350lb of Severn barbel taken... on float gear!
Two friends shared in the biggest haul of barbel of the season when they banked 350lb of fish on float tackle.
Armed with just two tins of meat apiece, West Midlands-based Dan Jones and Tom Shakespeare used their local knowledge of the middle reaches of the River Severn to great effect when they cast their simple float rigs out into the fast-flowing water.
Nothing could have prepared the 21-year-old employees at Angling Direct in Halesowen for the session that unfolded as they banked an incredible 56 barbel between them to a best of 9lb 6oz.
Not only did the passionate anglers prove what the Severn is capable of after both individually taking their biggest-ever weights from the river, but they confirmed what many locals have long suspected – you don’t have to spend a fortune on bait to get the best out of your swim.
“We’ve walked miles locating the barbel and once we found them in the fast, oxygenated water we only needed our hookbaits. Neither of us fed a single thing,” said Dan.
“I lost count of the number of times that we were playing fish simultaneously, and we could have had a lot more as I had a break for an hour in the middle of the session when my dad came down and had three or four fish from the swim.”
Their successful rigs featured Drennan Loafer floats, 8lb mainline tied straight through to size 6 hooks and pieces of meat ripped from a chunk of Bait-Tech N-Tice Polony for hookbaits.
Not only did the duo have their fill of barbel, but their tactics also proved the downfall of several chub.
“I ended up with 31 barbel and Tom had 25.
“The average size of fish was around 6lb, but we had a few others well over the 8lb mark, and I had the biggest at 9lb 6oz,” Dan continued.
“It was an incredible day’s fishing and one we’ll never forget.”
Patience finally pays with a 12lb 15oz barbel
A long wait for his first barbel of the season ended when Kevin Durman banked this personal-best 12lb 15oz specimen from a southern chalk stream.
The Korum-backed angler had visited his local waterway every week since June 16, but the barbel had refused to co-operate on each occasion.
Finally, visiting a spot prebaited with Sonubaits Hemp n Spicy Sausage and 6mm halibut pellets, he positioned his rig and an hour later the tip hooped over and a testing battle saw him come out on top.
Kevin said: “It is the sort of venue where you get only one chance – get it wrong and you will spook the fish and it is game over straight away.”
15lb Derwent barbel
Violent takes are usually what anglers experience when barbel fishing, but for Eathan Waddington a slight tap on the tip was the only indication he got before hooking into this personal-best 15lb 5oz specimen.
Fishing a club stretch of the Derwent in Derbyshire, the Derby rod picked a spot with a large overhanging tree where he set up a feeder rig incorporating a cage feeder filled with dampened fishmeal groundbait and 3ft of 12lb hooklength tied to a size 10 Korum Expert Specimen hook.
River Trent barbel at 13lb
The River Trent is the hotspot for barbel this summer and Jamie Newton took advantage when a session on the prolific water resulted in this fine 13lb specimen.
The 16-year-old, Stotabaits field-tester tempted the huge fish on two hair-rigged Gravel Grenade 14mm barrel boilies from a weir close to his Nottingham home.
Jamie’s set-up included a feeder of crushed boilies and hemp attached to 2ft of 12lb Korum hooklink and a size 10 Martin Bowler Drennan hook.
15lb 5oz Trent specimen barbel tops list of catches
Barbel anglers are smashing their personal bests as some of the nation’s premier venues begin to hit top form.
Conditions have tested UK specimen anglers with many rivers running low and clear, but rivers such as the Trent, Severn and Wye have been producing exceptional fish for travelling anglers.
The best fish of the week sets a new personal best for Trent fanatic Steven Dawber when he won the battle with a 15lb 5oz specimen.
A feederfished halibut pellet tipped with a piece of imitation corn proved to be the winning tactic for the 18-year-old from Worksop, who beat the fish with 15lb mainline, a 10lb monofilament hooklink and a size 8 hook.
“I fish this river at least once a week because the sheer number of big barbel is incredible,” said Steven.
“But on my latest session I hardly saw another angler on the bank, which is unbelievable because you’d think that the quality of fishing would have people coming from far and wide.”
Adam Firth proved why seeking local advice is essential when searching for the biggest fish after the River Trent also provided him with a new personal best in the shape of this 12lb 14oz specimen.
The Korum employee leaned on the expertise of top specimen angler Ade Kiddell before his first session on the Barbel Society zone on the tidal reaches and decided to bait up with pellets and hemp.
A large feeder baited with a Sonubaits Code Red Hardened Dumbells was placed over the top.
“It was a 20-minute battle and, once in the net, it was clear that it was bigger than any other barbel I’d landed before. This is an incredible venue,” said Adam.
His successful tackle included Korum Running Rig Kits, a 5oz feeder and 12lb Xpert Power Mono hooklengths to a size 10 hook. He also managed three other barbel to 9lb 6oz.
Allowing a baited area to settle before wetting a line worked a treat for Darren McCann when he took his personal-best 13lb barbel from the River Severn.
Having made a journey of over 100 miles from his West Yorkshire home to the Welsh upper reaches, he quickly put down a bed of pellets before waiting for the fish to turn up.
Once the traps were set, a little patience was required before fish found his 16mm Hook Bait Company Arctic Red boilie.
Four Wye barbel in four casts
River barbel don’t come much better looking than this immaculate fish banked by Angling Times columnist Paul Garner.
The Peg One consultant enjoyed a short stint on the Birmingham Anglers Association’s new stretch of the River Wye at Stacklands and fished a simple pellet feeder rig with hair-rigged boilie pellets to bank four sizeable barbel in as many casts.
“I introduced a pouchful of hemp and a few pellets into the swim every 10 minutes for about half-an-hour before making my first cast, and this fish was the result,” said Paul.
“If anyone is in the area or planning a visit to the Wye this season you should check it out, as the fish came thick and fast considering I wasn’t there for any time at all.”
For more information visit www.baa.uk.com
Digging for barbel victory!
Digging out an overgrown area to create a new peg paid dividends for Andy Degville when he banked this 11lb 3oz barbel from the River Trent. The Tamworth angler made the short journey to a stretch in the middle reaches and hacked through dense foliage in order to make a comfortable spot.
Several chub to just shy of 3lb fell for his Bacon Spam hookbait but it was the double-figure barbel that made all the hard work worthwhile.
The fish were beaten on a leger rig made up of 15lb mainline and a 12lb fluoro hooklength to a size 8 hook.
Pellets woo big barbel
A handful of pellets was all that Steve Stratton needed to tempt this 15lb 8oz barbel from the River Loddon.
The Farnborough rod decided against laying down a large carpet of loosefeed and instead introduced a few halibuts over the top of his 15mm hookbait.
Within less than an hour of starting, the rod tip tapped several times before it viciously wrapped round.
“I had a break of over two decades from the sport, but I got back into it several years ago and it’s moments like this that make me glad I got involved again,” said Steve, who fell just 7oz short of beating his personal best with the capture.
Snap decision leads to 15lb 13oz Trent barbel
A chance session resulted in a new pb for Paul Shaw – this 15lb 13oz barbel.
The 49-year-old Nottingham rod made a snap decision to visit the Pride of Derby AC stretch of the River Trent at Sawley but he was glad he did after breaking his previous best by 5oz. Paul tempted the fish on a homemade boilie he first developed back in the 1980s.
This was hair-rigged to a size 7 Fox long shank hook tied to a small length of Korda Camo hooklink.
Bait boss’s big barbel
Barbel angler Richard Easom has cracked the code to success on the River Trent with a trio of fish to 13lb 2oz.
The Three Foot Twitch Baits boss has landed numerous double-figure specimens from the river this season, and used a 14mm Dubby boilie to add to that tally last week.
An open-end feeder packed with pellets helped draw the fish in and bites were soon forthcoming, with barbel of 11lb 8oz and 10lb 6oz coming to the net before the biggest fish of the session was fooled.
His winning rig was made up of 12lb mainline and a 10lb braided hooklength to a size 10 hook.
Is 19lb River Trent barbel now the UK's biggest?
The River Trent yet again proved why it’s one of the UK’S premier big barbel venues when John Parker banked what could now be the biggest barbel in the country.
Tipping the scales at 19lb, the superb specimen came from John’s favourite stretch of the River Trent and smashed his personal best.
The landscape gardener used a basic leger rig and a hair-rigged piece of luncheon meat with a blade of grass to hold it in place to bank the fish, which has been caught at over 19lb in the past.
And with news of the death of the biggest known barbel in the country – a River Ivel fish that reached a record-shaking 20lb 7oz and was recently killed by an otter –there’s reason to believe that this one could now be the UK’s biggest.
“I have been fishing for more than 40 years, and a 10-pounder was the biggest I’d ever caught,” said John.
“It felt like I’d snagged on the bottom when the tip ripped round after I’d cast my baits 20 yards out into the river. After a 15-minute fight I managed to get it to the surface and I couldn’t believe how big it was.
“It was soon in the net and it was at that point I realised I’d seen this fish before.”
It turned out that John’s big barbel was caught in November last year by 25-year-old Daniel Jamson at 19lb 1oz... on the exact same tactics used by John.
“The distinctive red flashes on the barbel’s tail and flank proves that it is the same fish, and to catch it on a piece of hair-rigged meat with grass as a bait stop is so satisfying,”
John added.
UK’s biggest barbel eaten by an otter
The biggest known barbel in the UK has been killed by an otter, Angling Times can confirm.
Following rumours that the predator had struck at a stretch of the River Ivel in Bedfordshire, it has been revealed that the fish, whose heaviest recorded weight was a record-shaking 20lb 7oz, is now dead.
A local angler contacted Angling Times and told of the moment when he disturbed the otter as it attacked the huge fish on a stretch of the river in Biggleswade.
“I heard this sickening crunching sound as I approached a reed bed with my torch,” said the angler, who wishes to remain anonymous.“The otter vanished and I looked down to my horror as the huge fish - which I recognised instantly as I’ve caught her four times before - lay there dying. There was nothing I could do.”
50p worth of bait for huge river brace of barbel and chub
A handful of luncheon meat worth just 50p helped Jack Neale smash his barbel and chub personal bests.
The 24-year-old says that anglers obsessed with pellets and boilies are missing out – instead he slips the supermarket offering on the hook wherever he goes, and it was instrumental in the catch of a lifetime that featured fish weighing 13lb 9oz and 6lb 5oz.
Targeting the popular Earl of Harrington’s stretch of the Derbyshire Derwent, the local specialist swung a piece of meat on leger gear close to a gap in an overhanging tree, and after just 10 minutes had subdued the powerful lunges of his biggest-ever barbel.
“Nowhere near enough anglers use meat, which is a real shame because they are really missing out. It always works for me,” said Jack.
“My bait had only been in the water for a few minutes when the rod was nearly pulled off the rest.”
After flicking out a few free offerings, it wasn’t long before the tip of his rod wrenched around once more as his size 14 Drennan Barbel hook on a 10lb hooklink was set firmly in the jaws of the big chub.
“Anglers are obsessed with boilies and pellets and often introduce huge beds of bait, which I’m convinced the fish get used to seeing, especially on pressured stretches,” Jack continued.
“I just flick out a few small pieces that sit around the hooklink and fish a bigger piece on the hook, and the barbel and chub can’t get enough of it. Because of its soft texture and the enticing scent trail it creates in the water, there’s no better bait.”
His session also produced smaller barbel to 6lb and chub to 5lb, all of which were beaten with the help of 12lb Fox Soft Steel mainline.
Angler's lucky 13 barbel
Former match angler Stuart Taylor showed he has made a seamless switch to specimen fishing when he landed this 13lb 13oz barbel from a Midlands river.
The Stockport rod planned two days of action on the venue and he got off to a flier when the first instalment of the trip produced five big chub and a 10lb 6oz barbel.
Less than 24 hours later, he returned to the same section and the sport stepped up a notch when the biggest of the bunch was landed.
All his fish were fooled after they fell for a 15mm Dynamite Baits The Source boilie presented alongside a feeder packed with groundbait and pellets.
River Trent produces stunning 14lb 2oz barbel
The opening of the river season was a resounding success for Aaron Yosuf, who banked a 20lb carp and three double-figure barbel – with this stunning 14lb 2oz example topping the lot.
The 39-year-old caught all four fish during a 12-hour session on a fast-flowing stretch of the River Trent near Nottingham. Baiting up with grub and shrimp-flavoured boilies, it only took around half-an-hour before Aaron’s quivertip dipped over, resulting in a mammoth 26lb mirror carp.
He also took barbel to 12lb and 10lb 1oz in a superb start to the river season.
Carp and silverfish galore at Toft Farm Fisheries
Warwickshire's Fisheries is a perfect example of a simple yet effective modern commercial fishery. Its two identical, tear-drop shaped lakes are divided into carp and silverfish waters so you can guarantee you’ll catch exactly what you set out for this weekend. Whether it’s a club match where 100lb of carp is needed to win, or simply a winter session after a few roach, Toft certainly has it covered. With ample space in between pegs and modern wooden platforms as well, a decent days fishing is always on the cards. Here’s a breakdown of what is on offer:
Carp Lake (55 pegs)
With an island at the east end and a huge body of open water to the west, the Carp Lake is ideal for most methods. The pellet feeder filled with 2mm micro pellets and a banded 6mm pellet will catch carp averaging 4lb steadily when cast to the island. Alternatively, fishing the waggler or pole shallow in open water pegs with maggot or pellet will account for good bags of carp as well as the odd big roach. The anglers winning the matches on here recently have only been fishing a top kit plus two sections, where the near shelf bottoms out at around 6ft. 81lb of carp and roach was taken off peg 46 recently using this method, with 4mm, 6mm expanders and meat proving the best baits.
Silverfish Lake (34 pegs)
With a uniform depth of around 6ft and a central island at only 13m away from each peg, the pole and feeder tend to rule here. Dobbing tight to the island reeds with bread accounted for a 107lb mixed bag of barbel, roach, skimmers and F1 carp for one anger recently. A fairly strong elastic is advised so the fish can be pulled from the snags. Try fishing on the deck down the track with 4mm soft pellets over micros and maggots to find skimmers to 3lb. The margins are also noted to produce the odd big carp to 10lb on dead maggots – which were moved from the Carp Lake into the Silverfish Lake to boost catches weights.
Prices: £7 a day
Contact: Ester on 07934 237103
Location: Toft Farm Fisheries, Kites Hardwick, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 8AD
Rules: Barbless hooks only, no keepnets unless in matches, no cat or dog food
Facilities: Toilets, Parking, tea and coffee at weekends
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Strike silver at Portland Waters
We might be six weeks into the river shutdown, but anglers who want to catch chub can still get their fix from stillwaters up and down the country.
Take Portland Waters in Nottinghamshire, for example. At first sight this complex near Newark appears to be your typical commercial fishery but recent catches here are more like those you would expect from the nearby River Trent in a couple of months.
Matches at the fishery have seen huge bags of silverfish netted as Radcliffe on Trent’s Mark Baker discovered when he won a recent Angling Times Bait-Tech Supercup event with 60lb of chub from the Portland’s Old Wood Lake earlier this month.
There are five day-ticket lakes to choose from at Portland and they’re all stuffed with silverfish, alongside the more expected carp. We recommend the in-form Four Island Lake, where, chub, barbel, roach, rudd and carp and can all be targeted specifically depending on what you wish to catch.
This 30-peg pool is square in shape but its four islands make each swim more like a canal with pegs on the inside and outer part of the lake. The islands are reachable with 12 metres of pole and like a canal, the deepest water can be found down the middle (5.5ft) with around 2ft in the margins on the inside and across. The barbel go to nearly 7lb and anglers can catch these by design by fishing down the edge with maggots or meat.
The chub average around 2lb and in past summers anglers have bagged 80-90lb of them by feeding a couple of pole cups filled with chopped worms or alternatively catapulting casters and fishing double caster on the hook tight to the far side or down the egdge. There are also some big roach and rudd to over 1lb, and again, these can be targeted specifically by fishing either down the middle or tight to any reed beds with typical redfin favourites like caster or hemp.
If you do want a real red-letter day and catch more 200lb, though, you need to target carp and these can be located by feeding a line down the bottom of the near ledge with your top-two-plus-one as well as across either to an island or one of the gaps between which are known to hold fish using corn, maggots, meat or pellets.
The carp average around 3-4lb but avoid fishing too light as the odd ‘lump’ up to 14lb can make a surprise appearance. On warm days fishing up in the water with a banded pellet will pay dividends as will paste fishing close-in. Most pegs fish well in summer but pegs 18-22 on the inside are the most consistent.
If you prefer more of a natural style of fishing then head to the Old Wood Pool where you can imitate what Mark Baker did in catching a big bag of chub on maggots but there are also tonnes of roach and skimmers to enjoy too. This pool was also recently stocked with thousands of ide which will take a liking for maggots or casters but it’s not all about silverfish as nets of carp can also be sought with pellet waggler the top tactic.
With so many options and different species to go at other than just carp anglers need not wait for the rivers to re-open to experience silverfish heaven in Nottinghamshire. Simply pay a visit to Portland.
Prices: £6 a day, £5 concessions
Contact: 07818 552307, www.portlandfishing.co.uk
Location: Portland Waters, Longhedge Lane, Sibthorpe, Newark, Notts, NG23 5PN
Rules: Barbless only hooks, no keepnets, no cat or dog meat, no floating baits, no boilies or nuts, no hooks over size 12, no dogs
Facilities: Clubhouse/café, toilets
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Alan Stagg lifts the Drennan Cup
“I’ve dreamed of this moment since I first started targeting big fish and to think that my name will now sit alongside some of the greatest anglers of all time just blows my mind.”
These are the emotional words of Alan Stagg, who has this week been crowned Drennan Cup Champion.
The Basingstoke based fishing fanatic took the most coveted prize in specimen angling after votes cast by specimen fishing’s elite put him well ahead of the rest of the field in this year’s competition.
At the end of the 2014/15 season Alan had amassed an impressive five weekly awards in his quest for the famous Drennan Cup and ultimately it was the Gardner tackle employee’s versatility and ability to catch some of the biggest specimens from both still and running water that saw him secure the prestigious title.
“It was my birthday and I was in my garden having a celebratory drink and I got the phone call telling me that I’d won and my jaw hit the floor. I could hardly speak as it was the best present I could have ever wished for,” a delighted Alan told Angling Times.
”I’ve had the Drennan Cup in my sights ever since I started targeting big fish and many all of my fishing heroes have their names on the cup and I’ve been close in the past, but words can’t describe what this means to me. It’s such a huge honour because the unique aspect of this competition is that the winner is decided by votes from your fellow anglers and there’s no bigger accolade than that.
Alan’s campaign began last May when he ended a seven-year quest to beat his bream personal best when he slipped the net under a huge 17lb 3oz that was backed up by another fish weighing 16lb 12oz during a session at a southern gravel pit.
His incredible run of form continued on the same venue a few weeks later after netting one of the biggest braces of all time with a combined weight of 34lb 11oz.
The first trip to a new water saw him gain with his third weekly award when he adopted a float-fishing approach to achieve a long-time ambition of catching a rudd over the magical 3lb barrier.
It took him hours to locate the fish but when he found them he landed specimens weighing 3lb 5oz, 2lb 7oz and 2lb 5oz.
He then switched his attentions to running water and proved why he’s regarded as one of the most gifted all-rounders in the sport when his second river session of 2014 on a tributary of the River Thames produced a 15lb 8oz barbel.
It was only fitting that his fifth and final Drennan weekly award saw him join an elite group of anglers who have banked 3lb-plus roach from both still and running water.
The 3lb 3oz 8 dram fish was the first ‘proper’ roach he’d ever banked from a river and came from a southern chalk stream caught on feeder fished maggots.
“It really was a dream season for me as I achieved so much and banked fish that I’ve been after for so many years,” Alan continued.
“To have come out on top of a field of anglers that’s made up of such well-respected and genuinely inspiring people is a huge honour, but to have my name on the famous Drennan really is as good as it gets.”
Leading the chasing pack in the 2014/15 Drennan Cup competition was Angling Times columnist and Peg One consultant Paul Garner.
He finished his campaign with a total of three weekly awards for impressive specimens such as a huge 12lb 10oz tench, a 3lb 11oz 8 dram rudd and a 4lb 2oz 8 dram personal best rudd.
The remaining places in the top four were filled by well-respected big fish anglers Brian Ingram and Mike Lyddon.
Drennan Cup sponsor Drennan International have again been delighted with the continued popularity of the competition and congratulated Alan on his victory.
“Congratulations to Alan on a richly deserved win. In all sport, rewards are generally directly proportionate to the amount of effort & practice invested, and I know first-hand how much time Alan puts into his fishing, Said Stewart Moss of Drennan International.
“I’ve personally bumped into him several times on various venues banks over the years and he really is an expert specimen angler and will be an exceptionally popular Drennan Cup champion.”
What they win:
1 Alan Stagg, £2,000
2 Paul Garner, £1,000
3 Brian Ingram, £500
4 Mike Lyddon, £250
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Bag 30lb of stillwater barbel from Thorpe Fisheries
There are few commercial fisheries that can be branded as ‘natural’ venues, but Thorpe Fisheries in Tamworth certainly fits the bill thanks to its spring fed waters. The excellent water quality has helped keep the fish healthy across both lakes to insure you’ll be catching immaculate looking specimens throughout your session. When it comes to stillwater barbel, there’s no better place to head than the 42 peg Brook Meadow Pool where they grow to a rod-bending 7lb.
Most methods will catch them however a worm fished next to the sluice between pegs 38 and 39 may well bring you 30lb worth. Aside from barbel, carp to 16lb, tench, roach, chub, bream and crucians all reside here, with 60lb mixed bags a regular occurrence in matches fished over the weekends.
Many anglers prefer to fish the pole at 12m where the shelf starts to run down to around 13ft deep. Krill groundbait works wonders here, especially when double caster, worm or corn is fished over it. Alternatively, the reed lined margins are a perfect place to attack with this groundbait late in the day for a big double figure carp.
The Method feeder with dead maggots on the hook will also produce good bites from tench and carp when chucked to the island.
Alternatively, the 22 peg Spring Pool offers the same species to catch bar the barbel. Due to the vast space of open water, 100lb of quality carp can be amassed on the pellet waggler during the summer, which will soon start to show.
Prices: £7 a day, £5 concessions
Contact: Rosie on 07707680758
Location: Thorpe Fisheries, Clifton lane, Thorpe Constantine, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79 0LH
Rules: Barbless hooks, no meat, no surface fishing, only 3 tins of corn, landing nets to be dipped before fishing, carp friendly pellets allowed, small inline method feeders only, no dogs allowed.
Facilities: Toilets, parking, disabled access.
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Yoke Hill Fishery is back with a bang
After more than two years of being a members-only water, Yoke Hill Farm Fishery has once again opened its doors to day-ticket anglers.
The three lake, former match, venue in Northamptonshire is back with a bang as visiting anglers have been bagging up with carp, barbel, chub and silverfish on all three of the fishery’s pools. The top lake to go on at the moment seems to be the Wilfreds Weir which is stuffed with elastic stretching fish including barbel to 10lb and carp averaging around 5lb. This is a 14m wide canal style pool where anglers find fishing across to the far side with the pole works well with baits like corn, maggots, pellets or worm for the barbel which put up a good scrap on light gear.
Another favourite for pleasure anglers is the figure-of-Eight Lake where currently anglers are reporting nets to 50lb of carp averaging 5lb and silvers. With two islands and some open water in the gaps there are plenty of features for anglers to aim at but as the weather warms, fishing in the margins with typical commercial baits works just as well.
Prices: £6 a day
Contact: 07868 038484
Location: Yoke Hill Farm Fishery, Oundle Road, Upper Benefield, Northants, PE8 5AS
Rules: Barbless only, fish in keepnets of four hours max, no floating baits, no bread
Facilities: Disabled access, lodge with terminal tackle and bait, café, toilets
