Pensioner Mike Holcombe landed one of the biggest barbel ever reported from one of Britain’s premier fisheries, in the shape of this 17lb 2oz barbel.

The 83-year-old was fishing the lower Severn with his son, Alan, when he landed the impressive specimen on a boilie hookbait. It’s one of the largest ever reported from the venue, just a few ounces short of Andrew Hadfield’s 17lb 4oz fish from 2020. The pair enjoyed a memorable trip, with Mike also landing a fish of 12lb 9oz, whilst Alan landed a hat-trick of doubles to 13lb 13oz.

“We were on our annual fishing holiday, spending a week on the river,” Alan told us. “My father had had a slow start to the week but had the incredible brace on the final day. He’s caught some amazing fish in his time, including perch and crucians over 4lb as well as 3lb grayling, but he describes the seventeen-pounder as the fish of his lifetime. It came on the last cast of the trip, too!”

The pair were fishing on a falling river in a swim they’d baited heavily over the course of the trip with hemp, pellets, and boilies, introduced via bait dropper. Simple running rigs with 4ft hooklinks and size 10 hooks did the damage.

Well done Mike!