The River Rother in South Yorkshire isn’t one of Britain’s most famous barbel venues, but this season, one angler has enjoyed exceptional sport on the waterway. Steve May, who lives 10 minutes from the intimate venue, smashed the river record with a 14lb 8oz fish, which he backed up with… Read more
Andy Davies is predominantly a lure angler, targeting pike and zander, but this summer he’s focussed on the barbel of the lower Severn, with spectacular results. His best fish so far is this superb 17lb barbel, which he backed up with others of 15lb 4oz, 14lb 1oz, and 10lb 10oz…. Read more
This season, with his local Hampshire Avon out of sorts, two-time Drennan Cup champ Simon Daley decided to target barbel on the River Lea instead. It’s a venue he’s fished for the chub in the past, but with its exceptional barbel form last season, he decided it was time to… Read more
Finding himself free for a few hours on an overcast but warm day, Matt Adams headed to a stretch of his local chalkstream where he’d been catching plenty of small dace and roach on previous visits… only this time he hit the jackpot by landing this huge 3lb 11oz redfin!… Read more
After several months spent chasing the small number of big carp that live in the shallow areas of a 90-plus acre busy park lake in Yorkshire, Joel Martin started seeing the odd large tench drifting in and out of his eyeline. So, with the carp proving frustrating, he went home… Read more
Following a two-year break from the venue, Paul Harriman marked his return to the River Colne in spectacular style by banking a new personal best barbel weighing 15lb 10oz. It came from an area where he had tasted success before back in 2023, and which he had prebaited lightly in… Read more
