Oxfordshire specimen angler Matt Micallef caught this quite superb 13lb 4oz Barbel from the Thames locally just last week! Matt was fishing alone deep into the evening when the fish took his Perfection Groundbaits Crayfish Boilie, and managed to get this self-timer photo despite inclement weather conditions.

With the Thames up and coloured, Matt opted to fish his hookbait in conjunction with an ESP PVA mesh bag of pellets only and no additional loose feed. End tackle consisted of a size 6 Kamasan Barbel Maxx hook tied to 15lb Two Tone coated braid in camo brown. Matt remarked that it wasn’t the usual tell-tale Barbel bite, but a subtle drop back indictation.

“It lumped about as they do and scrapped in the margin, nothing the rod couldn’t handle though!” remarked Matt, who is no stranger to big fish of numerous species, having shot to fame in 2006 when he captured the UK’s first 9lb Chub, with a true monster-record fish from a tiny Oxfordshire Stillwater that stunned the angling world!

Matt was using a Drennan Specialist Barbel 12ft 1.75lb rod for this fish, for full details click here.