FOR most of us, a barbel or two in a session would be a pretty good result – so you can only imagine Julian Barnes’ delight when he banked a staggering haul of 69 fish on a recent trip.
In high summer, weir pools act like a magnet to the species, and current crucian carp record-holder Julian was fishing the prolific Collingham Weir stretch of the River Trent.
It’s well-known for its spectacular fishing in the right conditions, but Julian’s catch, which included 25 doubles topped by giants of 16lb 6oz and 15lb 6oz, was in a different league.
“It was a pretty special session,” he said. “I was there for two days and didn’t even fish the nights.
“The fishing was crazy – I just kept the bait going in and the bites were non-stop.”
Boilies were Julian’s bait of choice. He fed plenty of these and used one on the hook, alongside a PVA bag of pellets.
