Modern day barbel fishing often brings to mind powerful rods, reels, big feeders, and pellets—the last thing you would expect to catch is a big barbel with is a telescopic whip. However, Middy angler Nathan Procter achieved this incredible feat, landing numerous barbel up to 11lbs.
Nathan had recently joined a new club, and after speaking with the match secretary, he decided to target a new stretch of river only 20 minutes from his house. He was told it was a "forgotten paradise" for all species of fish, including big barbel.
"After hearing about this stretch of water, I just had to give it a go to see if there was any truth to the rumors," Nathan told us.
"This coincided with me receiving a new Middy Arco-Tech 8m Speed Whip, and Craig Kent at Middy had asked me to test it to its limits... so I did."
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Nathan had landed a couple of smaller barbel during the session but also lost a good fish. Knowing the barbel were present and that a bigger fish might be on the cards, he decided to step up his terminal tackle to try and catch one of the larger residents.
"I switched from a 0.14 main line and hook link to a 0.23 main line with a 0.17 hook length. The elastic in the whip was a Middy Hi-Viz 12 to 16," he explained.
"Tactics-wise, I was fishing the whip to hand, with 7m of line and an extension section to take me out to 8m in the river. The rig consisted of a 4g lollipop float fished static with 15cm of line on the bottom."
"I initially fed the swim with a few bait droppers full of hemp, pellets, and caster, choosing to alternate hook baits until the float slid away," he added.
"The change in tactics worked. I got another bite, but this fish was completely different from the others. Its power was unrivaled compared to anything I'd hooked before, but credit to the whip—it never looked like it was struggling."
"After a 20-minute battle, the barbel finally graced my landing net! What an experience, and it just proves what can be caught with balanced tackle."
"She weighed 11lb 11oz and swam away strong after a rest. I can't wait to return to the venue soon to see just how big the fish in this stretch can get," Nathan said.
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