Big week for barbel topped by new Severn record

A huge 16lb 11oz River Severn record barbel has been caught this week by Kevin Gittins during an evening session.

It smashed the previous river record by 6oz and took over 25 minutes to land after picking up Kevin’s double boilie hookbait.

“It ripped 40 metres off braid off my reel and then fought like a big carp for around 15 minutes until everything went solid as it found a snag,” Kevin told Angling Times.

“I put the rod back in the rest and thankfully after a few minutes the fish started to take line again, and gave me a second chance. After what felt like an age I flicked the head torch on as I felt the fish was about to break the surface and that’s when the adrenaline really kicked in.

“When it went into the net I let out an almighty gasp and slumped back into my old chair - I couldn’t believe that the fish that I’d been after for over 14 years was sitting in the bottom of my landing net.”

Patience also paid off for Ian Grant who had to endure several blank sessions before slipping the net under a 16lb 8oz River Loddon barbel.

The Twyford and District Angling Club head bailiff tempted the huge fish using his own homemade bait after pre-baiting a swim every other night for over a week.

A jubilant Ian said: “I'd been blanking for several sessions in a swim a few hundred yards upstream of where I caught it as this is where they usually are but luckily I had been baiting another swim which I moved to and it paid off.”

Ian beat his prize with a running leger setup comprising 18ins of Sufix Black Silt tied to 12lb Berkley Big Game mainline.

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