17lb 8oz Hampshire Avon Barbel for John McGough

After posting on Facebook about a session I was having on the Hampshire Avon. I'd been fishing a swim that's been kind over the years and hadn't seen any sign of fish in the morning. I decided to walk a mile downstream with a bag of Elips Pellets scattering a few in half a dozen swims and paying them a visit with the Polaroids on the way back. It proved fruitless so another cast was made and left in place for 90 minutes. Again nothing showed up so this time a walk in the other direction was called for again baiting up a few swims. I'd reached the top of the stretch and apart from a few chub I hadn't seen much else. On walking back I stopped at a swim I had baited 20 minutes previous.A swim with no history but had plenty of features. As I gazed in I saw a barbel swimming up. I followed it and as it settled my eyes focussed on at least 3 other fish feeding.

A quick sprint back to my gear and within an hour I had a bait in place. 2 hours had passed and I hadn't seen them back in there so a quick pint of hemp dosed in essential garlic oil was dropped on the spot quickly followed by my rig which was 2 Elips Pellets trimmed down and glugged in Blitz Concentrate. There were a group of 3 fish coming in together from the far bank ripping the gravel up sending clouds of silt and sand downstream. A fourth fish came in all alone which was much bigger and would feed very close in.

I watched this fish for about 20 minutes and thought that a second rod placed in the right position could trip this fish up.I gently lowered my second rig in place and sat back trying not to look in.50 minutes had passed and the original rod was away. I could see it was the bigger of the fish and 5 times I had it at my feet only for it to charge off across the far bank.

I managed to bundle it in the net on the 6th occasion and set up the camera and scales whilst the fish lay in the net in the edge. When I lifted her from the water I realised I had something special.On the scales it registered 17lb 8oz and a new personal best by over a pound. Absolutely buzzing