Paul Kerry managed to land this impressive 15lb 6oz barbel from the middle reaches of the River Trent to set a new personal best.

He used a simple running rig setup combined with an open end feeder, which was filled with paste to leak off attractants and draw fish up into the swim.

Paul then fished a single hair-rigged boilie to a size 12 Super Specialist hook with a 3ft Sinkbraid hooklink.

“When I got to the river it was around 6ft up,” he explained. “I located a crease around two rod lengths out and started the session just fishing for one bite. Within an hour I had a huge drop back bite. I wound down and my rod bent double as it powered off into the main flow. It held stationary for a few minutes and eventually I started to steadily gain line. She was under the rod tip, then made a last ditch attempt for the bankside vegetation. I quickly put the brakes on and did well to scoop her up with the net. 

Paul added, “I was also very impressed with the 3m Super Specialist Twistlock Handle. I could not have done that with my old handle and the extra length is vital for fishing on steep river banks.”