140lb of barbel...on the float!
Robert Mitchell, from Bridgnorth, has fished the River Severn all his life but recently enjoyed his greatest-ever session, landing over 140lb of barbel…on the float!
Rob Mitchell’s catch included 36 barbel on the float
He told Angling Times:
“Armed with nine pints of hemp, 10 tins of meat and my float gear, I ended up catching 36 barbel between 3lb and 6lb. The action was simply amazing as the fish were stacked up in my swim.”
The fish were stacked up and weighed between 3-6lb
Chub also showed
Anyone witnessing Robert’s incredible haul could be forgiven for thinking that the Severn has fished it’s head off this season, but the truth is that many anglers on the river have struggled for action.
Robert believes that this is largely down to people not adapting their approach to suit the conditions that have prevailed for the majority of the past three months.
He said:
“It’s been very hit-and-miss this season, and I’ve found that using a moving bait has been the key to catching.
“I’ve talked to lots of anglers up and down the river this year and most seem to have been struggling, but they’ve been sat behind static feeder rods. If they switched to using a float rod or rolling meat through the swim I reckon they’d have found a lot more fish.”
Hemp, meat and float tackle is all you need to catch on the Severn
Cracking Avon chub falls on the float - Gavin Barrett
“The Hampshire Avon is exceptionally low and clear at the moment, but recently I managed to find a deep far-bank run which I could trot a stick float down with hemp and caster.
“In a few hours I’d caught a few dace and a 3lb chub, but I’d run out of bait. I decided instead to just have a couple of runs down without feeding and just fish double caster on the hook.
“Halfway down the swim the float buried and I stuck into a solid weight that tried its best to get under the far bank.
“Luckily it came back and on to the surface – giving me an opportunity to guide it over a mid-river weedbed.
“After a few last-minute lunges I was able to scoop her up.”
Gavin Barrett – 6lb 11oz chub
Stunning 15lb haul of crucians topped by new PB - Richard Naylor
“I arrived at my syndicate at midnight and set up camp behind a couple of carp rods. As a parent, I have to make the most of every opportunity to fish, so after a productive night’s carping, although a little bleary-eyed, I moved swims at 8am. I rigged up my float rod and proceeded to cast my swan-quill slider float into a new lily-laden area on a quest for crucians!
“I fished breadflake on a size 16 hook, dead on the bottom and very tight to the lilies and trickled in tiny balls of Dynamite’s Red Krill Swim Stim groundbait. Sure enough, those archetypal pin-prick bubbles eventually erupted around my float.
“Each time I recast I pulled the float into position in the epicentre of the ensuing fizz.
“This resulted in a succession of confident bites, leading me to bank eight crucians within two hours!
“Each spiralled valiantly into the depths while, with bated breath, I carefully thumbed the rim of my centrepin to prevent them reaching sanctuary in the snags.
“The net, weighing 15lb 6oz, featured two fish over 2lb to a PB-equalling fish of 2lb 8oz, with all the others going just under.
These beautiful crucians seemed to shine in the net
“Furthermore, these beauties seemed to shine in the net, such was their radiance. This catch is one that I will certainly never forget!”
Richard Naylor – crucian haul of 15lb 6oz