Barbel fishing on the big rivers in Holland is a bit different compared to England. We can not observe the barbel because of the depths of the river as the barbel spots on the river ‘De IJssel’ are 4-8 meters.

I have to choose a good barbel spot with a good riverbed and if there are no barbel I have to attract the barbel to my bait.

I began two or three days before I planned to fish. It is always a good idea to throw in an amount of your chosen bait, this can have the affect of Brainwashing the Barbel into choosing your bait. I use the Sonubaits 6 mm Halibut pellets (1 Kilo) and 11mm Halibut pellets (1 Kilo) and use a ½ tin of Sonubaits Hemp 'N' Corn these are my favourite choices for this practice and most effective, you can also lace it with a few hookbaits of your choice, you can form quite an attractive carpet of smells and tastes on the river bed, which will excite the fish into feeding next time you arrive to fish. If the stretch of water you choose sees a lot of a certain bait, then the Barbel become accustomed to eating it, if not then pre-baiting is essential. It can take a considerable time to introduce the fish to a new bait.

The bad/good thing about pre baiting is that it is attracting alot of other spieces, like bream, ide, and roach. During some of my barbel sessions this summer I caught some big bream and Ide, and even two times a new personal best: bream 10.5 lbs and ide 8.4 lbs

The Tuff 1 Halibut pellets are perfect for barbel, but also for other big fish. The baits are packed with feed stimulators, nutrients and oils and make them an outstanding bait.

In those barbel sessions I give the pellets an extra dimension with the action dip (crab and crayfish). And if I use a certain flavour I always use it in the pre- baiting sessions by soaking the pellets in that kind of flavour.

Mostly I don’t like it when I’m fishing for barbel and I catch other spieces but if they are big....I don’t mind, bring it on!

I caught my PB bream and ide with the Korum Neoteric Twin tip 1.75lbs rod, this rod has a great action that bends right through the blank especially the 8.4 lbs ide was a good fighter I have enjoyed this special fishing moment.