“More rivers have barbel in now than ever before…”
We catch up with the Barbel Society’s Lawrence Breakspear
AS THE Barbel Society prepares for the biggest revamp in its long history, leading committee member Lawrence Breakspear reveals his hopes and dreams for the organisation and the fish in its care.
Q: Why are you the man to take the Barbel Society forward? A: I don’t think I am the man to take the Barbel Society forward; it’s the committee and its membership that will do that. I’m there to support the team during a time of change for the Barbel Society. Whatever the committee ask me to do, I will do to the best of my ability in support of them.
Q: What is your vision for the society? A: I would like the society to be more challenging to those with the responsibility of looking after the river environment. I want it to make the various organisations accountable for their actions, be they pollution issues, predator effects, parasitical infestations and invasive species. I would also like to inspire the committee to become more embracing and outward looking, offering an open hand to those that want our friendship and a clenched fist to those that abuse their position and threaten the barbel and its environment.
Q: What are the major issues facing barbel stocks and angling for them in the UK? Are they more widespread than in the past? A: More rivers have barbel in now than ever before, but this doesn’t mean to say there is a greater national barbel population. In fact, barbel are in decline on most rivers for many reasons, including reduced water flows from abstraction, predation, pollution and oestrogen pollution, which causes male barbel to become females.
The Environment Agency is considering stocking fingerling barbel to the middle Severn because of the decline in barbel numbers. What absolute nonsense. We should be looking into why the barbel numbers are down, not stocking a few hundred fingerlings, whose survival rate is below two per cent.
Q: What are your views on stillwater barbel? A: I see no evidence of barbel being stocked into ponds being a success, in fact I have more evidence of stillwater barbel dying soon after stocking. It’s something the Barbel Society will be taking up again with a vengeance in the future.
Q: What can Des Taylor offer as an ambassador of the Barbel Society? A: Des is an enthusiastic, high profile barbel angler and we recognise his value in getting the message out there.
If we look after the barbel and its environment, all species will benefit and on that basis we endeavour to speak for all river anglers. Des will help us to do this and there will be more ambassadors coming on board. Q: How long have you fished for barbel? What is your favourite river and what is your most memorable barbel-fishing moment? A: I caught my first barbel in 1969 and the species still confounds, confuses and inspires me more than any other.
My favourite river is the Severn, which I first fished as a boy in Bewdley. These days I fish the lower reaches, where I have taken barbel to over 15lb.
I have many memorable moments, but one that stands out is the capture of my largest middle Severn barbel of 13lb 10oz.
After nearly 40 years of barbel fishing and probably 1,000 double-figure fish, I often remember that day as I sit and wait for my centrepin to scream off…