The Big Fish Column: Largest Thames barbel of the season nearly sets new British record

Just when you thought the river season was all over, it transpired last week that it had one surprise left. This was not any old surprise though, this was the largest Thames barbel of the season and very nearly a new British record.

A Thames record barbel

Charvil angler, John Llewellyn, left the capture of the best barbel of the season rather late and his giant fish of 20lb 12oz initially pulled his scales around to over 21lb, making it a potential new British record.

It was only after John had his scales tested for accuracy by Trading Standards that the precise weight of the fish could be accurately recorded.

Not a British record but a Thames record and one of the biggest barbel ever caught.

John, boss of the Big Carp and Big Cat bait company, is well known and highly respected around the local angling scene and used one of his own baits, Ocean Blend, to tempt the big specimen from a 7ft deep swim just downstream from a mid–river feature.

Netting a bream at dusk, John struck into the big fish at around 7pm and beat it after a dogged fight.

The huge fish opens up the distinct possibility of the Thames producing the next British record barbel, I for one certainly wouldn’t bet against it.

Big carp

Bream and carp are always the first stillwater species to start feeding hard during the early spring and Ed Anderson was delighted to find the carp feeding hard at the Island Lake last week and he fished a 48–hour session to tempt fish of 21lb 6oz and 24lb 8oz.

Burnham-based Ed presented a fruit-flavoured mini boilie tipped with a piece of plastic corn to tempt the fish from a margin swim that he had previously baited with a mixture of crushed boilies, mini pellets and maggots.

Some good carp are showing over at Royal Berkshire too and Windsor’s Dom Payne reported a nice fish of 17lb along with three smaller fish, all of them taking flavoured meat hook baits from Lake One.

Trout returns

Chris Hayward reports that a week of windy weather made for tricky casting on Haywards Farm Lake but those who persevered in the conditions experienced some good fishing with a rod average of just under four fish.

Intermediate lines were the most successful, cutting under the choppy water and allowing flies to fish a little deeper. Damsels have started to come into their own, fished with a slow retrieve. The best fish of the week weighed in at 9lb 9oz with the average weight 3lb 4oz.

Chris also told me that Hobby Lake has been in incredible form since opening day on March 1, with stunning sparctic, tiger and blue trout being caught with some huge double figure rainbows being landed too! 

The week ahead

The forecast of high pressure with cool overnight temperatures is unlikely to do local angling any great favours, so expect a steady rather than spectacular week of sport ahead.

Any anglers wishing to report catches may contact me at ian@bigfishtrail.com