Drennan design engineer, Paul Turvey enjoyed catching his first barbel on a recent trip to the glorious River Wye.

Targeting an area of deeper water below a series of shallows provided Paul with plenty of rod bending action. Paul initially baited the area before fishing using a large feeder filled with a mixture of halibut pellets, mixed particles and a fishmeal groundbait.

Paul opted to fish a large ESP Mega Method Feeder in conjunction with a Mega Method Feeder Rig baited with a large 14mm pellet. The mix for the method feeder was made up from a fishmeal groundbait, particle mix and crushed pellets, wetted down and left for 30-minutes prior to fishing allowing the mix to absorb the water, creating a very tacky mix.

From the very first cast, the tip on his Specialist Power Barbel rod began to bounce and twitch as the barbel and chub tried to remove the sticky mix from the frame of the feeder. followed by a sharp bang and the tip arching over. Paul managed to land numerous barbel up to 6lb 3oz before the mid-day sun put a halt to the action.

“I will definitely be back for more, the scenery is stunning and despite their size, these are the hardest fighting fish I have ever caught and really put a bend in the rod as they tear off downstream once hooked,” explained Paul.