In winter a warm front with mild westerley winds and plenty of the wet stuff can be the trigger for barbel to wake up and smell the meat, or whichever bait we choose under the circumstances. We just need to be very careful in these conditions as the river can turn into a much less friendly place to be, as the levels rise and banks turn to sheets of slippery mud. Enjoy!!

Probably the hardest weather conditions for catching barbel, are the very cold temperatures with High pressure and clear skies. Here you can trust to instinct that the fish will feed at some point, usually on dark by habit, but also at the warmest part of the afternoon, and with the right bait we can provoke a response.