10lb 15oz barbel tops six fish haul

Ron Cooper wasn’t put off when he arrived at a stretch of the Lower River Severn to be faced with a rapidly rising river and went on to land six barbel topped by this fish of 10lb 15oz.

Knowing that conditions would be difficult, the 64-year-old retired policeman decided to fish just one rod with a lump of luncheon meat on a simple running rig setup.

He said: “There was lots of debris and trees coming down and, sadly, a dead cow. I was struggling to keep control with all the extra water pushing through and I had to keep reeling in to clear my line.”

Ron’s winning presentation consisted of a size 4 Drennan Specialist hook attached to a 12lb mainline and a 5oz lead to hold bottom.