Specimen barbel are booming

IAN Potts hasn’t been the only angler to enjoy barbel success on the Trent and other rivers as specialists have shown with a string of big-fish catches.

Here are three more barbel reports to whet your appetite for some superb autumn trips…  

Alfie Naylor | 14lb 7oz & 15lb 9oz

You can imagine Alfie Naylor’s elation when he slipped the net under a brace of barbel for 30lb on his latest trip to the River Trent. 

The Newark, Notts, angler said: “That evening I had several good fish, but when I had a double take it left me trembling. The bigger fish was landed at 15lb 9oz, a new personal best, then the second came in at 14lb 7oz.”

Both fish fell to Nutrabaits Chilli Crab wafter hookbaits fished in conjunction with a 20p-size bag of matching pellets liberally sprayed in matching glug. 

Gemma Savage | 15lb barbel 

Friday the 13th certainly wasn’t unlucky for Gemma Savage when she smashed her barbel personal best with the capture of this 15lb beauty. 

Fishing a night session on the River Trent at Gunthorpe with her boyfriend Shane, Gemma didn’t have long to wait before her Sonubaits Oozing Spicy Sausage pellet was snaffled by the big double just before midnight. 

Luke Agacy | 16lb 10oz

A midweek after-work session was all Luke Agacy needed to bank this sublime personal best 16lb 10oz barbel.

The Reading-based angler targeted two swims on an undisclosed southern river and after struggling to get a bite in the first he didn’t have to wait long before finding success in the second…

Luke’s new barbel best fell to a fishmeal boilie in conjunction with a running rig.