NIGEL BRYANS took advantage of working close to the banks of the river by having a short after-work session and was rewarded with this stunning PB 18 lb 3 oz barbel.
The 53-year-old country park assistant scored with the giant barbel on a Peterborough AA stretch of the River Nene in Cambridgeshire. The catch made him a winner of £100 of Korum tackle in the Angler’s Mail Korum Specimen Cup.
Stamford, Lincolnshire-based Nigel said: “I was planning a two-hour session and walked along the river until, in the reasonably clear water, I spotted a large barbel among the streamer weed.
“I set up 25 yards upstream and legered a lamprey and smoked herring flavoured boilie I am testing, along with some crushed boilies in a PVA bag.
“It was an hour before the fish took and it put up quite a fight before I managed to get it into the net.”
One of few larger barbel in the river
“It’s an excellent fish for the river as the big ones are few and far between and only in certain areas.
“I had heard of another 18-pounder being caught recently but it is possibly the same fish.
“The river is regularly stocked but there are very few larger fish.
“There are otters around but I walk the river regularly and have never seen any signs of predation, perhaps because the river is full of eels.
“I will certainly be using the bait again although it won’t get on the market till next year,” added Nigel, a tester for 3 Foot Twitch.
This is just a short version of the full story that appeared in Angler’s Mail printed magazine. Get the magazine every week for top tips, big news, best products, and venues that are in form.
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