This Hampshire Avon barbel weighing 19lb 8oz can lay fair claim to being one of coarse angling’s greatest prizes. It was landed by Daniel Albano after falling to a fishmeal boilie presented alongside a PVA bag filled with 8mm pellets.
He arrived tofind the Avon in fine fettle, warm and carrying a tinge of colour after rain. Using two rods on close-in gravel spots, he had a take on the downstream rod. The fish thrashed on the surface, almost tail-walking, and as it neared the net Daniel saw that his first estimate of its size was wrong – it was massive!
He admitted that, had he known how big it was, it would have taken him twice as long to land! In fact he caught the same fish years ago at 17lb, as part of a memorable brace.
THE BEST BARBEL REELS HAVE THE NECESSARY POWER TO SUBDUE BIG, STRONG FISH LIKE BARBEL.
