MIDLAND Angler’s Birmingham Angler’s Association columnist, Stuart Bloor, took this cracking 13lb 11oz barbel during a session on the lower River Severn at Worcester this week.

Stuart has been fishing the area regularly since the start of the season, and tempted the personal best by fishing a hair rigged boilie a third of the way across the river over an area he’d baited heavily with 31 bait droppers of mixed seed.

The fish was beaten on a size 8 hook, 10lb hooklength and 10lb line and Stuart held bottom using a 2oz lead. The fish took the bait at 1.50am and Stuart also added fish on 9lb 3oz and 7lb 3oz in an excellent session.

“Most barbel anglers don’t seriously target the lower Severn until after September, but this fish goes to show that you are far from wasting your time earlier in the season,” said a delighted Stuart.