Meat Tempts 16lb 14oz Kennet Barbel

Paul Rogers proved the pulling power of luncheon meat when it comes to catching big winter barbel when he banked this huge 16lb 14oz specimen.

The Reading-based specialist only needed a couple of hours on the River Kennet to beat his barbel personal best with a size 16 hook.

It’s a capture that comes hot on the heels of the recent capture of a 16lb 8oz barbel after returning to the River Lea in Hertfordshire – a river that he hadn’t fished for 44 years.

“The bite only registered as a couple of click on my centerpin and I thought it was a chub until I got it under the rod and then it pulled the rod around until it was under full compression…it’s power was immense,” Paul told Angling Times.

Paul used a simple leger rig made with a 12lb mainline a two-foot hooklink and his new personal best took a 10mm piece of meat.

“To have caught two 16lb plus barbel from two different rivers is a really great achievement for me,” Paul told Angling Times.

“Meat is such a great winter bait and this just shows that you don’t have to feed lots of bait either,” Paul continued.

“At this time of the year, I really want the fish to move into the area and pick my hookbait up as quickly as possible. The odds of this happening is much higher by fishing like I did for this 16lb 14oz fish.”