Schoolboy bags brace of a lifetime!

March 8, 2021 Guest User

DAY sessions don’t get much better than the one enjoyed by Kyle Brayne recently.

At just 13 years old, he became the envy of many a seasoned big-fish specialist when he braced a 7lb 10oz chub with a 17lb 14oz barbel.

After being stuck inside for weeks, Kyle had been itching to get out fishing, and he got his wish when his dad’s friend Robert Bown offered to take him to a local stretch of the middle River Trent a mile from home.

“The river is within walking distance of both our houses,” Robert told us,
“so Kyle and I spent the few days leading up to the session baiting a swim we fancied.
“When Wednesday arrived, we got to the bank for 9.30am, and it wasn’t long before we were into fish, the first being the huge chub. Kyle played it like a professional, and after a few minutes’ battle the fish was netted.
“Unsurprisingly it’s a personal best for him, and we ended up chatting for hours about his extraordinary catch.”

**Kyle Brayne and his monster 7lb 10oz chub**

The pair decided to pack up late in the afternoon, but just before they called time, the right-hand rod roared off again.

“This fish went on a series of big powerful runs, but Kyle again played it brilliantly, coaxing the fish out of a snag that it had kited into,” Rob revealed.
“We saw a huge barbel surface, and on the scales it registered 17lb 14oz – another big PB for Kyle!
“A little later I picked up my rod to reel in and head for home, and it almost tore off in my hand, with a smaller barbel being the culprit. It’s sod’s law that I landed the smallest fish, but it was Kyle’s day, so him landing the biggest was only right.
“We walked home wet and muddy but over the moon. What a day session!”

**Kyle backed up the chub with this huge 17lb 14oz barbel**

Prebaiting pays off for big Thames barbel

February 25, 2021 Guest User

“After Storm Christoph hit, conditions looked perfect for a big barbel from my local River Thames.
“A warm wind was forecast for a couple of days and the water temperature was rising, so I prebaited a 9ft-deep crease with boilies for two days leading up to my planned evening session.
“I arrived just on dark and baited my rig with a 3 Foot Twitch Redemption Black wafter wrapped it in matching paste before lowering the bait roughly a rodlength out from where I’d baited.
“Half-an-hour later I had a whacking wrap-round on the tip and I struck into a barbel that powered straight into the main river and went solid.
“It just hung in the main flow, which was tanking through. After a bit of a tussle, I was able to guide her towards me where she gave me a superb scrap under the rod-tip.
“At 14lb 14oz it was a Thames chunk, and I was delighted to have caught a near-15 in January.”

**James Hook’s 14lb 14oz Thames barbel**

PB Avon barbel leaves it late

February 22, 2021 Guest User

Taking advantage of a brief rise in temperature on a local stretch of the Hampshire Avon gave Darren Smith this 16lb 10oz barbel.

Arriving to find a swim he had in mind vacant, he fed a few broken boilies and pellets with a bait dropper and left the swim to stew for half-an-hour.

“First cast I had a 6lb 12oz chub, followed by two smaller ones,” he told us.
“I figured they had probably cleared up most of the freebies, so just on dark I attached a PVA bag filled with feed to top up the swim.
“I was just thinking of packing up when the rod hammered round, resulting in this 16lb 10oz PB barbel.”

Massive barbel landed from rising Hampshire Avon

February 15, 2021 Guest User

Heavy rain and strong winds are great conditions for barbel, and river ace Simon Daley proved just why with the capture of this 17lb 3oz fish from the Hampshire Avon.

Arriving to find the river and water temperature rising, Simon introduced some bait before setting up. After landing an early 6lb 7oz specimen, the rod wrapped round again, but this time a stronger battle ensued.

He told us:

“I’ve been after a 17lb-plus barbel for three years and had fallen short by just a few ounces last season, so catching this fish made me a very happy man indeed.”

A homemade boilie fished alongside a PVA bag filled with the same baits whole and crumbed proved the downfall of this fish.

Barbel best is a 'dream come true' - Aaron Bentley

February 12, 2021 Guest User

“Recent downpours had caused the Thames to flood, but with rising air temperatures forecast, conditions were perfect for a big barbel so I headed to a local weir pool.
“The river was chugging through, so I clipped on my heaviest 6oz feeder before attaching a homemade boilie to the hair and casting the rig out.
“After two hours I’d only had a chub knock, so I wound in to re-bait and make my third cast. I was waiting for the feeder to settle when my rod-tip walloped over as something huge tore off with my bait!
“Over the next 20 minutes I enjoyed the hardest fight I’ve ever had, and I was convinced it was a 40lb carp. Eventually it tired, and I was able to slip my net under a gorgeous barbel.
“For the last 20 years I’ve fished for nothing but barbel. My PB has been 10lb for a decade, so to catch one of this size was a dream come true.”

Big barbel strikes on the second cast - Sophie Costello

February 8, 2021 Guest User

“The barbel fishing on my local river has been tough going in the cold, so when the air temperature shot up overnight I hoped the fish would switch on.
“Settling into my favourite swim at dusk, I cast out an inline lead with two chunks of Spam on the hook, and chucked in a handful of Scopex Squid boilies over the top.
“On my second cast my rod-tip wobbled and then slammed over!
“It had been almost two months since I’d last had a barbel, so my heart was properly racing, but I had to focus as the fish was heading straight for a snag. I pulled her away from danger just in time.
“After a few more runs she was safely landed, and that’s when I realised this was a known fish for the stretch, one I’d been desperate to catch ever since I saw pictures of her on Facebook.
“At 15lb 1oz she was a personal best by 3lb – I’m not sure any other catch I make will top that moment.”

Same swim...even bigger barbel!

February 2, 2021 Guest User

TWO months after landing a 16lb 3oz barbel from the River Lea, Andrew Hunter returned to the same swim to battle with this 17lb 6oz cracker.

The radiographer fished a chunk of meat alongside a PVA bag of chopped meat into a near-bank slack for his new personal best.

He said:

“The power of this barbel was immense. That swim has been busy with other anglers ever since I caught the first barbel, so to catch an even bigger one on my first visit back is a sign that it was meant to be.”

Five-month break from fishing ended with huge Thames barbel

January 26, 2021 Guest User

JAMES Hook couldn’t believe his luck when his first session following a five-month break from fishing produced this 16lb 13oz barbel.

After spending every day for the previous two weeks using a bait dropper to prebait his local stretch of the River Thames with boilies and pellets, the 33-year-old returned for an overnight session.

The fine fish was a new PB for James and fell to double 16mm 3FT SG1 boilies fished upstream of his swim.

(This catch was made before latest lockdown)

**James Hook and his 16lb 13oz Thames barbel**

Long wait pays off for enormous Trent barbel

January 25, 2021 Guest User

PERSEVERANCE paid off for Colin Garlick when he struck into this dream 18lb barbel after 30 biteless hours on the tidal Trent.

The 52-year-old joiner said the river was flowing so high and fast that he was forced to recast every 20 minutes due to a build-up of debris on the line, but that was all forgotten at 5.15pm on the second day of his session when his rod arched over.

“When I got it on the surface, I was in no doubt that it would smash my previous 14lb 9oz best,” said Colin.

Colin’s new PB fell to a running rig and a double 12mm Sticky Krill boilie hookbait.

(This catch was reported to our news team prior to the third England lockdown)

**Colin Garlick and his 18lb River Trent barbel**

Boost to upper Severn barbel stocks

January 21, 2021 Guest User

THE River Severn above Shrewsbury has been stocked with 250 baby barbel in what’s thought to be the first official stocking of the species on the upper river.

The 12ins-long, dye-marked fish were introduced into Rowley & Fenemere AA’s stretch of the river at Leaton, and further stockings are planned at the location under a three-year partnership between the EA and the club.

RFAA chairman, Max Taylor, said:

“These fish will help enhance future populations of the species in the upper Severn. The initial stocking may seem small, but it represents roughly half the number of barbel put in the river by Angling Times in the 1950s, which kickstarted the Severn barbel boom. To be able to replicate that work is fantastic.”

l The club is keen to track the progress of the fish, so If you catch a dye-marked barbel, call Max on 07977 048270.

Floodwater barbel goes like a steam train! - Mark Brayne

January 21, 2021 Guest User

“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.”

Prebaiting pays off for monster Thames barbel

January 20, 2021 Guest User

JASON Smith’s decision to prebait a small slack for a week paid off with the capture of this 18lb 6oz Thames barbel.

After making regular casts along the crease line separating the slack from the main flow, the 53-year-old’s Baitrunner reel finally screamed into life nearly five hours into his evening session.

Jason’s new barbel best fell to a 20mm Red Fish Pro boilie wrapped in a matching paste.

Quick session rewarded with Ribble PB - Ian Potts

January 14, 2021 Guest User

“My mate Paul and I headed to the River Ribble for a quick overnight session, and at roughly 11.30pm my bite alarm screamed into life and a nice 5lb barbel was soon in the net.
“Knowing bites can be hard to come by on the Ribble at this time of year, I was happy with the result, but four hours later my rod smashed over again and this time I bent into a much better fish that stayed deep in the flow.
“After a good scrap I slipped her into the net and Paul said straight away that it would be my new Ribble PB. At 12lb 15oz he was right, and I was totally made up with the catch!
“Both fish fell to Vortex Baits Hydroshrimp Cocoons and PVA bags of matching baits without any other loosefeed.”

(This catch was reported before the third England lockdown)

Ian Potts and his 12lb 15oz Ribble barbel

Huge barbel nudges Hampshire Avon record

January 12, 2021 Guest User

A month after slipping his net under a 16lb 10oz Hampshire Avon barbel, Paul Allen returned to the same swim to bank possibly the largest fish in the river, weighing 19lb on the nose.

Paul waited nearly three hours in the rain for the bite… then had to walk 25 yards downstream with his rod and net just to keep up with it!

Paul said:

“When I lifted her on to the bank I knew it was the big ’un, and although she was 11oz shy of Pete Reading’s record I couldn’t care less!”

Paul’s new barbel best fell to a Big Squid boilie wrapped in paste.

Paul Allen and his 19lb Hampshire Avon barbel

PB Thames barbel during brutal weather conditions

January 5, 2021 Guest User

Laurence Hook was rewarded for fishing through driving wind and rain with a new personal-best barbel of 16lb 12oz from the River Thames.

The Oxfordshire angler cast a cage feeder filled with dampened pellets alongside a Bait-Tech Hybrid barbel pellet hookbait into the centre of the river on a fast-flowing stretch of the Thames near his home.

He said:

“I got absolutely soaked but this fish was more than a reward for sitting through those conditions!”

Is this the biggest ever barbel to be caught on the pole?

January 4, 2021 Guest User

MATCH angler Brent Wilkes landed possibly the largest barbel ever taken on a pole when he netted this 14lb 14oz brute during a five-hour contest.

Brent’s 14lb 4oz barbel – best ever on a pole?

The 32-year-old told us his hollow elastic was ‘stretched to breaking point’ throughout the tense 15-minute battle on a flooded Bidford AC stretch of the Warwickshire Avon – which ultimately forced him to get off his box and travel downriver to keep himself in the fight!

He said:

“It was so powerful I had no choice but to head downstream with my pole and net in hand. I’d been snapped off by a barbel early on in the match so I was determined not to lose this one!”

With just a couple of minutes to go until the final whistle, Brent finally shuffled his prize into his 20ins net where he realised just how big it was.

“During the fight it only looked to be about 8lb, but when I saw its head and tail sticking out either side of the net I knew I had a true barbel of a lifetime,” he added.
“I’ve had carp and pike over 20lb on the pole before although this barbel gave me the best scrap – my arms were aching for hours afterwards!
“I’d have thought 5lb-6lb would’ve won the match judging by the conditions, but a boulder in my peg created an area of slack water where I reckoned I could have banked a big bream or barbel.
“Luckily the tactic paid off and the barbel added to a few roach I’d caught for me to take the win with 15lb 14oz.”

Brent’s new barbel best fell to a whole lobworm fished via a pole feeder rig over a bed of casters, chopped worm and groundbait.

Micro pellets for a big Trent barbel

December 29, 2020 Guest User

GOLF ball-sized PVA bags of micro pellets and regular casting was the winning combination to bag this 19lb barbel for Mark Roberts.

The Stockport-based species enthusiast arrived at the River Trent to find it running unfavourably clear, but by using refined feeding tactics and single boilie hookbaits, he managed to tempt his new personal best alongside another superb specimen weighing 15lb 13oz.

Pop-up fools wary barbel - Carl Hill

December 23, 2020 Guest User

“This season I set myself the target of bettering my barbel best of 13lb 4oz, and with the tidal Trent being in great form for big fish, I decided that’d be the best place for me to do it.
“During the closed season I walked miles of river with just a rod and a lead to plumb about, trying to find likely barbel-holding areas, and eventually I fished my first session on June 16.
“That trip proved to be the start of a long, arduous campaign and I endured 12 blanks in a row. I attributed the lack of success to the barbel not venturing far from the weir, which required exclusive access, but I preferred quieter areas.
“I wasn’t happy with my rig either, so I had a rethink. I’d been fishing a 16mm boilie and fluoro hooklink, and while this kept the mitten crabs and small fry at bay, I wanted something that had more attraction and looked a bit more natural.
“That’s why I swapped the boilie for a balanced hookbait made from a pop-up dumbell wrapped in a fast-leak paste. The idea was that the bait would waft around on the bottom. The fluoro hooklink was far too stiff for this approach, so that was ditched for a soft braid which would help pin everything down.
“At this point the second lockdown was looming and instead of travelling to the tidal, I explored local waters and settled on a stretch of the middle Trent that I knew quite well. The river had just had a decent flush through and the levels seemed perfect, so I headed to a swim that held cover in the form of a few snags.
“After baiting just beyond the snags with three bait droppers of hemp and maggot, a PVA sausage of mixed pellets was attached to my hooklink and I wrapped paste around the pop-up before casting the rig to the spot.

The improved rig included a braided hooklink, PVA sausage and a pop-up boilie

“I was field-testing a new paste flavour and I’m sceptical of new baits until I catch on them, but I needn’t have worried. Shortly after dark I had two bites from barbel of 8lb 12oz and 16lb 10oz!
“I thought the latter was a carp as it kited downstream and across the river, but the tell-tale ‘nodding’ sensation told me it was a big barbel.
“It was the fish I was after, and a great reward for all the blanks I’d suffered.”

Huge Hampshire Avon barbel leaves it late

December 22, 2020 Guest User

“After finishing work at 3pm I headed straight to the Hampshire Avon, hoping to catch another big barbel.
“By the time I arrived I had around half-an-hour of light left, but this gave me just enough time to drop my homemade boilie hookbait and a PVA bag of matching freebies into a deep run.
“Just as I was contemplating packing away, the rod suddenly arched over and line started pouring off the reel spool!
“As soon as I connected with the fish I could tell it was a really good one. It was mint-conditioned, and turned out to be my second barbel over 16lb from this part of the river.”