Well-known big fish angler Phil Smith has had an unforgettable few months barbel fishing, beating two personal bests in the process.
![Phil-Smith-16lb-12oz-Derwent-2015](https://drennantackle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Phil-Smith-16lb-12oz-Derwent-2015.jpg)
The first fish of 16lb 12oz was caught back in September from the Derbyshire Derwent and is Phil’s second largest barbel ever caught from the Derwent and a river personal best for that river.
![Phil-Smith-14lb-10oz-Avon-pb](https://drennantackle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Phil-Smith-14lb-10oz-Avon-pb-300x169.jpg)
This more recent capture at 14lb 10oz was caught from the Warwickshire Avon, and again, was a new personal best for Phil on that particular river.
Phil used his trusty 1.75 Drennan Specialist Barbel rod along with 12lb ESP Syncro XT Loaded mainline and his usual size 8 Continental Boilie hook baited with a single boilie on a hair. He opted to fish a 50g swim feeder filled with mixed pellets of various sizes along with hemp, rather than a straight lead setup.