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Unforgettable battle concludes with big barbel capture

by Freddie Sandford |

Published on19th January 2026 at 1.49pm

Sometimes it is better to fish one rod well than two rods half-heartedly, as Dan Foster found out on a recent trip targeting barbel.

“I arrived at dusk on a swollen River Thames in Oxfordshire last week, where barbel were my target for the evening.

“I started off my pursuit in typical Thames style, fishing two rods with 3oz inline leads and boilie hookbaits with mesh bags of freebies attached. But, after a couple of hours of blunted hooks and endless debris building up from the flood water on both lines, I opted to change tactics.

“I decided to focus on fishing a single rod slightly closer in, where debris in the flow wouldn’t cause so many issues, and use a pungent cheese and garlic paste hookbait, which would hopefully stand out in the coloured water, mounted on a size 6 Gardner Target Barbel hook.

“Just 45 minutes later my tip slammed a couple of times before confidently hooping over.

“A tug of war ensued between the two of us and, each time I felt like I was getting somewhere, the fish would make another run for freedom that saw mebackwinding like a loony!

“After 10 minutes or so of this relentless back and forth, the unmistakeable shape of a huge barbel broke the surface and I immediately felt the pressure that playing such a fish always brings.

“But I carefully managed to bring the beast to the waiting net. Once it was safely landed, I let out a huge sigh of relief and muttered a few choice expletives!

“I secured the landing net and unhooked the fish in the water, before quickly calling Nick, a mate who lived locally and who kindly offered to venture down and help witness the capture properly.

“It wasn’t until he arrived and I lifted the fish out of the water for the first time that I realised just how big it was.

“Not only was it thick across the back, but it had serious depth too. After a careful weigh and several pictures, we slipped her back and she went off strongly. At 17lb 1oz, it’s fair to say that it’s barbel personal best I will probably take a long time to better.”

THE BEST BARBEL RODS WILL HELP YOU LAND FISH LIKE THE ONE DAN CAUGHT.

Dan with a barbel he will remember for a long time.

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