Although it was once Britain’s premier big-barbel river, we now hear of few barbel being caught from the Great Ouse. However, there are still a few fish in the waterway..
..with some specimens included, as Hugh Trayte showed with this 17lb 3oz fish, caught on his birthday before the end of the season.
It’s the first one he’s had from the venue since November, with tricky conditions over winter impacting the fishing. But, on a recent session in mild conditions, his rod hooped over as the clock hit midnight, and he hooked what he knew right away was a barbel. Initially, the fish didn’t put up much of a fight, but when Hugh went to net it, the fish woke up and gave a cracking account of itself. The fish is Hugh’s new PB and was caught on a luncheon meat hookbait, fished over a bed of chopped meat and hemp.
Well done Hugh!