Phil Smith has continued his enviable list of big barbel with a double-figure specimen from his 25th different river.

After seeing a number of barbel being caught from the River Goyt, Phil made the 100-mile trip to the river to see if he could get in on some of the action. With time limited he arrived midday, and selected a swim he had previously caught barbel from.

“I fished a swim that I’ve previously caught barbel from, I cast out into the fast flow and  waited. Then about 6pm the reward came, and I was soon looking at a 12lb 6oz barbel in the bottom of my landing net!”

Phil used a 12ft Drennan Barbel Specialist 1.75lb rod and a simple leger setup with 12lb Syncro XT mainline and a 15lb braided hooklink to a size 8 Continental Boilie hook.