Stone Loach species guide • Freshwater fish • Very easy (1/10)

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.

🎣 View starter tackle setups 📋 Log a Stone Loach catch
Junior-first & welfare-aware • 3-step beginner plan • UK venues & seasons
Skill & size • Seasons • Beginner baits

Skill level

Very easy (1/10)

Perfect for first-ever fishing trips with young juniors.

Best time

Spring–Autumn

Pick mild, settled days for junior sessions.

Typical size

5–10 cm; very small bottom feeder.

Always match hooks, nets & lines to expected fish size.

🐟

Beginner baits

Maggots, worms, bread

Keep it simple — small hook baits, little-and-often feeding.

Typical venues: Clean, stony streams and small rivers.
Scroll down for detailed tackle setups, methods and parent-friendly guidance.
Catch your first stone loach with confidence

Catch your first Stone Loach in 3 steps

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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

Fish Health & EA Advice

Linked conditions and guidance for Stone Loach.

Chilodonella
Parasite 🟠 High risk

Chilodonella

Chilodonella is a fast-spreading parasite that attacks the skin and gills of freshwater fish. It can cause heavy mucus, grey patches, breathing problems, and even death if untreated. It thrives in poor water quality, overcrowded waters, and when fish are stressed. Good fishery management is the best way to prevent outbreaks.

Read full advice

Your experience on this site will be improved by allowing cookies.