Big fish galore!
Is the Trent the UK’s best river right now? Read our report...
THE Trent is smashing records, with more double-figure barbel than ever before being banked from a venue that many believe is ‘the best river in the country’.
This incredible waterway has already provided hundreds of visiting rods with new barbel personal bests and bumper hauls of fish. Individual specimens to almost 17lb lead the charge, and some anglers have reported up to 50 fish in a single session.
Many other rivers have suffered low water levels and struggled to find form due to the lack of rainfall since June 16, but the Trent has surpassed all expectations.
Day-ticket and club stretches in the Nottingham area are providing some of the best action so far.
The river’s run of form continues, as we can report an astonishing catch of 46 barbel by Clive Bonnett during his first-ever session at Collingham Weir. The smallest was 7lb, while 14 were in double figures.
Lincolnshire angler John Mott banked two barbel for a combined weight of 26lb 10oz during a short session after work on the tidal reaches of the waterway.
Patrick Clampitt runs the popular APG Fisheries at Gunthorpe in Notts, and is a senior tester at bait manufacturer Angling Dynamics.
Patrick describes the fishing on the Trent since the start of the season as ‘nothing short of incredible’ and is of the opinion that it is capable of producing a British record fish.
“I totally believe that the Trent will produce a record barbel in the not-too-distant future”
“This season has been completely mental,” he said.
“There have never been so many huge barbel, chub and carp in the river. The best catch we’ve heard of so far is of 50-odd barbel, with more than 40 of these over the 10lb mark.
“The average size of these barbel is just immense. I totally believe this river will produce a record in the not-too-distant future.”
And it’s not all about barbel either. Nottingham resident Alfie Naylor, who lives just 100 yards from the Trent, has not only netted countless double-figure barbel already this season, but chub to 6lb too.
He’s of the opinion that the rivers fish stocks have ‘gone through the roof’.
“I really thought that the fishing couldn’t get any better than last season, as I didn’t catch a barbel under 10lb until October and I netted an 8lb chub… but the start to this year’s fishing has been something else,” he said.
“I don’t think there have ever been more barbel in the river than there are right now.”