RUTLAND angler Phil Brown made the most of high water levels on the River Nene to land this exceptional 16lb 4oz barbel from the East Midlands venue.
Fishing just a short afternoon session, Phil put his faith in a luncheon meat hookbait on a size 5 wide gape hook, and had a few sharp taps on the rod tip that he initially thought were from chub mouthing the bait.
But then he struck and hooked into the impressive fish, which he said felt like a ‘dead weight’. When it rose in the water and slapped its tail on the surface before diving for a submerged snag, he knew for sure he’d connected with his target species!
It’s the latest fish in a good run of form for Phil that has seen him land several double-figure barbel over the past month.
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