An overnight session on the River Trent near Newark has produced the biggest reported barbel of the season in the form a 16lb 6oz beauty.

It fell to local angler Tony Stockdale who’d had a bad start to his session which took a U-turn at around 11:30pm – as he explained further: “I was starting to think it was not my night as my mate fishing just downstream had already netted four small barbel, but just before midnight I got my first bite.

“It soon became apparent this was not an ordinary fish as it hugged the bottom solidly before going on a couple of strong runs – hitting the net after a hard 15 minute battle!”

Tony’s fine barbel was caught using halibut pellets in conjunction with a groundbait feeder rig.