FINAL RIVER CATCHES
THE BEST FISH YOU’VE LANDED THIS WEEK
“I WAS fishing the Dorset Frome the day before the season ended when, at around 4pm, I caught the fish of my lifetime – this 4lb 8dr roach.
“I was using a groundbait feeder, with three red maggots on a size 16 hook. Usually I prefer to floatfish, but the river was running too hard for that.
“The roach put up a brilliant fight and was in fabulous condition, with all its scales intact. It looked as if it had never been caught before!
“I cut my teeth match fishing on the Thames, where I won a few big contests. Now I live in Dorset and I have to say, trying to catch specimen fish is very hard, especially these big roach on the Frome. I’ve not had more than one in a session, and if I manage that I reckon I’ve done well!”
“THE BIGGEST BARBEL I’VE SEEN”
“I HAD thought long and hard about where to fish on the final day of the season. The Trent had come up a few feet and was heavily coloured.
“But I found a sheltered peg and set up one rod with two hair-rigged boilies. My plan was to go easy on the feed and be patient. My good friend Leigh was joining me for the day, but had yet to arrive when the rod-tip pulled over and I found myself attached to something rather heavy.
“After netting it, I looked over and saw him parking up – perfect timing to do the pictures of a fish I would say weighed comfortably over 12lb. The next one was a proper beast and I’m not even going to suggest a weight. It’s the biggest barbel I’ve seen. I let Leigh have the next fish – a 10-pounder – before I was cut off by an absolute brute.
“It was then time to pack up and call it a season.”
“MY dad and I wanted one last session on the rivers, so we headed to Burton Joyce, on the River Trent.
“The river was banging through and so, after starting off targeting silvers without a touch, we switched to the barbel rods, casting out Peperami hookbaits.
“I was in my bivvy when the alarm signalled a take just after midnight. As I bolted up, my bed collapsed, and I fell headfirst out the door! I didn’t have time for boots but I wasn’t bothered.
“I grabbed the rod and, up to my ankles in mud, battled a powerful fish. After we’d struggled to get its head off the bottom, we finally had what I knew to be a very good fish in the net.
“I’ve had barbel in the past, but this one was in a different league. At a fraction under 19lb, the
