New Thames record...

[Jason Bean]

I was talking about the captures that don’t make the weeklies or social media
.... must be the worst kept secret in barbel fishing

so what was the higher weight the fish made then?

 

[Terry Harman]

That’s up to the captor to tell but I get his reasons for saying nothing
1 ..he wasn’t fishing for barbel
2 ...he has some nice quiet fishing at the moment ...if you had seen the circus that followed the publicising of the big Ivel fish you too would say nothing

 

[Paul Cooper]

It won't be quiet for long! Carp Barbel wars next season , i think.

 

[Richard Parsons]

I'd say 10oz on a barbel of this length and bulk (size) up or down in a few days is well within the norm? If the fish has stopped growing and is just 'fluctuating' on the annual four season cycle, impacted by the weather, available food and spawning, then weights of big 17 to 22 + would feel about the right range? If it's still growing! And over the next couple of seasons it gets caught towards the top of its then weight range on the cycle, 'Someones going to need a bigger landing net!!! I'm padding up for a few 'fast balls'!

I'm correct in writing it's more like a four months than a few days? 10oz in that period (particularly over a mild winter) is well within 'normal' weight fluctuations, I'd say. Yes, a stunning fish and probably the biggest barbel either captor will ever have a pleasure of landing. There are some monsters about, to be sure.