Dave Harrell won his second Shakespeare Championship and a cool £6,000 on Saturday after bucking the trend of fishing with bloodworm and joker and fishing out and out for barbel instead.

After just 15 minutes Dave, fishing peg 27 on the Evesham Town water, latched into a huge fish weighing 13lb 5oz and the match was effectively over, his overall 14lb winning weight being over 3lb too good for second placed Will Raison who caught five chub on waggler and maggot from the mouth of the Isbourne after netting a few early roach on bloodworm.

Dave told Match Fishing magazine: “I have long been convinced that the commotion of anglers balling in groundbait can make bigger fish like barbel back away. For this reason, I decided to let the anglers around me do this, while I simply cast out a small open ended feeder stuffed with dampened pellets, with an 11mm halibut pellet on the hook.

On my second cast of the day, around 15 minutes in, my rod arched over and a 13lb 5oz beast was the hooked. I don’t mind admitting that I was more than a bit nervous as I slipped the net under it – as many were predicting that the match would be a low weight affair.”

2012 Shakespeare Championship, Warks Avon, Evesham

Dave Harrell (DH Angling/ Bait Tech), 14-0-0, peg 27 (£6,000); Will Raison (Daiwa/ Sensas) 10-10-0, peg 35; Gary Smith (Worcester Sports) 8-4-0, peg 6; Alan Scotthorne (Drennan/ Sensas) 6-11-0, peg 8; Leigh Gardner (Shakespeare Superteam) 6-9-8, peg 36.