Britain's biggest barbel has just hit the bank again, but this time at the almighty weight of 23lb! It was caught by Nathan Buckingham and is the same River Lea fish that was recently confirmed as a British Record for Simon Baker, who landed it in late autumn last year at a ratified weight of 22lb 1oz.
On that occasion, the fish came from the stretch at Kings Weir, but this time, Nathan had the fish a little further downstream, from the Fishers Green stretch.
Nathan, who is no stranger to big barbel after landing fish of 20lb 9oz and 19lb 8oz last season, was left flabbergasted by his latest capture. “It was just massive – its belly was solid,” he told us.
“When I caught the twenty-pounder last season, I could see that it still had room to fill out. This one has clearly been feeding hard, packing on weight prior to spawning in the next few months.”
Unlikely swim
Having started a new job this year, Nathan hasn’t had much time for fishing of late. However, knowing that the Lea’s big barbel often get caught at the end of the season, he headed out.
“I went down for an after-work session, having seen that a few barbel were being caught,” he told us. “The river was in good condition, carrying extra water, and temperatures were slightly milder than they had been lately.”
Nathan started in a swim at the top of the stretch, just down from the end of the Kings Weir water, but ‘wasn’t feeling it’ so moved elsewhere. “I moved down to a bit of water that nobody fishes, between two swims,” he revealed.
“It’s an area that doesn’t look much, and it’s only a few feet deep and gravelly. But, with the extra water that was on, I thought it looked good.”
Knowing that the fish quite often travel up and down the stretch, Nathan hoped that they would have to pass through the area he was targeting at some point.
“In the past, I’ve watched the barbel come out from snags and feed on the gravelly areas just as the light begins to fade,” he added. “Even though they sit under the cover, I don’t think they’re always feeding while they’re there. The fish are pressured and act like wary carp.”
Small hookbait
Settling into the area, Nathan cast out a piece of luncheon meat and fed nothing. “While many anglers use big bits of meat, I use a small piece, about the size of a boilie, on short hair,” he said.
“I had a sense that something was going to happen. There was lots of birdlife in the area, and everything felt right.” Around 20 minutes later, Nathan received an aggressive bite and hooked into a fish that charged off at speed in the shallow swim.
“With no snags around, it just headed downstream, taking 30 yards of line,” he said. “I wondered if it might be a carp, even though there aren’t really any in there, such was its weight and power.”
Nathan’s tackle – a size 8 hook, braided hooklink, and a 2.25lb TC rod – was thankfully stout enough to turn the heavy fish. “When it neared the landing net, I saw that it was huge,” he added. “And when I went to lift it out, I knew it had to be the British Record.”
Making history
Upon weighing the fish and seeing a figure of 23lb on his Reuben Heaton scales, Nathan gathered a few other anglers to witness the capture. “When they saw the swim I was fishing, they couldn’t believe it – one said it was an area they’d never think to try,” Nathan revealed.
“The fish was weighed on different sets of scales, with the same weight indicated each time,” he added. “I was shocked! I suppose though, for a fish that is so big, putting on an extra pound doesn’t take much over a few months.
“I was talking to my dad, Phil, who is a lifelong Lea angler himself, and he told me that I won’t quite realise what I’ve done yet. He’s right – catching the fish still hasn’t sunk in!”
Nathan plans to submit an official claim to the BRFC. We will provide updates on this over the coming months.
