dead baits and watched my dad get one on a shad intended for perch. Rudd get caught on small spinners and wasn't there a picture on here years ago of one on a stone loach or something?
Carp are more predatory than people think. I've watched two nice commons in clear water sucking up fry, and I've had them on shads. There was a theory that commons can be more predatory than mirrors. I'm sure I read of a carp angler who experimented with dead baits on a water that had some hard to catch big commons that rarely saw the bank and he had some success.
Peter Stone wrote about this in one of his earlier books. I've caught Carp Chub and Roach on deadbait so no reason why Barbel won't take them in he right circumstance.
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Tidal River Piker
Covid Loves a Crowd.
I know some Polish lads who are very good at targeting them with small lures, often crayfish imitations, but any small soft plastic works if you have it in the right place and they're hungry. They pop up in the catch reports on the LAS forum fairly frequently.
As its been said, most fish are predatory to an extent, most people don't realise it though because there are easier ways to catch course fish so never bother to target them with lures. Pete Felstead on the LAS is a dab hand at catching pretty much anything that swims, including roach, dace, rudd, skimmers, bream to name just a few, all on lures.
All fish are predatory to some extent. Certain times of year most fish capitalise on whatever glut is available and that can often be spawn and fry. Barbel get caught on lampreys and minnows.look at the Spanish barbel, they like a lure and as Mike says on salmon rivers they fall to Devon minnows.
I've had bream on dead baits and watched my dad get one on a shad intended for perch. Rudd get caught on small spinners and wasn't there a picture on here years ago of one on a stone loach or something?
Carp are more predatory than people think. I've watched two nice commons in clear water sucking up fry, and I've had them on shads. There was a theory that commons can be more predatory than mirrors. I'm sure I read of a carp angler who experimented with dead baits on a water that had some hard to catch big commons that rarely saw the bank and he had some success.
A very interesting topic.....................
"All fish are predatory"
Agreed
Cheers Alan
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" Seneca, some Roman chap.
In a fish tank a few years ago a dace about 1.5 inches had a stone loach stuck in its gob...food is food!
I tried to catch barbel on dead baits few years ago,never got one but had them taking freebies.
Seen them chasing small fish in the shallows.
Remember reading an article about a chap that used deads and caught barbel.
A pellet or boilie is just a miniature dead bait!
Cheers Alan
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" Seneca, some Roman chap.
I've written quite a lot about my experiences deliberately using deadbaits for other species over the years. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to do links here to Angler's Net, but you'll find some of these articles there, including one wholly on the topic. Mods - please delete the reference if against the rules.
When I was a nipper (late 70's), if I remember correctly one of the biggest Barbel ever at the time (around 14lb 6oz) was caught by a Salmon angler on a devon minnow.
Another big up to Pete Felstead who was mentioned earlier, the bloke has taken lure fishing to an incredible level.
Eagles may soar, but Weasels don't get sucked into jet engines!
When I was a nipper (late 70's), if I remember correctly one of the biggest Barbel ever at the time (around 14lb 6oz) was caught by a Salmon angler on a devon minnow.
Another big up to Pete Felstead who was mentioned earlier, the bloke has taken lure fishing to an incredible level.
Dave, the record was I believe 14.6 until the early 90s, two fish shared this heady position, but years previously a fish was caught off Ibsley bridge by a salmon angler but was out of season, weighed 16.1 and yes I'm sure it was on a devon minnow.
The ibsley fish is written into barbel folk law and I remember driving along in that part of the world and seeing a sign for Ibsley so I turned off and drove there, stood on the bridge and peered into those cool clear waters dreaming of whiskered leviathans......the prat I am
Cheers Alan
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" Seneca, some Roman chap.
When I was a nipper (late 70's), if I remember correctly one of the biggest Barbel ever at the time (around 14lb 6oz) was caught by a Salmon angler on a devon minnow.
Another big up to Pete Felstead who was mentioned earlier, the bloke has taken lure fishing to an incredible level.
Dave, the record was I believe 14.6 until the early 90s, two fish shared this heady position, but years previously a fish was caught off Ibsley bridge by a salmon angler but was out of season, weighed 16.1 and yes I'm sure it was on a devon minnow.
The ibsley fish is written into barbel folk law and I remember driving along in that part of the world and seeing a sign for Ibsley so I turned off and drove there, stood on the bridge and peered into those cool clear waters dreaming of whiskered leviathans......the prat I am
Cheers Alan
Long time ago Alan and I was a mere whipper snapper but yeh, that sounds about right by my memory.
Eagles may soar, but Weasels don't get sucked into jet engines!
I know a lure angler who had an 8lber on a lure the barbel was totally blind and probably feeding in vibratory mode, although in old fishing books a dead or live gudgeon was recommended as bait.
When I was a nipper (late 70's), if I remember correctly one of the biggest Barbel ever at the time (around 14lb 6oz) was caught by a Salmon angler on a devon minnow.
Another big up to Pete Felstead who was mentioned earlier, the bloke has taken lure fishing to an incredible level.
Dave, the record was I believe 14.6 until the early 90s, two fish shared this heady position, but years previously a fish was caught off Ibsley bridge by a salmon angler but was out of season, weighed 16.1 and yes I'm sure it was on a devon minnow.
The ibsley fish is written into barbel folk law and I remember driving along in that part of the world and seeing a sign for Ibsley so I turned off and drove there, stood on the bridge and peered into those cool clear waters dreaming of whiskered leviathans......the prat I am
Cheers Alan
Not a p**t at all Alan, we all do it, its just that some of us do it more than others.
Only the other day I chatted to yet another visitor who had stood on the bridge and gazed into those crystal waters (then asked me if it was the river Wylye )
The river of dreams, it certainly is, there is no other to compare.
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
I can share my experience with Spanish barbels .
I've fished 3 different species: Andalusian barbel (Luciobarbus sclateri), Iberian barbel (Luciobarbus comizo) and Luciobarbus bocagei
They are hard to fool, but they prey on bleaks quite often, got one with a Fiiish Black Minnow this summer, though it broke the line when I was about to land it. The fight was hard to forget, they are f**** torpedoes when hooked.
Also got many follows and failed attacks on crankbaits.
About other cyprinids, I've caught common carps and even huge bleaks while fishing catfish and perchs with spoons and soft plastics. When food dwindles any fish can become a fierce predator.
I can share my experience with Spanish barbels .
I've fished 3 different species: Andalusian barbel (Luciobarbus sclateri), Iberian barbel (Luciobarbus comizo) and Luciobarbus bocagei
They are hard to fool, but they prey on bleaks quite often, got one with a Fiiish Black Minnow this summer, though it broke the line when I was about to land it. The fight was hard to forget, they are f**** torpedoes when hooked.
Also got many follows and failed attacks on crankbaits.
About other cyprinids, I've caught common carps and even huge bleaks while fishing catfish and perchs with spoons and soft plastics. When food dwindles any fish can become a fierce predator.
I'd really like to have a go at the different barbel species in Spain, looks like cracking fishing
When I was a nipper (late 70's), if I remember correctly one of the biggest Barbel ever at the time (around 14lb 6oz) was caught by a Salmon angler on a devon minnow.
Another big up to Pete Felstead who was mentioned earlier, the bloke has taken lure fishing to an incredible level.
Dave, the record was I believe 14.6 until the early 90s, two fish shared this heady position, but years previously a fish was caught off Ibsley bridge by a salmon angler but was out of season, weighed 16.1 and yes I'm sure it was on a devon minnow.
The ibsley fish is written into barbel folk law and I remember driving along in that part of the world and seeing a sign for Ibsley so I turned off and drove there, stood on the bridge and peered into those cool clear waters dreaming of whiskered leviathans......the prat I am
Cheers Alan
The 16lb 1oz fish caught by Charles Cassey at Ibsley was, I'm pretty sure, foul hooked Alan, he was using a Devon minnow however.
When I was a nipper (late 70's), if I remember correctly one of the biggest Barbel ever at the time (around 14lb 6oz) was caught by a Salmon angler on a devon minnow.
Another big up to Pete Felstead who was mentioned earlier, the bloke has taken lure fishing to an incredible level.
Dave, the record was I believe 14.6 until the early 90s, two fish shared this heady position, but years previously a fish was caught off Ibsley bridge by a salmon angler but was out of season, weighed 16.1 and yes I'm sure it was on a devon minnow.
The ibsley fish is written into barbel folk law and I remember driving along in that part of the world and seeing a sign for Ibsley so I turned off and drove there, stood on the bridge and peered into those cool clear waters dreaming of whiskered leviathans......the prat I am
Cheers Alan
The 16lb 1oz fish caught by Charles Cassey at Ibsley was, I'm pretty sure, foul hooked Alan, he was using a Devon minnow however.
Yeah your right I remember and it complete the tail!
Cheers Alan
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" Seneca, some Roman chap.
I can share my experience with Spanish barbels .
I've fished 3 different species: Andalusian barbel (Luciobarbus sclateri), Iberian barbel (Luciobarbus comizo) and Luciobarbus bocagei
They are hard to fool, but they prey on bleaks quite often, got one with a Fiiish Black Minnow this summer, though it broke the line when I was about to land it. The fight was hard to forget, they are f**** torpedoes when hooked.
Also got many follows and failed attacks on crankbaits.
About other cyprinids, I've caught common carps and even huge bleaks while fishing catfish and perchs with spoons and soft plastics. When food dwindles any fish can become a fierce predator.
I'd really like to have a go at the different barbel species in Spain, looks like cracking fishing
(You can keep them horrible slug fish )
I was fishing a massive flooded valley called Lake zahara about 15 years back, for anything that swims. Had some bass on lures and carp on meat/corn. Forgot to set the baitrunner on one of the rods and the next thing I knew was when the pod hit me in the side of the head as one took off.....was about 7lb but fought brilliantly for a stillwater barbel
Worth a Google. There's an English bloke who has been and done it.
there was a pnp/Lure angler magazine article about this a year or so ago i think, cant remember which but it looked absolutely awesome. He said Iran was absolutely nothing like its portrayed in the press, no great suprise there!
(different specie of Barbel granted)
http://www.canterburypac.blogspot.com
and I remember driving along in that part of the world and seeing a sign for Ibsley so I turned off and drove there, stood on the bridge and peered into those cool clear waters dreaming of whiskered leviathans......the prat I am 
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