Stunning catches of barbel, chub and bream!

The end of the river fishing season saw some truly amazing catches being reported with anglers up and down the country sending in some stunning catch photos of numerous species from barbel to chub and bream. In fact Angling Times staff had so many catches we couldn’t fit them all in the magazine so here are the best of the rest…..

Swindon based all-rounder Mark Doherty enjoyed arguably his best ever end to a campaign when a visit to the Bristol Avon saw him haul in 14 huge bream topped by a 10lb 9oz specimen.

The Black Country Floats sponsored angler also netted a monster 6lb 6oz roach bream hybrid along with a 1lb 7oz roach using a 90gram groundbait feeder with a small pellet banded to a size 16 hook.

Trent fishing regular Andrew Waddingham made the decision to fish the last five hours of the season after realising that conditions were spot on. It proved to be a good move for the Rotherham rod when he netted two double-figure barbel weighing 12lb 6oz and 13lb 3oz, in the space of 20 minutes on a middle stretch of the might Midlands river. He said: “The larger fish became snagged so I let the rod go slack and put it back in the rests. Meanwhile the smaller fish shot off on the other rod and I managed to net that before the other one had released itself, while that one was resting in the net I managed to get the first one in for a memorable double hook-up!” Andy tempted his fish using 3FT Twitch 16mm Rubby Dubby boilies.

Andy’s friend, Lee East, also enjoyed a night to remember on the same river by also netting two double-figure fish weighing 14lb and 13lb 1oz. The Angling Dynamics sponsored Yorkshireman tempted his fish on a middle stretch of the river using AD Hot Liver boilies fished on a feeder rig over a bed of loose boilies.

Barbel were also on the mind of big fish ace Steve Collins who fished a stretch of the River Derwent near Derby and landed no less than four double-figure fish topped by a giant 14lb 7oz specimen during two trips. Unlike most barbel anglers, Steve left his boilies at home and tempted all his fish using a simple maggot feeder rig with four maggots on a size 10 hook.

Steve Collins showing off his 14lb 7oz barbel

Meanwhile on the River Wey in Surrey, Kane Hammond proved he had an old head on young shoulders when he used his wits to tempt two double-figure barbel in the same session. Fishing with his dad Warren, the 13-year-old used an inline rig with a braided hooklength and boilie hookbait to tempt fish of 10lb 4oz and 10lb 11oz.

13-year-old Kane Hammond produced a 10lb 10oz barbel out

It wasn’t just barbel making the headlines as Andrew Fieldhouse proved when he slipped the net under a personal best 6lb 5oz River Swale chub. The Yorkshire based angler caught the fine specimen from a Bradford No1. Angling Association run stretch of the waterway.

Michael Taylor broke his personal best chub on the last day of the season for the second year running by netting a stonking 7lb 13oz specimen. Mike caught the prized fish on a stretch of the River Thames near Reading using a GW Rig Solutions feeder, a Hybrid wide gape hook and an Angling Dynamics Hot Liver Rami 15mm boilie. He said: “it was the only bite I had all day but one which means so much. I broke my best on the last day last season with a 6lb 10oz specimen so to do it again is incredible.”

Michael Taylor breaking his PB with this fantastic specimen

Back on the River Trent, Matt Velamail set a new chub personal best with the capture of a huge 6lb 7oz specimen. The 26-year-old, 3FT Twitch backed angler fished an overnight session on the Midlands waterway where he tempted the specimen using an 18mm 3FT Redemption test bait boilie fished alongside a stringer of free offerings. He said: “Just a few weeks after catching my pb barbel I was eager to get back on the river for another overnight session. The river was very high when I got to my chosen swim. I didn't have to wait long before I was into what I knew to be a big chub by its fight and soon had it resting in the net. Two pbs in the space of a month has made a difficult season all worthwhile.”