Last season, the River Lea produced a run of barbel catches for the history books, capped by a new British Record. Although it hasn’t hit quite the same heights yet this year, its inhabitants are certainly starting to stir, as Julian Barnes found on a recent session when he landed… Read more
After hearing of an in-form stretch of the Thames close to his home, Chris Fogg decided to pay the area a visit and landed this 7lb 8oz chub. It was the only fish he caught that session, but with it coming on his very first trip to the stretch, he… Read more
With temperatures starting to cool, two-times Drennan Cup winner Dai Gribble recently turned to the bream of Staffordshire’s Cop Mere. There aren’t many in the 42-acre water, but on his first session he landed one of the biggest ever caught from the venue in the shape of this 16lb 4oz… Read more
Over recent weeks, Nigel Kennard has been targeting the barbel of the Hampshire Avon, and after spending time baiting a few swims, he was rewarded with this stunning 18lb 1oz fish. On the way to work most nights, he’s dropped a bit of bait into three swims, and on sessions… Read more
After receiving a string of full-blooded runs that resulted in missed strikes, a tweak to his rigs resulted in this 7lb 3oz eel for Cambridgeshire specimen angler Paul Elt. Fishing a stillwater in his home county, Paul originally planned to target the big bream that inhabit it. He kicked off… Read more
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
