New Itchen barbel record set
Lee Noakes’ decision to stay and fish for a further 15 minutes proved spot-on when he slipped the net under a river-record barbel from the Itchen.
It weighed 17lb 3oz – beating Terry Lathwell’s capture of the old record by 9oz – and was taken on simple maggot feeder tactics from a swim on the lower river.
The monster fish also set a new personal best for the 52-year-old, from Godalming, Surrey, whose session produced a second double-figure barbel at 11lb 3oz.
He told Angling Times: “A friend and I returned to the swim I had the 11lb 3oz fish from earlier in the day in the hope that I’d get another bite.
“The swim is only 4m-5m wide, with a sunken tree, so I felt confident something would happen on one of my two rods.”
As darkness approached, Lee flicked out two rigs incorporating Black Cap maggot feeders loaded with red maggots and five grubs on the hook – but he had to be patient for his next bite.
He said: “After two hours we were still to have a take and my friend came over to tell me he was ready to go – but I told him just ‘15 more minutes’.
“Before he had a chance to sit down, my rod arched over and I was in – but this fish was altogether different.
“The barbel held bottom and made several bids for freedom into various snags. When it finally surfaced mid-water, I knew it was a new personal best,” Lee said.
“It wasn’t until I got it into the net, however, that I realised just how big it really was.
“When the scales went round to 17lb 3oz I was physically shaking and in total disbelief.
“We slipped the fish back, packed up and headed to the pub to soak up what had just happened!”
Lee landed the new Itchen record barbel on a 9ft Harrison Stalker rod coupled with a Daiwa 850 reel loaded with 10lb line.