First-ever barbel weighs in at 16lb!

A debut barbel fishing session produced two fish with a combined weight of more than 30lb for Scott Smith.

The 24-year-old, from Crowmarsh in Oxfordshire, became the envy of many when his first-ever of the species topped the scales at 16lb and was quickly followed by a 15lb 4oz barbel .

He targeted a local stretch of the River Thames, hair-rigging a Sticky Baits Krill boilie in conjunction with a PVA bag of boilies and pellets.

“I’ve never caught a barbel before so to catch two was brilliant, but I wasn’t expecting anything of this size,” said Scott.

“My mate, who knows all about fishing for barbel and carp on running water, gave me some tips which I think really helped me, plus this was the first time I’d tried fishing my own rigs. They were nothing fancy at all because I’m still learning.

“I really can’t believe my luck because I wouldn’t have caught the second barbel if I hadn’t decided to leave one of my rods out for five more minutes as I packed away the rest of my gear.

“It’s by far the best session on a river I’ve ever had.”

Up until this incredible catch, Scott’s biggest river fish was a 5lb chub. The simple rig that proved the downfall of his two barbel consisted of a Korda 20lb N-Trap coated braid hooklink attached to a size 6 hook.