Huge-framed barbel best of six doubles - Julian Barnes
“I HEADED to the tidal Trent for a 48-hour session, only to discover from other anglers that not much had been caught recently. To gauge the water, I began by fishing a trimmed-down Pandemic boilie alongside a small PVA bag of pellets, and almost straight away I had a 15lb 14oz fish.
“It was tremendously fat and looked as if it had been gorging, so I decided to fish with just PVA bags and no other free offerings, recast every two to three hours, and fish accurately to the same spot every cast.
“Just before dark a 16lb 8oz barbel picked the bait up, followed by a huge-framed fish of 16lb 12oz early the next morning!
“Along with three more doubles to 13lb and four singles it was a magical barbel session I’ll not forget in a hurry!”
Julian Barnes – 16lb 12oz barbel
Small pellets for big barbel
YOU don’t always need big baits to catch big fish, as Pat Dower proved by banking a 17lb 7oz tidal Trent barbel on double 8mm pellets.
The West Yorkshire rod fed just a few pellets in PVA bags to tempt the fish, alongside nine others including seven doubles.
“It was a champagne session for sure,” Pat said.
Pat Dower’s 17lb 7oz barbel from the River Trent
Catfish are breeding in UK rivers - is this good or bad for angling?
A JUVENILE catfish has been caught from the River Trent and, while it won’t break any records, it could have a huge bearing on the future of Britain’s waterways.
Far larger specimens have been reported from rivers, including the Thames, in recent years, and they’ve always been regarded as one-off, fluke catches. But this ‘kitten’ suggests that the species may have started to breed in our running water venues. This development has sparked debate over whether the predatory species should be left to flourish as a viable angling target, or eradicated on the grounds of it being an unwanted alien invader.
Calum Fox, who banked the tiny cat, explained how his catch unfolded:
“At first I thought it was an eel, but when it surfaced and I got a better look I realised that it was very different from anything I’d normally catch,” he said.
“It came from a spot where anglers have had their tackle smashed by unseen monsters, believed to be large catfish or sturgeon. Perhaps those beasts were this fish’s mum and dad!”
Calum Fox with a baby catfish caught from the River Trent
So, is it possible for Wels catfish to breed in the UK’s relatively cool waters? Dr Paul Garner, an expert on all things fishy, sees no reason why not.
“I can’t think of any substantiated reports of people seeing them spawning, but I’d say there is no reason why they shouldn’t have spawned in the river,” said Paul.
“If you look at the range of Wels catfish, you’ll see that they breed in waters much colder than ours. Someone needs to spend a bit of time on the Trent next summer with proper fishing gear and do a bit of clonking!” he added.
A larger Trent catfish caught in 2018
While it seems there’s little doubt, therefore, that the catfish caught by Calum was born in the River Trent, the question remains whether the species will be a welcome addition to our river system, or an unwanted non-native pest that will upset the ecological balance of our waters.
Opinion among our readers appears divided. Some, like Alex Fanshawe, relish the prospect of targeting these hard-fighting monsters. Alex said:
“A river catfish from the UK is the pinnacle of all domestic angling dreams as far as I am concerned.
“They have been breeding in our river systems for decades, and represent no threat to our native aquatic life if you’re willing to take a holistic view. Nature has found a balance, as it always will.”
Others were fearful of the impact the species might have, with Italian angler Andrea Penso warning of the impact Wels catfish have had on fisheries in his home country.
“Cats are part of the reason our rivers are now messed up, compared to several decades ago,” he said.
“They’re everywhere and have had a huge impact on our native fish species. But since everyone seems to enjoy a lengthy tug of war with an ugly fish, nothing will be done to eradicate them. I just hope that England’s outstanding chub and barbel fisheries will not be affected by their proliferation.”
These sentiments were echoed by Simon Clarke, a passionate catfish angler who is also managing director of tackle firm of anglers regularly doing battle with huge catfish from UK rivers remains a long way off at present.
“While I love catfish, in my opinion they shouldn’t be in our waters because they’re simply not native. Until global warming has a significant and sustained impact on our water temperatures, they won’t be a fish we’ll regularly see.
“Our population of Wels catfish is at the northernmost latitude in Europe, other than a few in Sweden. As a result, our summers are shorter and cooler than those in southern countries, which leads to lower water temperatures and poor breeding success for catfish.
“We know they’ve been in the Trent for up to 30 years and in the Thames for possibly 70 years. If they haven’t established themselves in that time frame, I think we’ve got a fair old wait yet before they breed successfully and really settle.”
Until they do, Simon revealed that the burgeoning catfish population in UK rivers could actually help to eradicate a non-native species considered to be a scourge of angling.
“Crayfish make up a large portion of their diet, so they could actually help to tackle the UK’s population of American Signal crayfish, which are a truly threatening, invasive species,” he said.
Another shot of Calum Fox’s Trent catfish that got people talking
Four barbel for nearly 60lb in incredible feeding spell - Jerry Gleeson
“CONDITIONS for my latest trip to the tidal Trent were shocking, as the river was gin-clear, the days were warm and the nights were cold. It was no surprise, then, that after 48 hours I hadn’t had a single bite.
“I was on the verge of going home, but after seeing conditions were going to be a bit more favourable with a warm wind, low pressure and rain forecast, I decided to stay for an extra night and chance it.
“The move paid off, and in an incredible short spell I had four barbel for nearly 60lb going 13lb 2oz, 14lb 7oz, 15lb 6oz and 13lb 15oz, by fishing a mix of maggots and Pandemic boilies over hemp.
“The 14- and 15-pounders were caught literally minutes apart and make up my biggest brace of barbel to date!”
Jerry Gleeson and the biggest of his four barbel at 15lb 6oz
360-mile trip for a PB barbel - Ricky Hoskins
(PLEASE NOTE - THE FOLLOWING CATCH REPORT WAS PROVIDED PRIOR TO THE SECOND ENGLAND COVID-19 LOCKDOWN)
“IT WAS a 360-mile round trip from my Swindon home to the River Trent, but it was worth it because I caught a PB barbel of 16lb 10oz.
“Despite opening my account with a 13lb 10oz fish on the first night, I ended up moving swims in the morning as I’d lost countless rigs and a decent fish to an annoying snag.
“I soon settled into a new swim and fed four huge balls of Clubmix groundbait laced with hemp, mixed pellets and matching glug to a crease. My feeders were quickly filled and each rig was cast out.
“I was just about to take a sip of my brew when my left-hand rod cranked over and I leaned into a big fish. After a tense fight this hugeframed barbel slipped into the net and I just knew it was a PB. I backed this up with another barbel at 13lb 1oz and left a very happy angler.”
Ricky Hoskins – 16lb 10oz Trent barbel
RiverFest Final shows the Trent's a silverfish Mecca!
SILVERFISH sport on the River Trent scaled new heights last week when dozens of anglers put together double-figure nets of roach, dace and perch during the RiverFest final.
The prestigious event, which was held on the Burton Joyce stretch in Nottinghamshire, had competitors and match officials comparing the venue’s impressive current form to that of the river’s match fishing heyday of the mid-1980s, when bumper weights were common.
The Trent fished really well in the RiverFest final
One of them was RiverFest’s chief organiser Dave Harrell, who reluctantly moved the final from the River Severn to the Trent for 2020 – a decision that ultimately proved fruitful.
Dave told us:
“I was a little apprehensive with the venue switch, but the results hammer home just how well the river is fishing for silvers at the moment.
“Roach and dace were caught by pretty much everyone competing, with bream, specimen perch and barbel also making an appearance.
“It reminded me of how prolific the Trent was in the 1980s when the power stations pumped warm water through the river. There then followed a spell in the doldrums when the stations were shut down in the 1990s, but it now looks as though the stocks have well and truly returned to the level of 30 or 40 years ago.
“To sustain a healthy head of fish you need good water quality, so I don’t think the Trent is in as bad a condition as some people seem to think.”
One angler who can vouch for the Trent’s current red-hot form is Nottingham lad Tom Noton, who angled his way into fourth place in the RiverFest final with an overall weight of 39lb 12oz.
He said:
“I’ve match fished the Trent for the past eight years and it’s been absolutely solid. The fish tend to shoal up in certain areas, but if you find them you’re in for a real red-letter day.
“Slightly milder winters over recent years have encouraged silverfish to thrive, which could be another reason why the sport has been so electric.”
Tom Norton’s 20lb 9oz bag of roach, dace and perch on day two
Opportunist cast nets 7lb-plus Trent chub - Alfie Naylor
“ON a barbel trip on the River Trent I’d spotted chub smashing fry on the surface near the far bank and, me being an opportunist, I just had to swap rigs and target them.
“I took off the long combi-hooklink and tied on a much shorter braided version before attaching a Nutrabaits River Plus boilie and a PVA bag of crumbed boilie and 8mm pellets to the hook.
“After around 40 minutes of fishing my tip smashed round and this fish tore off into the middle of the river, so I thought it was a barbel.
“When I got it close to the bank, though, and I saw it was a huge chub, my legs turned to jelly and I prayed it wouldn’t come off. Happily it didn’t!”
Alfie Naylor and his 7lb 4oz River Trent chub
Giant barbel strikes just before dawn
DAVE Steptoe smashed his old barbel best with this 18lb 1oz brute from the Trent at Gunthorpe Island.
The Nuneaton rod fished boilies and PVA bags over hemp to take seven fish under 10lb on the first night, but just before dawn the next morning he hit into the giant.
He said:
“After a short fight I landed this beast of a fish, weighed on three sets of scales and witnessed by four people at 18lb 1oz.”
Dave Steptoe and his 18lb 1oz Trent barbel
Rising river just the ticket for a big barbel
When you’re faced with a rapidly rising river it can be easy to give up and go home. Liam Twells was close to doing this on the middle Trent, but he decided to head downstream and was rewarded with this 16lb 3oz barbel.
“I couldn’t get to my normal peg due to the high river levels, but I settled into a swim downstream, and had a session to remember,” he said.
“I was quickly into a 14lb 10oz barbel which I was more than happy with, so I started to pack up at around 7am as I had to get to work. But then my right-hand rod hooped over and line was stripped from the reel!
“After a 15-minute battle the fish came to the surface and my heart started pounding. Eventually I got it in the net and was buzzing. What a moment!”
Liam Twells 16lb 3oz Trent barbel
Carper catches record shaking Trent chub
A carp angler on the River Trent had a real surprise recently when just 15 minutes into an after work session he hooked into a giant chub. One of the biggest examples of the species ever reported from the Midlands river.
Tom Morgan and his 8lb 3oz River Trent chub
The huge specimen spun the scales to an impressive 8lb 3oz and was accompanied to the bank by three other chub, all dwarfed by the fine fish.
Captor Tom Morgan from Keyworth told Angling Times:
“Planning to target carp on the Trent Valley Angling Club stretch at Clifton, I was just about to cast out the third rod, when I had a classic drop-back bite on one of the rods.
“From experience of the chub in this swim in the past, I had a good idea what it would be, as they often shoot under the near bank.
“From the fight, however, I thought maybe I had hooked a small common carp. That was until it surfaced and I could see the unreal size of this chub.
“As it went into the net I said ‘oh my life, look at that!’, I honestly thought I had a record.”
“I honestly thought I had the record”
All Tom’s chub fell to 18mm Source boilies fished on hair rigs with size 6 ESP Cryogen hooks alongside a PVA bag of Complex-T pellets.
“Carp anglers seem to often trip these huge Trent fish up, I think because of the heavy pre-baiting strategy keeping fish in the area for longer,” he said.
Trent produces its second twenty of the season
THE River Trent has continued its mega big barbel form by throwing up another fish over the 20lb barrier this season.
The recent giant was caught by twenty-six-year-old Brian Cam from Newark during an overnight session on the Nottinghamshire river.
He told Angling Times:
“I put some bait in just before dark and fished a Bloodworm boilie on a size 6 Long Shank hook with a kicker over the top.
“Just after midnight I had a savage bite and endured the usual epic battle which barbel give, that lasted for around 15-20 minutes. It was obviously a big fish and what a fighter she was.
“After taking the weight of the net off, the scales revealed she was 20lb bang on. A new PB, a great fish for any stretch of the Trent and not far off the record!”
Brian Cam with his new PB barbel of 20lb from the River Trent
It is the second barbel weighing 20lb-plus from the Trent this season
Big storm for a huge barbel
DARREN Wilson’s decision to fish through 60mph winds and torrential rain paid off with the capture of this 17lb 10oz barbel.
The 55-year-old from Norfolk had pinned his hopes on a 48-hour trip to the tidal River Trent for a few bites and enjoyed a fantastic first day – catching 19 barbel to 11lb 4oz alongside a host of bream on double 14mm pellets.
When Storm Francis arrived on the second day, though, Darren’s bites dried up – at least until 5.30am on the third morning…
“My Delkim bleeped twice and I had a rattle on the rod-tip so I struck,” he tells us.
“All hell broke loose and this fish took off! I had to walk 80 yards to keep up. I was in shock when my scales read 17lb 10oz, which is a lower tidal Trent PB for me!”
Darren Wilson and his 17lb 10oz Tidal Trent barbel
Deeper Fish Finder key to big barbel capture
A CASTABLE fish finder was the key component in the capture of this chunky 17lb barbel for Terence Rowley.
The Wolverhampton rod used his Deeper Pro-Plus to map out the riverbed and find fish-holding depressions during his trip to the Trent at Gunthorpe.
He tells us:
“Once I found a spot that looked like it held fish, I cast out my OP31 boilie. A few hours into darkness I struck into the most powerful barbel I’ve ever hooked!”
Terence’s 17lb new pb was just one of six double-figure barbel caught during his session.
Terence Rowley’s 17lb barbel came from a spot he found using a wireless fish finder
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
Fish snagged solid is new PB barbel - Dean Lowe
“The light was just fading on the first night of a 48-hour session on the River Trent at Gunthorpe Lock when I had a screaming take on my boilie rod.
“I knew it was a big fish right from the off because it ran me straight into a snag. I managed to coax it out, but then it took me into yet another snag and everything went solid.
“I was determined not to lose it so I put the rod back on the pod and five minutes later it shot off again, taking me all over the river!
“The island can be a difficult place to land barbel from, as it’s a good 10ft above the waterline, but luckily I had two mates with me who helped out.
“At 16lb 4oz, it smashed my previous best barbel by over 1lb.”
Dean Lowe and his 16lb 4oz Trent barbel
Smaller baits fool Trent beast from pressured spot
AN annual Trip to the River Trent’s prolific Collingham Weir paid off in fine style for Neil Watson when he landed this 17lb 2oz barbel – a new PB by 18oz.
After a hectic 72-hour session the previous year, when Neil and his mate Karl Conqueror landed no fewer than 182 barbel on boilie tactics, the pair expected the same approach to score on their return.
After a quiet first day, however, a change was called for.
“We scaled down and caught a few fish on pellets and mini boilies, so we decided to feed smaller
particles of hemp and caster, as well as smaller boilies,” Neil reveals.“By the steady fight of the fish, I knew it was something big. Once netted, I said ‘this might be worth weighing’, which turned out to be a bit of an understatement!”
Neil Watson with his 17lb 2oz barbel from Collingham Weir
Annual Trent trip ends with a lump - Clive Bonnett
“Fishing the River Trent is something of a tradition for me and my friends and we make the three-hour journey to the waterway twice a year, spending three nights on the bank each time.
“There was lots of drizzle and rain throughout the session, but that didn’t put the fish off.
“During the first day I managed three barbel of 9lb, 10lb 2oz and 11lb 4oz, but the best of the lot came at 10.45am on the second morning when my rod bent over and I struck into a very good fish.
“After a strong fight I eased the net under the fish and the scales showed a weight of 16lb 2oz, a new personal best by 2lb.”
Clive Bonnett with his 16lb 2oz Trent barbel
Maggots fool beast Trent barbel - Dariusz Prech
“I headed to the tidal River Trent at Collingham recently in search of barbel and ended up catching this beauty at 16lb 8oz!
“I’d planned an overnight session and baited my swim with maggots and Shrimp & Krill groundbait before fishing a free-running cage feeder over the spot with a bunch of maggots on the hook.
“The night was quiet at least until 3:40am when my screaming bite alarm woke me up and I hit into a barbel that I just couldn’t stop!
“After a tense and hard 10-minute battle though I managed to slip my net under this beast. It was a moment I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
Dariusz Presch and his 16lb 8oz maggot munching Trent barbel
Fin-perfect Trent roach falls to pellet hookbait
A BANDED 4mm pellet has accounted for one of the largest recorded river roach of the season so far in the shape of this 2lb 8oz beauty.
The fin-perfect silverfish was the largest of around 20 roach taken by Newark-based ace Alfie Naylor, who fished the pellet offering alongside liquidised bread on a middle stretch of the River Trent.
He tells us:
“Just before dark I hit into an aggressive bite which I thought was from a bream, but then this huge roach broke the surface and I started praying that it wouldn’t come off!”
Alfie Naylor and his 2lb 8oz Trent roach
Sunken barge home to enormous summer chub
JUST a week after catching a personal-best 7lb chub from the tidal River Trent, Macclesfield angler Ian Potts returned to slip his net under an even larger specimen weighing 7lb 6oz.
He targeted a gravel run next to a sunken barge, using a straight lead set-up and a 14mm Spicy Furter pellet hookbait.
“When this one took my bait I thought it was a small barbel as the bite was an absolute screamer – so I was shocked to see this giant, fin-perfect chub surface,” he tells us.
Ian Potts with his second 7lb-plus Trent chub of the season