TARGET – 271 BARBEL!
River fanatic Tom Schofield on course for historic big-fish milestone
ARIVER angling fanatic has set himself the ambitious challenge of catching a barbel for every day of the season.
So far Tom Schofield is on track as he bids to bank an incredible 271 fish before next March 14 from day-ticket rivers across the country. The South Yorkshire angler reckons his adventurous target is achievable thanks to the sheer quality of the barbel fishing on many UK rivers. Tom, who fishes sections of the rivers Trent, Don and Dearne, is currently on 145 fish, including no fewer than 30 doubles. The biggest so far is 13lb 8oz. That means he’s well on course to complete his mission by the time the 2017-18 season closes on March 14 next year. “I originally mentioned the idea to my friends as a bit of a joke,” said Tom.
“I never originally set out to do it, but after a couple of prolific sessions on the Trent the idea took flight. Now I’ve managed to catch more than half my total, I may as well carry on and try to achieve it.”
So far the challenge has seen Tom, who fishes with a small group of friends, visiting at least four or five different well-known day-ticket waters, including Collingham, Holme Marsh and Winthorpe on the River Trent as well as Sprotbrough on the River Don in Yorkshire.
Work commitments mean that Tom is unable to fish every day of the week, but he says short evening sessions and odd weekend night sessions are enough for him to catch the numbers he seeks. He is now encouraging other anglers to set their own challenges and follow his example.
“You don’t need to be a top angler with all the best gear to go out and catch as many barbel as I have,” he continued.
“You just need to put the time in where possible and work hard while you’re on the bank. Don’t just sit there
“You need to put the time in and work hard”
waiting for the tip to go round – keep the feed going in and change things if they aren’t having it.”
Although each river sees Tom slightly alter the way he fishes for the species, he has developed a tried-and-tested approach to his barbel fishing.
“I don’t often fish with large hooks and big baits as a lot of barbel anglers do,” he said.
“I have caught really well this season fishing with casters and hemp in the feeder and a single wafter or double-fake caster on the hook. By recasting every 15 minutes or so you can get a lot of bait into the swim and the fish will come in soon afterwards.
“There’s still a long way to go, but this is the best thing I’ve done in my angling career.”