The early morning frost had been sent into retreat by a blanket of low cloud pushing across the land in a southerly direction and duly lifting the temperature by a couple of degrees. I had witnessed the subtle change first hand sitting patiently by the lake with 3 rods cast… Read more
When it comes to barbel an 18lb fish is the holy grail, so you can imagine Robert Bown’s reaction when he landed this immense 18lb 9oz fish. After making the effort to fish a spot on the Trent further than his usual haunt, Robert was rewarded with the fish of… Read more
“IT was like a breeze block across the back and had pectoral fins as big as my hands!” – so said James Ufton who’s just landed the largest River Trent barbel of the season at 18lb 10oz. Like most anglers the Staffordshire-based barbel expert had his wife to thank for… Read more
BARBEL fanatic Adrian Garside told Angling Times the capture of a new 16lb 10oz personal best was the greatest belated Christmas present he could’ve asked for. The 50-year-old endured a bite-less night of fishing on his club’s stretch of the Middle Trent but at 8am his alarm finally sprang into… Read more
Colin Smithson (60) banked it at 21lb 2oz from a Sussex river (we know which one, and which stretch, but have promised not to reveal as it was conditional on us getting to speak to the captor – under club orders) Colin Smithson (60) banked it at 21lb 2oz from… Read more
It’s not often that fish are compared to large animals, but Roman Vann’s 17lb 12oz barbel was so big that it reminded him of a horse! Roman was ‘absolutely confident of a bite’ on the River Thames as it fined down after a flood, but few things could have prepared… Read more
