Freshwater

Barbel (European barbel)

Barbo europeo

Barbus barbus

Freshwater

At a glance

Typical size

3–10 lb.

Depth

2–12 ft.

Best time

Dusk and the first hours of darkness.

Found in

5 areas

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: A long, powerful bronze-golden fish with a flat belly, an underslung mouth with thick lips, four fleshy barbels (whiskers), and coral-red lower fins and tail. Built to hug the bottom in fast water.
Typical size: 3–10 lb.
Maximum size: About 3 ft and over 20 lb (England's record is around 21 lb).
Diet: Insect larvae, snails, crayfish, mussels and small fish, rooted from the gravel.
Behavior: Lives in groups on clean gravel under fast water, behind weed beds and weirs, and feeds most at dusk and at night. One of the hardest-fighting fish in European rivers.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from United Kingdom & Ireland, France, Northern & Central Europe, Black Sea & Caspian and Greece & the Adriatic. Medium to large rivers with gravel bottoms across England, France, Germany, the Low Countries and the Danube basin; famous English rivers include the Severn, Trent, Wye and Hampshire Avon.
Habitat: Medium to large rivers with gravel bottoms across England, France, Germany, the Low Countries and the Danube basin; famous English rivers include the Severn, Trent, Wye and Hampshire Avon.
Depth: 2–12 ft.
Fishing depth: On the bottom.
Best season: Summer and autumn; the English river season runs June 16 to March 14.
Best time: Dusk and the first hours of darkness.
Best tides: No tide; a river slightly up and colored after rain is ideal.
Best weather / conditions: Warm, cloudy evenings and rising, colored water.

What to tie on and what to throw.

Best bait: Halibut pellets, luncheon meat, sweetcorn, boilies, maggots and worms.
Best artificial lures: Rarely used; nearly all barbel fishing is with bait.
Tackle setup: 11–12 ft barbel or feeder rod (1¾–2 lb test curve) with a 4000 reel.
Hook size: Strong #6–12 barbless hooks, often on a hair rig.
Line: 10–15 lb mono.
Leader: 10–12 lb braided hooklink.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

Also at Bass Pro Shops: Rod Reel Line Bait Feeder Hooks

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Medium to large rivers with gravel bottoms across England, France, Germany, the Low Countries and the Danube basin; famous English rivers include the Severn, Trent, Wye and Hampshire Avon.
Rig up: 11–12 ft barbel or feeder rod (1¾–2 lb test curve) with a 4000 reel. 10–12 lb braided hooklink.
Pick your bait: Halibut pellets, luncheon meat, sweetcorn, boilies, maggots and worms. Lures: Rarely used; nearly all barbel fishing is with bait.
Fish it: Feed a swim with pellets from a feeder or bait dropper, then fish a hair-rigged pellet or meat on the bottom with the rod held or on a rest; the bite is a savage pull that bends the rod round.
Time it: Dusk and the first hours of darkness. No tide; a river slightly up and colored after rain is ideal.

Fishing techniques: Feed a swim with pellets from a feeder or bait dropper, then fish a hair-rigged pellet or meat on the bottom with the rod held or on a rest; the bite is a savage pull that bends the rod round.
BigJoe's tip: Barbel fight hard and get exhausted. Rest the fish in the current, facing upstream, until it swims away strongly on its own.
Catch and release: Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Edibility: Edible but not prized — strong or bony; many anglers release it.
Cleaning: Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.
Cooking suggestions: Edible but bony, and the roe is poisonous; it's eaten in parts of Eastern Europe but nearly always released elsewhere.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: The eggs (roe) of barbel are poisonous; never eat them.
Regulations: A licence plus a club or river permit is needed. In England and Wales there is a closed season on rivers from March 15 to June 15. Barbel are released after capture almost everywhere in the UK. Freshwater fishing in Europe always needs a permit: a national or regional license where one exists (for example the rod licence in England and Wales or the French carte de pêche) plus a permit or day ticket from the club, lake or river owner.
Conservation: Barbel are almost always released in the UK. Use strong tackle so you don't break off and leave hooks in fish.

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Sources & photo credits