ANGLING TIMES’ IAN JONES SAYS…

Tackle: “If you’re planning on fishing a night here, twin 2lb test curve barbel rods and 6000-sized reels loaded with 12lb mainline will suffice. Mount these on a rod pod with bite alarms or high banksticks with isotopes attached. On the business end, those who fish here do very well with cage feeders or straight lead set-ups.

“During the day you can have fun roving various swims with trotting, touch legering or rolling meat techniques. Because the flow is quite fast here, use a minimum breaking strain mainline of 10lb and powerful float and tip rods of 12ft or more.” Bait: “Meat works incredibly well in the fast stretches for the barbel and bigger chub, while in the steadier water floatfished maggots will bring bites from roach, perch and chub. Night anglers find plenty of success with barbel on pellets, boilies and meat.” Tactics: “To get the best out of Bob’s Island a roving approach during the day is advised. The weir pegs are currently providing great sport from barbel to those touch legering or rolling meat through the swim. “On the backwater section, quivertipped boilies or meat to the far-bank trees are scoring well for chub and the odd barbel too.

“During the evening and night, set up in a swim with a near or far-bank raft and cast regularly to keep the swim topped up. The barbel are most active at night and the bigger specimens are usually caught around this time.

“If you’re lucky enough to get on the point swim, cast one rod into the main flow to your left and another into the slack on your right. Carp to nearly 30lb have been caught from this slack area too.”