Despite the torrential downpour, Paul Elt decided to chance his luck and try for a River Ouse Barbel.

“It rained from the moment I arrived, until the time I left, but it was all worth the effort. I opted to bait a tight swim with a few pints of hemp and wait until dusk before making my first cast. I choose to use my 12ft 1.75 Martin Bowler Specialist Barbel Rod coupled with a fixed spool reel, loaded with 12lb Syncro XT. At the rig end I choose to fish a combi rig consisting of 4ft of 12lb Supplex tied to an ESP Oval Ring to which I tie a short length of 10lb ESP Sinklink with a size 10 Super Specialist Barbel hook tied using a knotless knot to present a single 10mm boilie on a hair. My all time favourite combi rig for barbel.

“In between heavy downpours I managed to carefully recast PVA bags of crumbled boilies and it was shortly after midnight when the rod pulled round. After a great fight, she finally slid over the net. A great start to a new stretch, one which I will continue to bait and fish throughout the Autumn.”