Crushed boilies and pellets tempt big Avon barbel

The benefit of prebaiting river swims when targeting chub and barbel was demonstrated last week by James Hart, who took this 13lb 14oz specimen from a club-owned stretch of the Hampshire Avon near Ringwood.

The 36-year-old, who was making only his second visit to the stretch, took the fish along with a 5lb chub after lacing several swims with a mixture of Dynamite Baits Frenzied Hemp, 4mm and 8mm Marine Halibut pellets, groundbait and crushed Spicy Shrimp and Prawn boilies, before fishing them in rotation.

For full details, see tomorrow's Angling Times.