tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795326213870086165.post2173227191557700741..comments2024-01-17T23:22:20.131+00:00Comments on Fishy Business, an angler's journal.: Is a 10lb Barbel still a big deal? Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10432763090239837056noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795326213870086165.post-25904591852897167292015-12-06T21:23:37.087+00:002015-12-06T21:23:37.087+00:00Cheers Richard, you have some great fish there. Wh...Cheers Richard, you have some great fish there. Whilst I'd like to feel there was some skill on your part there's not a chance in hell that this would've happened over a decade ago. Barbel are as big as they have ever been. Tight lines. Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10432763090239837056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795326213870086165.post-23653500207442028322015-11-29T17:55:40.942+00:002015-11-29T17:55:40.942+00:00I've had 15lb barbel off 12 rivers so far, wi...I've had 15lb barbel off 12 rivers so far, with my biggest off the trent at 19lb 2oz.<br /><br />Richard Easom Three foot twitch baits owner.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795326213870086165.post-8328096514784011082015-11-21T18:22:39.433+00:002015-11-21T18:22:39.433+00:00Jeff, I make you spot on. From all the magical wei...Jeff, I make you spot on. From all the magical weights we have been brought up on such as a 20lb river pike and a 2lb roach, then a 10lb barbel has become achievable for almost everyone. From the 90 rivers on the barbel record list, only 4 have a record under 10lb and over a third have records in excess of 15lb. Times have moved on and I agree that 12lb is probably the new 10lb and a fish of 15lb+ the fish of a lifetime. For the record, I've never had a 2lb roach, came close to a river twenty pike a couple of years ago but have managed half dozen doubles this season. Kind of proves the point. Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10432763090239837056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795326213870086165.post-72761582847066588092015-11-21T09:54:22.478+00:002015-11-21T09:54:22.478+00:00I believe that ten pounds is so easily achievable ...I believe that ten pounds is so easily achievable that it means very little these days. I think 12 pounds is about right but my personal hurdle is 14 pounds. That is very hard to achieve but not actually impossible on any major league barbel river.<br /> <br />I think the equivalent of the two pound roach is the standard that all specimen hunters need to set themselves. That doesn't mean for a moment that the percentage of the record should be how it's done. 50% of that means very little when it comes to chub, for instance, but a great deal when it comes to roach. 50% for barbel is a little under ten and a half pounds but 2lb 2oz for roach. For chub just 4lb 10oz. <br /><br />Fish for all these with a vengeance for an entire season and you know what's going to happen. You're going to exceed the mark for chub many, many times over and with ease, catch plenty of barbel in excess, but be very lucky to find roach that size let alone catch one. The bar is way too low. And as you say, the sheer numbers of doubles caught tell us that.<br /><br />However, it serves as a neat round number for the majority of anglers. So I don't expect things to change.Jeff Hatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16164198326538064799noreply@blogger.com