What tackle do I need to catch Stone Loach?

Beginner anglers usually do best with simple, safe tackle such as: Whip, Pole. Start with an IDEAL or GOOD-rated setup and keep rigs balanced for fish welfare.

What bait works well for Stone Loach?

Natural baits such as maggots, worms or bread often work well for Stone Loach.

Stone Loach | Clubnest Species Guide

Stone Loach junior fishing guide

Barbatula barbatula

A clear, plain-English guide to stone loach for parents, coaches and juniors. See where they live, the best starter tackle, simple bait choices and a three-step plan to help young anglers catch their first one safely.

Junior-first & welfare-aware • 3-step beginner plan • UK venues & seasons

Catch your first Stone Loach in 3 steps

A simple, repeatable plan juniors can follow with help from a parent, coach or older angler.

Step 1

Work in shallow riffles and margins

Stone Loach live between stones in shallow, clean streams. Encourage juniors to kneel down and move slowly around the water’s edge.
Step 2

Use small nets under lifted stones

Place a small net downstream, gently lift a stone and let the current wash any fish into the mesh. Transfer catches into a tray for viewing.
Step 3

Return stones and fish carefully

Always put stones back where they came from and return fish quickly. This is a great opportunity to teach respect for river habitats.

Tackle setups that work

Designed with juniors and fish welfare in mind. Start with an IDEAL or GOOD setup for easier casting and safe unhooking.

👉 Swipe sideways to view different setups.

Whip

Beginner tip: Keep the rig short, feed little and often, and strike by just lifting the whip – no big swings.

IDEAL

Rod: 3–5 m whip or telescopic pole with a fine solid tip.

Reel: ❌ Not used (fixed line / elasticated top only).

Line: 0.08–0.10 mm mainline with 0.06–0.08 mm hooklength.

Terminal tackle

["Size 20–24 fine wire hook"
"0.1–0.3 g slim pencil float"
"Shirt-button shotting pattern"]

Extras

["Small bait tub with maggots or pinkies"
"Catapult for regular loose feed"
"Disgorger and small landing net"]

Whip fishing for small silvers is all about speed, rhythm and keeping fish coming safely close in.

Pole

Beginner tip: Keep the pole low over the water to stop the rig swinging and ship back smoothly, not fast.

GOOD

Rod: 6–8 m elasticated pole with light top kit.

Reel: ❌ Not used (pole, fixed line only).

Line: 0.10 mm mainline with 0.07–0.09 mm hooklength and soft no.4–6 elastic.

Terminal tackle

["0.2–0.4 g pole float"
"strung-out shotting pattern"
"Size 20–22 fine wire hook"]

Extras

["Pole roller or simple roost"
"Pole sock or tulip rest"
"Soft landing net"]

Short pole fishing gives juniors control and precision for catching lots of small silvers.

About the Stone Loach

Stone Loach are slim, whiskered little fish that wriggle between stones in shallow, clear streams. They are rarely targeted deliberately and are best admired in the water.

Junior tip

Gently lift stones in shallow streams and see if you can spot loach darting away. They are great for nature discovery sessions.

Logged a Stone Loach recently?

Add a catch report so juniors can see where they’re being caught, which baits work and how your tackle was set up.

Submit a catch report

Want to discover more species? Browse the full species guide.

← Back to all species

For parents & carers

Use this page to quickly judge if Stone Loach are a good match for your child’s confidence and ability.

● Clear guidance on safe handling, landing nets and unhooking.

● Beginner tackle that’s lightweight and manageable for juniors.

● Written in plain language so non-angling parents can still support on the bank.

At a glance

Family

Nemacheilidae

Feeding zone

Bottom

Diet

Tiny invertebrates and insect larvae living between stones.

Typical size

5–10 cm; very small bottom feeder.

Best season

Year-round; most visible in low, clear water.

Conservation

Least Concern but sensitive to heavy pollution.

UK distribution

Widespread in many streams and rivers across Britain.

Typical venues

Look for stone loach in:

Clean stony streams and small rivers.