So far we have looked at tackle, bait and where to fish etc. Now we move on to the actual session itself. If you have never fished for barbel before then you need to be either totally focused on the rod or else take other precautions (which we will look at in due course). Otherwise you will find that stories of rods being pulled into the river are more than just old wives’ tales!

Due to the fact that I do a lot of session angling on venues such as the Lower Severn, very often I incorporate bite alarms into my barbel fishing. And I usually find myself using them too, even if I am on a shorter session elsewhere and not necessarily relying on a noise to alert me to the fact that a fish has taken the bait.

There is a lot of anti-bite alarm feeling around, but as long as they are turned low then don’t be intimidated. If you feel that they bring an extra edge to the particular type of fishing you are doing at that time (I often fish with a heavy lead and hair rig boilie approach), then use them to your advantage.

Due to the sudden and often aggressive way that a barbel bite first registers, you need to be literally on your rod at all times. In order to give you a moment or two’s grace though, if the swim allows it (ie not fishing against a snag) then you can either adjust the clutch to let out line or else set the baitrunner facility if you have that on your reel.

But whatever you do you will want to strike into the fish as soon as the rod lurches over. There is debate about whether all barbel bites are the lunge type or not, but one thing is for sure, the moment the fish realises that it is hooked then you will know about it!

Once hooked, the fish will instinctively do all that it can to avoid capture. Invariably this will mean that it will head for the nearest snag. This could be a natural feature such as overhanging branches or underwater roots to things such as shopping trolleys or tyres!

That’s why I recommended not going too light on line strength earlier in the series. Hook into your first barbel and you will see why I gave that advice. And you will find even the small ones race off like an express train.

Once hooked you have to find the balance between applying pressure to the fish yet at the same time making sure that you can give line when necessary. Obviously it is easier to achieve if you are in a peg that has plenty of water and nothing else. But eventually, if all goes to plan you will begin to draw the fish closer to the bank and the waiting landing net.

Always be aware though that just as you think you’ve won the battle, the barbel will tear off again on a run, and this can happen several times. Therefore make sure that you are prepared, as it would be awful to lose a fish after you’ve done all the hard work.

When the time does come to net the fish make sure that your net is already in place and ready for action. I always have mine in a handy place anyway, so that once I am into a barbel it’s a simple enough procedure to submerge the net so that you can draw the fish over it.

You can then lift it ensuring that it cannot escape should the hook pull or a sudden burst of strength on the part of the fish cause the line to break. These things can happen and it’s best to take no chances.