Conditions for catching specimen barbel couldn’t be better as a host of huge catches from rivers all over the country prove this week. The largest came in the form of this stunning 16lb 5oz River Trent beauty which set a new personal best for its captor, 83-year-old Mervyn Wilkinson. The… Read more

The largest of the five barbel reported fell to Dan Gale in the form of this stunning 16lb 9oz beauty. The Hampshire-based specimen hunter, who received a weekly Drennan Cup award for a 3lb 8oz rudd in the previous issue of Angling Times, continued his incredible run of form when… Read more

The River Thames is becoming increasingly more popular with barbel anglers but it’s easy to see why when it produces crackers like this 16lb 5oz example. It was banked by Roman Sivak who used a ground-baiting approach before fishing to draw in his intended quarry. He told Angling Times: “I… Read more

Adam Hughes moved his boat to a deep spot on the River Thames he had noticed on the echo sounder and was quickly rewarded with this clonking barbel weighing 15lb 8oz. Adam told Angling Times: “I have been targeting carp since June the 16th but decided to have a change… Read more

A single Monster Crab and Chilli boilie has accounted for the biggest barbel of the season in the form of this 17lb 2oz beauty. It fell from an undisclosed southern river and equalled the 26-year-old’s current personal best for the species. Roman told Angling Times: “I fished pellet alongside my… Read more

This sublime 16lb 1oz barbel has topped the list of specimen catches in what’s been another fantastic start to the season for the species.  It was banked by Nottingham-based angler Den Willets and was the gem in the twenty barbel he caught during a week’s fishing on a section of… Read more