YOUR Top 10 Catches of the Week

WE receive so many catch reports here at Angling Times, that sometimes it is just impossible to fit them all in the magazine. We do, however, always love seeing and hearing of our readers top catches.

Here are some of the best fish we have been sent this week, some of which haven’t made the magazine but are still more than worth celebrating…

Remember to grab a copy of Angling Times every Tuesday, to read more of the latest big fish catches and exclusive Drennan Weekly Award winning specimens.

Huge Yorkshire barbel landed just in time!

Patrick Olding caught this cracking 12lb 8oz barbel during a recent session on a flooded South Yorkshire river. Amazingly, after a strong tussle with the fish, he landed it, only to see a large tree float through his swim moments later.

“I would have been wiped clean out”, he said.

Patrick used a 4oz lead fished in a tiny nearside slack, with three Robin Red pellets on the hook.

First time barbel fishing and five doubles landed!

Lift engineer Ben Berry (24) is a regular carp angler but decided to have a go at barbel fishing with a friend on the River Trent. This turned out to be a great decision as he went on to net five double figure barbel over a 48-hour period.

Ben’s fish weighed 13lb 3oz, 14lb, 13lb 5oz, 10lb 10oz and 10lb 3oz.

He used a 6oz feeder rig and baited his spot with a mix of maggots and pellets. On the hook he used a Vortex Cocoon.

Spot and rig change brings pb barbel

A complete change of spot, rig and bait brought a new personal best barbel of 10lb 7oz for Ollie Arnold. Fishing the River Avon at Fladbury Weir, Ollie endured a blank first three hours and was contemplating going home before moving to the hotspot.

“I cast in and within a minute my rod tip bent round into a hard fighting fish”, he said.

After landing his new best, Ollie went on to catch five chub on Sticky Krill boilies before heading home a very happy man.

First barbel beats a 30lb carp any day!

“Hi guys. I hung up my carp rods for a few weeks as the lakes are all so rammed. So, I took advantage of the Thames on my door step and have had unreal results.
“Chub up to 5lbs 14oz. But on my first late evening/night session (Friday 3rd), I landed this 10lbs 10oz barbel.
“My first ever barbel. Sat through four and a half hours of rain.
“One hour into darkness, the rain finally stopped and the rod went. Beyond buzzing to get a Thames double.
“Beats any 30lb carp I’ve caught from lakes. Thank you Father Thames!”

PB carp stalked on classic method

Peter Burton returned to angling after a 7-8 year break in fine style by catching this 19lb 8oz mirror carp. Using the all-time classic method of floating crust, Peter stalked the fish under an overhanging tree from a small lake just south of York.

Free fishing stretch produces three quality barbel

Fishing a little known tributary of the River Trent, James Sutcliffe caught three fine barbel - including a new PB of 11lb 4oz.
He used simple tactics of free-lined Spam and kept mobile to work the stretch. Even better, the fishing was free!

It pays to keep things simple and explore

Perch campaign gets off to a flyer

“I’m having a full season after perch this year and this is my biggest so far at 4lb 2oz.
It was caught from a local day ticket water on a large prawn with 6lb mainline and a 5lb hook link.”

Paul Bailey is having a full season targeting big perch

Unexpected eel for Rob Harris

“I fished BAA owned Coppice Lake in the hope of hooking into one of the many large carp in there.
“After patiently waiting all day and trying various hookbaits, I was on the verge of drawing a blank.
“Much to my excitement, the rod ripped off twice in the final hour of the session and produced two awesome specimen silver eels!
“The fish was caught on Dynamite Frenzied Luncheon meat using a simple bomb and hair rig and I couldn't be happier.
“Unfortunately, I didn't have my scales with me, so I can't be certain of how much it weighed but I'm guessing it was a good 6-7 lbs or more!”

How much do you think Rob’s eel weighed?

Hectic session on the Severn

A short overnight session on the River Severn near Shrewsbury resulted in 12 barbel for Ben Evans.

Five of these fish were over the 9lb barrier, which is a great average stamp for the prolific Midlands river.

One of the better Severn barbel caught by Ben Evans

Near miss for 2lb canal roach

“I went fishing with my uncle on the New Junction Canal as we are both from Doncaster.
“During our session I caught this beauty of a canal roach.
“ I caught it on the pole on a caster and tip of a worm. Thought it was a bream hybrid till I netted it, as it took my elastic all the way out!
“I was sure I hit my 2lb target but unfortunately was under at 1lb 12oz - gutted!”