It’s been a winter to forget for many anglers, but the recent mild spell has spurred the fish into a feeding mood, as Andy Gray found at Kings Weir Fishery on the River Lea.
He banked the fourth-biggest barbel ever reported in the UK during a members’ fish-in at the in-form venue. It’s the third known ‘twenty’ in the stretch, and is also thought to be the largest barbel ever landed using a centrepin reel!
“You’re allowed to fish throughout the night during the fish-in, so after a curry and a few beers with the other members, I settled in,” Andy told us.
“I switched to a small maggot feeder in the early hours of the morning, using a bunch of maggots on a clip, and recast every 25 minutes.”
Andy’s persistence paid off when had a knock at around 7am, followed by a violent take on the very next cast.
“The centrepin screamed into life and I hooked a fish that fought like nothing I’ve ever known,” Andy said.
“After playing it for what felt like an age, I netted what was clearly a very good fish."
“But when I tried to lift it, I knew it was something a bit special. The fish smashes my previous personal best barbel by over 6lb!”
THE BEST BARBEL RODS WILL HELP YOU LAND HUGE FISH LIKE THIS ONE!
Subscribe to Angling Times magazine today. Choose a Print+ Subscription and you'll get instant digital access and so much more. PLUS FREE UK delivery.