DISCLAIMER: This fish was caught before the season closed on March 15th.
With barbel anglers seemingly fixated on pellets, boilies and meat, sometimes a switch to the old classic baits works a treat!
On a return to his old stamping grounds on the River Lea at Kings Weir paid off for Mark Hewett when he caught this 19lb 9oz barbel.
It took a bunch of maggots on a size 10 hook alongside an in-line feeder, which he cast over a bed of hemp. The bite came at around 11pm, when his rod ripped into life.
A savage battle followed, with the fish bolting downstream towards some snags, but Mark managed to put the brakes on. The fish then powered across the river to some far-bank snags, but Mark again managed to steer it safely away from danger, despite admitting he was shaking like a leaf during the fight! The barbel is his new personal best, and one of the highlights of the 20 years that he’s been fishing the Lea.
IF YOU WANT TO CATCH A BARBEL NEXT SEASON, CHECK OUT OUR BEGINNERS GUIDE!
