Leicestershire’s Ashley Burton really took advantage of the mild spell over Christmas by going Barbel fishing – catching this 14lb 3oz beauty, winning a weekly Drennan Award in today’s Angling Times!

Ash fished the Warwickshire Avon and landed several fish, topped by this sleek fish with a huge tail! Successful strategy was to fish rolling meat, allowing him to stay mobile with the minimum of tackle.

Ashley used 20lb Braided mainline straight through to a size 2 Drennan Specimen Crystal hook (now a discontinued pattern) with a large chunk of meat. Ash describes the pattern as perfect for the job as the long shank keeps the hook firmly positioned inside the bait, until such time as he strikes!

Following a couple of taps on the rod top, the bite was signaled by an almighty wrench – and then an exceptional battle began! Check out today’s Angling Times for the full story…

For details on the current range of Drennan Specimen hooks, click here.