At the start of this season, two-time Drennan Cup champ Simon Daley set out to catch a truly big barbel from three different rivers, and he’s just completed the challenge in style by banking this 16lb 9oz fish.
Having already caught barbel of 18lb 11oz from the Hampshire Avon and 17lb 9oz from the River Lea, Simon turned his attention to the River Itchen. Despite the falling temperatures, he knew that heavy rains and rising water levels would improve his prospects, so headed out for an evening session.
Simon opted for a piece of garlic-flavoured luncheon meat as his hookbait, a favourite of his in such conditions. This was fished on a 2ft hooklink below a 5oz lead, with a backlead also used to keep his mainline pinned down, out of the way of any debris flowing downstream.
It wasn’t long before he landed a barbel of 11lb 5oz, which he was pleased enough with, but knowing there was the chance of another bite in the promising conditions, he decided to stay on until 10pm.
At 9:30pm, he had a savage bite and the fish put up a great fight in the powerful flow before being safely netted.
HEAD TO ONE OF THESE VENUES TO BANK A BARBEL THIS SEASON...
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