“As soon as work finished I raced down to a day-ticket stretch of the River Trent at Newark and settled into a swim where I’d caught a 13lb barbel a week earlier.
“There’s an area of clean gravel close to the near bank which I baited with hemp, chopped boilies and Elips pellets before legering a shrimp boilie wrapped in garlic paste over the spot.
“Just after 9pm the rod hooped over and I expected this fish to bolt downstream, but it just held in the middle of the river. I knew it was big so I took my time, but all hell broke loose when I got it near the net and it went on several runs.
“Thankfully my tackle held firm and I netted a huge barbel which beat my old PB by 6oz.”