It's often said that everything happens for a reason, and that was certainly the case for angler Ian Green. When a planned social session he had been eagerly anticipating was cancelled, Ian decided to make the most of the opportunity with an impromptu session on his local river. This spontaneous decision led to the capture of a barbel of a lifetime.
After the last-minute cancellation, Ian gathered his barbel gear and headed to a familiar stretch of the River Trent, aiming to set up before nightfall. The disappointment he felt before arriving at the river quickly faded when he landed two barbel, with the largest tipping the scales at an incredible 20lb 2oz! This particular barbel was only 4oz shy of breaking the Trent record, should it be recaptured later in the year there is no doubting it will topple that.
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"I was meant to be out fishing this weekend with some friends on a social event, but after it got cancelled I had to get my fishing fix after preparing all week for it," Ian told us.
"I managed to settle in a swim I know well, and quickly got two rods out into areas I know can hold barbel at this time of year."
Short on time, Ian kept his tactics simple. He used running leger rigs baited with his trusted 3-Foot Twitch Baits Redemption dumbbells, paired with a PVA bag filled with matching crushed and whole baits. To draw fish into the area, Ian catapulted a few free offerings over a wide spread, hoping the barbel would hone in on the concentrated pile of feed around his hookbait.
"A few hours passed without much activity, but that's normal here after dark. I did catch a small chub that was quickly returned, but on the barbel front, it was very quiet," Ian said.
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"I recast the same rod and sat back for another couple of hours of inactivity. Then, as is often the case with barbel, I got a thumping bite out of nowhere just when I was starting to fear a dreaded blank."
"From the moment I picked up the rod, I knew it was a good fish. The line was singing under tension, and at first, the fish was in control of me."
"After running me up and down the river, the fish finally settled under the rod tip, then after a few last lunges for freedom, I managed to get the net under it, and it was mine."
Ian took a quick look and was left shaking at the sheer size of the barbel he had just landed. After composing himself, he secured the fish in a near-side slack and hurried down the bank to ask his friend for help with weighing and photographing the fish.
"I'm not even sure what I said to my mate, but he knew something special was in my net and when he looked in, he was just as shocked as I was," Ian recalled.
"We let her rest a bit longer while we got all the gear ready, and when we hoisted her onto the scales, we were in utter disbelief—20lb 2oz. I still can't believe it now."
"We took a few photos and videos, and I sat with her in the margins until she was fully recovered. Watching her swim away was one of the greatest moments I've ever had in fishing, and it's something I'll never forget!"
As the big fish returned to the depths, Ian's other rod suddenly sprang to life. After a spirited fight, he landed a second barbel, this one around the 10lb mark, topping off a truly memorable session.
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