Floodwater barbel goes like a steam train! - Mark Brayne

“Although the River Trent was well flooded and coloured, conditions were ideal, with mild weather and low air pressure forecast, so I headed out for a short session.
“At 5pm I baited a slack area with around 10 boilies, and two rigs were quickly deposited to the spot. I’d only been fishing for 20 minutes when one of my rods quickly sprang back and I struck into my first-ever December barbel.
“At first it came in really easily and for a moment I thought I’d hooked a bream, but when I got it near the net it tore off like a steam train! After a hectic 10-minute battle I eventually landed a huge-framed fish which pulled the scales round to 14lb 14oz. I was absolutely over the moon with the result and was packed up and heading home before midnight.”