Koi Croydon has been in fine form recently, banking himself an 8lb 2oz chub and now landing this lovely 17lb barbel. Popping into his local shop to pick up several pints of maggot, Koi opted for regular casting with a Gripmesh feeder, packed with sticky mag on a low and clear River Derwent.
But rather than fish them in a blockend feeder, he dusted them with Horlicks and added a little water, making them ‘sticky’ and allowing him to cram them into his cage feeder, where they’d quickly explode out once they hit the deck. Using a mag-aligner rig with three maggots on his hook, Koi cast every 10 minutes, building the swim. He’d landed lots of small fish since his 7am start, but as dusk fell, the rod hooped round, and he connected with his intended target. After an epic battle, he slipped the net under this fish weighing 17lb on the nose – a great result on the small river.
Well done Koi!