A rising river and ideal weather proved the perfect storm for Craig Smithson on a trip to the Hampshire Avon, where the river gave up one of its finest prizes in the shape of this 19lb 12oz barbel.
Fishing an evening session, Craig targeted a small gravel spot amongst streamer weed with a 16mm fishmeal boilie hookbait. Alongside it, he fished a PVA bag containing just eight baits. On his mainline above, he used a backlead to keep his mainline pinned to the riverbed, out of the way of feeding fish.
A few hours after casting when darkness had fallen, Craig received a bite and hooked a fish that locked him up in the streamer weed. Thankfully, his strong tackle, consisting of 12lb Garner Speci Tuff mainline and a size 8 Barbel hook was enough to coax it out. It was at this point that Craig realised he was attached to a very large fish!
Well done Craig!