Hunch pays off for 14lb barbel

When you’re targeting big river fish there’s a lot to be said for listening to your gut instincts – as proved by Simon Buckman when his first visit to a new stretch produced this fin-perfect 14lb 8oz barbel.

He’s the first to admit that the swim he selected on a river in the south of the UK wasn’t one that he’d usually opt for, but after getting ‘a hunch’ that barbel were in the area, the West Sussex-based big fish hunter set his trap.

Two 15 mm Dynamite Baits Source boilies were mounted on a hair-rig and cast out in the early hours of the morning and it wasn’t long before what turned out to be his only bite of the session, resulted in the capture of only his second barbel of the year.

 “The swim that I fished didn’t immediately scream barbel, but I just had a feeling that it could produce one, so I just trusted my instincts and it really paid off ,” Simon  told Angling Times.

“I’ve fished plenty of nights this year without any success and it’s been really tough going, but this has more than made up for it.

“It’s easy to get used to fishing the same stretches and swims that you know like the back of your hand because familiarity breeds confidence. But this catch is perfect proof that it’s always worth ringing the changes whether it’s a new venue, swim, tactic or bait.”

Simon’s rig featured a 4oz inline lead and his baits were fished in conjunction with a size 6 Drennan Super Specialist hook.