RIVER FISHING NEAR ME – BEST RIVERS FOR BARBEL FISHING
Barbel are an excellent choice for pursuit in the UK angling scene, known for their powerful runs and impressive stamina, making them one of the pound-for-pound hardest fighting fish in the UK. As a result, they are highly sought after by sport anglers. However, Barbel can be challenging to locate.
In this article, we cover some of the best Barbel fishing destinations in the UK, providing essential information on how to fish at these locations, along with general pricing. We will showcase the top spots to target Barbel, with links to helpful websites to assist you in planning your next river fishing outing.
Why Trust My Review On The Best Rivers For Barbel Fishing?
My name is Daniel O’Neill, and I am an avid angler with over fourteen years of experience, having fished in waters across all four countries of the UK. My extensive experience spans from tackling the mighty Beluga Sturgeon in Giezno, Poland, to feeder fishing for a selection of hybrids, and targeting some of Northern Ireland’s largest Pike waters.
In all of my articles, I draw on my vast experience to provide anglers with the information they need for a successful outing. As an angler, I understand what works best for those who share my passion.
River Wye
The River Wye situated in Hertfordshire is 134 miles long, being the fifth longest river in the UK. It is well known for its impressive runs of Salmon and holds a record catch of 59lb 8oz, landed by Miss Doreen Davey in the Cow Pond Pool on the 13th of March 1923.
This great feat highlights the river’s pristine water, angling heritage, and fishing potential.
So why have I chosen to recommend the Wye for Barbel fishing? In the 1950s, Angling Times introduced 500 Barbel into the Severn and a small number into the Wye. Over the years the species thrived and became a prime target in the mid-90s.
The middle Wye around Bredwardine became a Barbel hotspot attracting anglers from all over the local area.
Thankfully, after some convincing of the local Salmon anglers, coarse fishing was permitted throughout all seasons and today Barbel can be targeted from Boughrood to Tintern.
It should be noted that when targeting the Wye a double-figure fish would be considered a ‘fish of a lifetime’ and therefore, most anglers only target the Wye specifically for the large catch rate. The fishing there is abundant but if you are hunting for a specimen fish, it is best to look elsewhere.
Today the majority of fishing on the Wye is club only, however there are day tickets for £10 that permit fishing on a section known as ‘town water.’ This body of water is well known for its Barbel and Pike fishing.
River Severn
Prices: £8 – day ticket and £40 – season ticket
The River Severn is the longest river in the UK at 220 miles in length. The river flows through three counties before entering the sea at the Severn Estuary.
Barbel fishing on the Severn is superb around the Welsh border area, being found as far up as the Welshpool. The river’s geology in this location is relatively similar to that of the Wye. Anglers can expect fish meandering corners with gravel beds deposited along the river.
Coming from a local angler, if you haven’t received a strike from a Barbel within 20-30 minutes, it is best to move spots as you are likely to receive a take within five minutes of baiting your swim.
Swim feeders are an extremely popular method of fishing on the Severn, and a ground bait feeder with pellets, hemp, and boilie hook bait is known as the most effective approach.
The Birmingham Anglers Association hold the rights to most of the middle sections of the river, with annual membership costing £40 per angler. If you are interested in a day ticket, Kinver Freeliners offer them at £8 per day for their Hampton Loade stretch.
River Trent
The River Trent is the third longest river in the UK and is well known for its large run of specimen Barbel. It starts in Staffordshire and flows to the North Midlands directly out of the Humber Estuary. At a total length of 298km, there are numerous locations for targeting Barbel along the river.
A large number of the swims on the Trent are club owned, therefore we will focus our attention on a popular day ticket stretch of the river, encompassing two miles of fishable water. Fiskerton and Rolleston fisheries offer day tickets for £8, permitting the use of two rods at a time.
Multiple species can be landed from this section of the river such as Barbel, Chub, Pike Carp, Roach, Perch and Dace. The fisheries permit a variety of methods, so whether you are interested in stick float or heavy swim feeders, there is something for every angler.
The current Barbel record stands at a massive 20lb 6oz, caught on the 20th June 2020 by angler Seweryn Kowalski, showcasing the true specimens within the Trent.
Many anglers highlight that although most shy away from fishing the river in full flood, locals believe this is one of the best times to target the Barbel on the Trent. Fishing with 15lb line, a large chunk of hair-rigged luncheon meat targeting meanders, and rock headlands can be highly productive.
River Rhymney
The River Rhymney is situated in the Welsh Valley and runs through New Tredegar to the east of Cardiff.
Although a relatively small river it is well known for its Barbel and Grayling fishing. Barbel are usually targeted from its lower reaches at Draethen to the Caerphilly Angling Association water.
Barbel is not the usual target of anglers in the Rhymney, however, anglers have landed them up to 9lb 12oz and many believe that the river holds larger fish.
A River Rhymney day ticket can be purchased for £10 at the Caerphilly Angling’s club page. This permits you to fish the Rhymney for Barbel on all of the club’s water.
River Taff
The River Taff is situated in the Brecon Beacons where two rivers known as Afon Taf and Taf Fechan join at Merthyr Tydfil and run into the Bristol Channel. Barbel can be targeted by anglers from the Radyr Weir to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Each year the River Taff is known for producing a selection of double-figure Barbel. In 2014 an 18lb 1oz Barbel was caught from the Taff. This semi-recent catch illustrates the potential sizes that Barbel can reach throughout this stretch of water.
Anglers should be aware that fishing on the Taff is far from easy. A combination of issues makes it challenging for anglers to target Barbel. For example, many stretches prohibit night fishing and there are also relatively limited swims along the river, some of which can be dangerous at times to fish.
Nonetheless, do not let these issues prevent you from targeting the Barbel. A challenging water to target usually means less activity and therefore the fish may be less cautious when feeding, improving your chance of receiving a strike.
Day tickets for the River Taff must be purchased from Garry Evans Tackle Shop situated on Whitchurch Road in Cardiff. A seasonal license can be purchased all year around from the Glamorgan Anglers Club.
Before anglers commence their Barbel targeting pursuit on the Taff, they should be aware of water temperatures. As the River Taff is situated in the Beacons it can still remain cold during summertime. Therefore, a warm flood in autumn and winter is ideal for chasing Barbel on the Taff.
Back in 2019, Glamorgan Anglers Club restocked the waterway with a large sum of juvenile Barbel to address the reduction of smaller fish in previous years.
River Nene – East Midlands
Prices: Prices vary, day-tickets and club cards are available for purchase
The River Nene is 105 miles long and runs through East England. It is the tenth longest river in the UK and has a good stock of Barbel. It starts in Northamptonshire and runs out to the North Sea at The Wash.
Known as a superb coarse fishery, the river is home to the likes of Roach, Bream, Pike Carp, Chub, Dace, and of course Barbel. The variety of species makes it highly appealing for coarse anglers.
Day tickets can be purchased for stretches at Thrapston and Irthlingborough. A club card can be purchased from Wellingborough for £45 (£30 for seniors), providing access to stretches in the same area as well as Barnwell/Oundle.
Day tickets may be purchased for anglers seeking to fish Castor Backwater – known for its great swims upstream of the bridge on the left-hand bank. As well as the great Barbel fishing there are specimen-sized Chubs and Roaches to be landed.
Sometimes the water runs crystal clear, which always makes for an interesting fishing experience.
Barbel have been landed up to 16lb on the River Nene, showcasing the potential catches of this water. However, it should be noted that night fishing on the Nene is not permitted, which may deter some anglers.
River Derwent
Prices: £7 to £5 per day depending on selected club water
A small river in Derbyshire, known as River Derwent, stretching 50 miles long with the majority running through the Peak District. Although it doesn’t stand out as a prime spot for Barbel, it fishes surprisingly well for them.
The River Derwent has a nice selection of species, such as Chub, Roach, Perch, Bream and Dace. Local anglers report that Barbel ranging from 11lb to 14lb are caught each year.
Koi Croydon landed an impressive 17lb 1oz Barbel from the River Derwent on a dropping water, in a swim where the river narrows into a channel after a bend. This fish was landed just after sunset using a paste-wrapped shrimp boilie hook bait.
A day ticket that costs £7 for the River Derwent can be purchased online from the Earl of Harrington Angling Club, covering Darley Weir downstream to Handyside Bridge, Chester Green and River Gardens Weir downstream to Borrowash Bridge.
Anglers should be aware that some stretches of the water, as well as convenient parking, is only permitted for club anglers and not day ticket holders.
Furthermore, Belper & District Angling Club offer day tickets priced at a reasonable £5 each with discounts for the disabled available on their website. This covers you for fishing all of their water with the exception to Wyver Lane Pond which is reserved for club members.
Overall both clubs’ presence on the water provides anglers a vast amount of well-maintained water to target the River Derwent’s great selection of Barbel.
River Ouse – Yorkshire
The River Ouse is a river situated in North Yorkshire in England, at 129 miles long it is the sixth-longest river in the UK.
The River Ouse is known as one of the most challenging rivers for Barbel fishing. However, I have included it on today’s list as anglers have reported that although it is difficult to find the Barbel, they can lie in great numbers and some days are a fantastic sport.
Many anglers report that the river itself seems to lack obvious fish-holding features, but do not let this deter you, after persistently searching the river at low water for snags, take note and fish these in floods, preferably on warmer summer evenings.
A good starting point would be the mile stretch from Felmersham, divided by the railway bridge. Anglers have reported that above the bridge has a good selection of Roach and Bream, whereas below the bridge, is a shallow weedy area known for holding massive Barbel and Chub.
The Olney Mill offers day tickets for fishing on a stretch of river known for its gravel pits. Gravel is a great terrain to search for when targeting Barbel, usually indicating a good pace of water. Furthermore, this particular stretch was previously known for Barbel, Tench, and Bream although the number of fish has decreased. Night fishing is permitted but regulated. Tickets can be purchased from the Olney & Clifton website for £5.
The River Ouse produced a 13lb 7oz Barbel on the 11th August 2021, caught by angler Mark Jackson. This record showcases the potential Barbel anglers can catch in the River Ouse.
River Colne
The River Colne is a tributary of the River Thames and is situated in south Hertfordshire.
The Rickmansworth one-mile stretch holds some great Barbel and Carp and is a popular location for targeting shoals of Roach and Dace. The lower “Money Weir” has massive Bream weighing up to 13lb.
Overall, the River Colne is a coarse anglers paradise with Barbel to over 14lb, Bream to 13lb, Carp to 20lb, Chub to 9lb, as well as a mixture of different species. The Thorney Weir is a wide stretch of the river with some well-kept swims for anglers looking to target these fish.
A Thorney Weir day ticket can be purchased for £10 for the day or £15 for 24 hours.
There is also a club run by Bath Road Piscatorial Society for the River Colne at Hithermoor. Individuals can join the club and purchase guest tickets at monthly meetings. The fishery runs for over a mile stretch on the river, with quick-flowing water over gravel beds – a well-known terrain for Barbel.
A small weir divides the fishery into two sections. The upper section of the fishery has been highly effective for Barbel with fish over 12lb being reported almost every season. The lower section becomes much more productive for Barbel in the later season, so anglers should note this information if they choose to fish the club water.
In 2021, an 11lb 7oz Barbel was landed by James Dennison, showcasing the great potential the River Colne has to offer.
