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DRENNAN CUP CATCHES OF THE WEEK
by Angling Times |
Published on15th October 2026 at 12.00pm
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“TIMING MY SESSION WITH A BIG MOON PRODUCED A PB BARBEL”
Gary Knowles – 15lb 10oz barbel
“I DON’T normally fish for barbel until we’re well into October, when the rivers have had a good flush through and are carrying a bit of extra water and colour. “But earlier this year I got a new club book, and I was itching to take a look at a few of the stretches.
“By keeping an eye on social media, I knew the Trent was still low and clear, so conditions were far from ideal for barbel. But I’d noticed there was a ‘big’ harvest moon coming at the weekend, and that tipped the balance for me.
“Theories on moon phases and their effect on fish behaviour vary enormously, but in my experience a big moon means big fish are on the move, so this seemed like too good an opportunity to miss.
“I decided to head for the tidal Trent and fish for the evening, then in the morning to have a recce around and locate a few spots to fish later in the year.
“It was a pleasant, warm evening, and I sat by my rods all night and built up the swim by regularly casting heavy feeders laced with Sonubaits cheese and garlic pellets, and 14mm hookbaits of the same flavour.
The moon has long been said to influence big-fish behaviour.
“At around 11pm, having landed a few bream, I had my first proper take and was soon netting a lovely barbel of 12lb 8oz.
“It was a great start in the new area and, with the full moon now illuminating the landscape, I felt confident of another good fish or two. Sure enough, an hour later, I had a very steady take from what I instantly knew to be a better fish.
“In the crystal-clear water, my headtorch picked out a large barbel fighting all the way to the net, and I was delighted when the scales confirmed 15lb 10oz – a new PB by a couple of ounces.
“The fish had a huge frame which hadn't yet filled out. I expect it to put on quite a bit of weight over the winter, so it would be nice to meet it again at the back end of the season! Whether it was caught because of or despite the harvest moon, I’m not sure, but my instinct to take advantage of the moon phase had paid off.”
A MEMORABLE BRACE OF RIVER RUDD
Mark Fox – 3lb rudd
BIG rudd may be synonymous with high summer, but Mark Fox didn’t let the falling temperatures deter him on a trip to the River Cam, where he was rewarded with a huge brace of fish weighing 5lb 1oz!
Mark opted for groundbait feeder tactics and, having lost a fish early on to a hook pull, stepped up to a size 12 wide gape with a hair-rigged banana-scopex boilie, presented on a heli rig.
He targeted deeper water and fed a mixture of Dynamite Baits F1 Sweet groundbait and 4mm pellets of the same flavour through his feeder.
Bites proved finicky, but after connecting with a few decent fish, Mark then slipped the net under rudd weighing 3lb and 2lb 1oz in quick succession!
SHORT CAMPAIGN PRODUCES HUGE EEL
Daniel Woolcott – 7lb 1oz eel
FISHING for specimen eels is known for being a waiting game, with many anglers enduring a lengthy string of blanks before encountering their target species.
But it doesn’t always have to be that way, as former Drennan Cup champion Daniel Woolcott showed when he landed this remarkable 7lb 1oz fish after just five nights on the bank… which is about the equivalent a short evening session in the big-eel angling world!
Daniel had the take just before dawn, with the fish falling to six dead maggots on a size 10 Drennan Gripper hook. This was presented on a twig rig, which helps to avoid deep hooking. Indeed, Daniel was pleased to report that this fish was hooked firmly in the lip.
He targeted the bottom of a shelf in a deep margin, where he fed a bed of Dynamite Baits GLM groundbait, soaked in a potent mix of liquid worm additive and ‘Fish Gutz’ attractant, plus lots of dead maggots.
Daniel focused his efforts on the summer-to-autumn transitional period, knowing that, as the eel’s natural food starts to decline, it’s a great time to target them. This is a theory that he and the late eel-fishing legend Steve Pitts had discussed on numerous occasions.
GARY’S TOP 5 TIPS
Nail it down – Use a feeder that is heavy enough to comfortably hold in the flow – if your feeder is moving about, so is your baited area.
Feed little and often – Feed regularly whether you are getting bites or not. Lots of bait will be taken by smaller fish, so it’s important to keep topping up your swim.
Beat the crabs – When fishing the tidal river, use hard, over-flavoured baits to combat the mitten crabs, which can soon whittle down standard baits.
Target the darkness – In low, clear conditions, barbel will often feed best after dark, so don't leave the river too early and, ideally, fish well into the night.
Step-up your tackle – Strong gear is essential – large barbel fight hard and the tidal river contains lots of snags. I wouldn't go below 15lb mainline and a 2lb TC rod.
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