Sweet sixteens! amazing week of big barbel

A host of 16lb-plus barbel have been landed this week in the latest instalment of what’s turning out to be a bumper autumn for specimen anglers. 

Many rivers may still be running unseasonably low and clear, but that hasn’t stopped the species from feeding hard in many venues. As expected, the Rivers Trent and Thames are once again dominating proceedings.

The largest fish of the week – a 16lb 7oz beauty – fell to Bracknell, Berkshire angler Mike Taylor, who smashed his barbel personal best twice after making the 300-mile round trip to fish two nights on the Trent at Gunthorpe. 

He told Angling Times: “I had three barbel averaging 6lb on the Friday afternoon, followed by an 11lb 12oz fish at 5.30pm. 

“On the Saturday morning I managed a 12lb 10oz barbel, then a new personal best of 13lb 10oz.

“I was already over the moon with this, but the rod quickly lurched over again and I was into another really hard-fighting fish.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes when it topped in front of the net, and was mighty relieved when it was finally on the unhooking mat. 

“Weighing in at 16lb 7oz, my good day had just turned into a great day with another Trent pb. 

“I packed up at about 11am on Sunday morning without another bite, but no matter – I was a very happy bunny.”

Another angler making the most of the late-season feeding spree this week was Reading, Berkshire specimen hunter Richard Cottrell, who banked a superb barbel weighing 16lb 4oz.

Targeting his local stretch of the River Thames, Richard cast a Pallatrax Multiworm boilie hookbait hair-rigged to a size 6 Gripz hook into a deep hole in the hope of a quick bite. 

He said: “It was a thrilling, screaming take in the dark, and I was unsure of the fish’s size until I lifted it from the water.

“I’ve only caught bream and chub from this stretch recently, so this barbel is a real turn-up for the books.”

Scarborough, North Yorkshire angler Duane McClymont also got in on the big-fish action with a thickset 16lb 1oz barbel from a tricky stretch of the River Trent. Duane fished boilies into the main flow on a 4oz running leger rig incorporating a 6ft fluorocarbon hooklink. 

He told Angling Times: “Just after dark the bream moved over my bait and I had four in quick succession. A bit later, my alarm let out a single beep and I lifted into what I thought was another bream…. until it powered off! 

“As it lay on the mat I was blown away by the sheer size of the fish.”