Dr Paul Garner How to make rolling baits for barbel and chub
...a fantastic hookbait and rig for chub and barbel
THERE is something special about catching chub and barbel on a bait trundling downstream.
This is ideally a tactic for smaller and shallower rivers where, with practice, the bait can be guided into likely looking spots with ease.
It is also a great tactic for getting to know a new stretch of river. Not only will you cover many swims, but you will quickly get a feel for the flow patterns in each one.
Bites can vary from a tiny tremor on the rod-tip to a full-blooded wrench. Because the rod is held, you can feel exactly what is going on, and it pays to strike at any indication – you will be surprised how often instinct takes over and you find yourself attached to an angry barbel without even realising you had a bite!
BACON GRILL
I tend to stick to Bacon Grill as my hookbait because it is ‘userfriendly’, with a good consistency that stays on the hook well.
It is important to use a hook that matches the bait size. Don’t be afraid to use a size 6 or 8 in a big piece of meat. The wide gape of a large hook will help to hold the meat in place. A good test is if the meat is still on the hook when you wind it upstream against the current it is secure enough.
Putting a small piece of grass under the bend of the hook will also support the bait and stop it being lost. It will be easily struck off when you get a bite.
How big a bait you use depends on the size of the fish and the distance you need to cast. A 15mm cube is a good starting point, but don’t be afraid to go bigger. I have caught barbel on baits more than twice this size. Rather than cut the meat into cubes at home, I like to give myself the option to choose my bait size when I’m on the river, so just take the bait out of the tin and store it in a bait tub.
Tearing the bait, rather than cutting it, produces a ragged shape that works well. The irregular shape will also roll downstream better than a cube.
Meat lends itself to being flavoured and coloured, and this can give this excellent bait a new lease of life. If your action dries
up, try using meat that has been dyed dark red, as this will stand out less than the normal pink colour. Flavours such as Monster Crab also complement meat well.
PASTE BAITS
While luncheon meat takes some beating, having almost the perfect consistency for burying the hook inside, it isn’t the only bait that can be used. A great alternative is paste – it’s easy to mould around the hook, allowing the size and shape of the bait to be adjusted. It’s perfect for later in the season when the barbel are less inclined to take a big lump of meat.
As with meat, use a tough paste that will hold well on the hook. Stringy pastes are ideal because they remain on the hook for several casts. Boilie paste is another good alternative, and can be bought ready-mixed, ideal for a first trial with this type of bait.
HEAVY HOOKS
Very often the flow will mean that the weight of the bait is not enough to get the hookbait consistently close to the bottom where it is right in the face of any
barbel or chub that it rolls past. The simplest way of getting the bait down is to pinch a couple of swan shot to the line a couple of inches above the hook. This works well in clean swims, but where weed or pebbles are present it can lead to the rig getting hooked up.
A better tactic is to make the hook heavy, as this is buried in the bait and less likely to snag. The easiest way to do this is to wrap a few turns of lead-free solder around the hook shank. Not only does this add weight, but it also gives paste something to stick to.