The past fortnight has seen very little caught from the Kennet at Burghfield but prior to the onset of colder and more changeable conditions Dave Middlemore landed this excellent barbel of 14lb 1oz.

Dave Middlemore and his 14lb 1oz barbel
Dave employed standard touch legering tactics with 8lb Berkeley Trimax line, size 6 ESP hook, 12 inch braided hooklink and 3/8oz running lead.

Dave commented:

“The bait was cast midstream and small plucks were followed by a slow take. When I struck, I really had no idea how big it was, just that it felt like a good fish. It made 2 or 3 strong runs before settling into a routine of plodding up and down in front of me. Actually, I suspected it was a big fish when I tried to lift it from the bottom and couldn’t!”

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