The fish was banked by Birmingham anger Dean O’Brien, who also holds the unofficial River Severn record, with an 18lb fish. The 18lb 6oz specimen continues the Warks Avon’s run of form with big barbel, after producing fish of 17lb 14oz and 18lb 6oz at the back end of last season.

Dean arrived at the river around lunchtime and settled into a snaggy swim with dense reeds on both sides. He fed small amounts of chopped meat, pellets, and boilies, little and often, then dropped his Oxo cube sized meat hookbait over the top. He fished this on a simple running rig, with a 2oz lead, 15” of 20lb coated braid hooklink, and a size 8 hook.

The day was quiet, but at midnight, he had a 13lb 10oz fish, and kept feeding the swim until first light, when he had a screaming take. The fish steamed off downriver, and after an epic 10-minute battle leaving Dean near exhaustion, he finally slipped the net under the fish. After resting it for half an hour, it was eventually weighed and photographed – the joint biggest ever to be caught from the waterway, and a fish that left Dean feeling totally overwhelmed.

Well done Dean!