PB barbel surfaces in heavy fog - Stephen Dolby

“MY barbel season got off to a very slow start this year. I found it hard to locate them on the tidal Trent, and keeping a bait in the water for more than five minutes wasn’t easy due to the plague of mitten crabs that are now in the river.

“I eventually took a 15lb 15oz barbel only a couple of weeks ago – fast forward to my latest session and it was like going back to square one.

“My traps were set with double 14mm pellet hookbaits, but I fished all day and night without a take. Then, just as daylight broke, the rod caved over and I was in. There was no doubt in my mind that this was a big fish, and it was game on!

“Visibility was terrible due to fog but this brute eventually rolled into the net. She was enormous – I was absolutely blown away by my new PB.”

Stephen Dolby and his new PB 16lb 8oz barbel