ELLA Mae Beckett became the envy of all seasoned barbel anglers when she hooked, played and landed this 16lb 5oz specimen during her latest outing, making her one of the youngest-ever winners of a Drennan award.
The South Yorkshire lass and her dad Steven spent summer targeting the River Dearne for barbel and after lots of effort and a few blanks the pair finally hit the jackpot.
Steven tells us:
“After two recent evening sessions of frustration, when we lost three barbel due to straightened hooks or snags, we decided to return the following evening with much stronger tackle.
“Ella baited her hook with worms and a couple of red maggots, filled the feeder with maggots and then cast it out to the spot.
“I told her to set the clutch and be on her rod ready to strike when the bite came.”
Sure enough, an hour later Ella’s rod arched round and she set the hook into a strong fish which instantly headed for some snags.
“Straight away she put her rod in the air and applied pressure which drew it away from the trees and into the shallows,” adds Steven.
“After a short battle this massive barbel graced the net and her emotions just went into overload. She cried tears of joy! It’s a moment I’ll never forget.