BAIT and tackle company boss John Llewellyn was more than happy with his first two bites of 2020 from the River Thames.
The first was this cracking 15 lb 2 oz barbel, and the second came from a 6 lb 8 oz chub.
The barbel was tempted on an evening session, over some pre-bait.
John then trickled a bit more bait in and left the area for a couple of days, before returning to bank the chub.
The Big Carp and Big Cat company owner from Charvil, Berkshire, hit the headlines last March with a monster 20 lb 12 oz Thames river record barbel.
This time he legered his own Ocean Blend paste wraps and Ocean Blend boilies, hair-rigged to a size 6 hook and 15 lb link.
John’s tactics, and background – including being an Olympian – can be read in a very special 4-page feature exclusively in Angler’s Mail print magazine this week.
The River Thames could yet rock the British barbel record before this 2019/20 season is out.
Colin Smithson shocked the specimen world at the end of 2019 when he narrowly broke the British barbel record by 1 oz with a 21 lb 2 oz giant.
Colin’s catch came from a secret Sussex river. But he kept it from the angling Press and social media before it was revealed by the British Record Fish Committee.
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