In message , "Biffa @ Work"
writes
Hi,

Fancy a change from the usual carp/pike this bank holiday.
So a couple of mates & myself fancy targeting the old bearded bottom
scavenger.... (fnar).
We're in the middle of Oxford, Swindon, Newbury & Reading, but I've heard
that the Thames ain't that great for Barbel.
Can anyone recommend some where not to far, that may be an easier fish for
barbel ?

The River Marden is a tributary of the Bristol Avon, and certainly used
to be fishable on a Calne AA day ticket. While I think I could find the
area I used to fish for barbel, I'm not sure I could describe how to get
there, but the tackle shop in Calne should be able to help, as well as
selling you a ticket. If you find yourself parking by an old mill, with
the river slow and confined upstream of a weirpool and fast and narrow
below it, you're still too far upstream. This is an excellent stretch
for chub, but I've never caught a barbel from it. You want the next
section down, where the river goes under the road and over a small weir.
You have to park in a laybye. You can catch barbel anywhere from that
weir down.

As far as the Thames goes, does anyone know any good barbel water on the
South Cerney card?

--
Steve Walker