MARK LANE

14lb 10oz

A RUNNING rig with a 4oz lead accounted for this chunky 14lb 10oz personal-best barbel for Mark Lane.

The 44-year-old from Nottingham fished a single Vortex CKO Cocoon hookbait into the centre of the river and received a powerful take into darkness.

He said: “At 11.35pm the mid-river rod doubled over and the reel went into meltdown.

“On picking the rod up it felt a good fish, fighting hard, making big lunges and trying to hold bottom. I slowly persuaded her to come upriver and over into my swim. As she got within range, a friend got into the water ready to watch this beauty slip into the net.”