The longest barbel I've ever seen! - Matt Starling

“At the start of the season I’d pinned my hopes on Beeston Weir for a big barbel, but after a few sessions all I could catch were chub and bream.

“A change of location was in order so I moved my attentions to the East Stoke/Farndon area of the River Trent.

“Just a day before my planned session there was a storm surge which brought loads of wind and rain so I felt confident, as I thought this could have added a bit of colour and flow to the low river.

“So I rocked up to my swim for an overnighter and baited the main river flow with a few big feeders full of groundbait and Sonubaits pellets.

“Just before it got dark I cast my rigs to the spots – one with a running cage feeder, the other with a paste-wrapped gripper lead with a PVA bag of pellets attached. 

“Both had double Krill and Crab boilie hookbaits. At 9.30pm my lead rod ripped off and after a fairly dull fight I netted an 11lb 10oz barbel.

“I was already happy with the result but then, in the early hours, my feeder rod was away and unlike the other fish, this one charged all over the river for five minutes before surfacing.

“I knew it was a big fish but only realised it was a PB when I got it in the net – it was the longest barbel I’d ever seen!”

Matt Starling’s Trent barbel went 14lb 11oz