“With overcast skies and light rain bringing a much-needed break from the hot weather we’ve been having, after finishing work for the day I headed down to the Hampshire Avon in search of barbel.
“I got myself settled into a swim and dropped my rig on to a small gravel strip. It wasn’t long before a chub muscled in on the action, but shortly after placing my rig back on the spot I had a violent take from a powerful fish that headed straight under a bed of thick weed.
“A tense battle followed as I steadily eased it back towards me, but eventually I managed to slip my net under a beast of a barbel. At 16lb 3oz, it’s a cracking fish for this time of the year.
“My homemade boilies did the trick – in fact they seem to get better the more that I use them!”
