Record Breaking Barbel Caught by Graham King Using Insight Tackle
Insight and Leslies of Luton would like to congratulate Graham King on his record breaking barbel, weighing a HUGE 20lb 15oz. We are very proud that our Insight tackle played a major part in this catch!
The following article appears courtesy of Angler's Mail.
20 lb 15 oz...
WHAT A WEIGHT!
 Our Gary Newman was on the bank to witness Grahame King raise the bar for Britain’s biggest barbel. Its size was quite a shock!
RECORD barbel, The Traveller, has stunned the fishing world by packing on weight quickly to smash its own best... and now weighs a monstrous 20 lb 15 oz.
The noted fish in the recordbreaking Adams Mill stretch of the Great Ouse had been down in weight this season. And venue regulars weren’t expecting it to break the 20 lb barrier, let alone its previous top weight of 20 lb 6 oz set last October by Tony Gibson.
But everyone was proved wrong when 52-year-old payment advisor Grahame King, from Watford, Hertfordshire, hooked it within two hours of setting up on the M ilton Keynes Angling Limited stretch.
Grahame had been having a great run, banking ten doubles in his last seven sessions, including a 17 lb 2 oz barbel known as Liner a couple of weeks before he broke the record.
A swim known as the High Bank had been regularly producing fish for Grahame and some of the other syndicate members, but no one had spotted Traveller there. With the stretch being day only there is a draw for swims every morning, and all five who turned up for the draw wanted that swim.
But Grahame’s day got off to the perfect start when he came out first in the draw, and just got better from then onwards.
Grahame explained: ‘I put in two large droppers of Dynamite Frenzied Hemp and small halibut
pellets, and dropped in my set-up a few feet behind this at 7.30am. The bite came at 9am, followed by a powerful fight that seemed to last for ages but was probably only ten or 15 minutes. I didn’t realise what fish it was until I looked into my outsize landing net and saw the tail.  A quick weigh revealed it to be around the 21 lb mark, so I went and got Ray House, Derek Hewitt, Tim Gillard, and Gary Newman to witness it.
‘You can imagine how I felt catching a fish like this and it was nice that Tony Gibson phoned me that morning to congratulate me. I feel fortunate to be able to fish with such a great bunch of blokes on the Mill, and I’d like to give special thanks to Stuart Court for his advice on the Pallatrax Stonze set-up that I used to catch this fish.’
This capture was the culmination of many hours of hard work on the venue, and like most people on there he’d endured his fair share of blanks, as Grahame explained: ‘I started off with 28 blanks on the stretch before I started to catch some reasonable numbers of barbel.
‘This season I’d had 21 barbel to 15 lb 8 oz by the end of August, but September proved fruitless.
‘I went catting on Spain’s River Ebro and on my return I had a 14 lb 12 oz barbel which started it all off again.’
Angler's Mail reporter Gary Newman was there to witness the piece of angling history he said: 'It was very impressive to see such a fish on the bank.'
TACKLE BOX
Rod: 12 ft 2.25 lb Leslie's of Luton Insight RB SU Barbel.
Reel: Shimano Baitrunner Aero 6010.
Main line: 12 lb clear Insight GR60.
Hook link: 15 lb Kryston Mantis Gold.
Hook: size 10 Drennan Super Specialist Barbel.
Weight: in-line Pallatrax Stonze with MCF clip and small Stonze flying backweight.
Bait: double 12 mm halibut pellet.
We would like thank Angler's Mail for allowing us to reproduce this piece. You can find Angler's Mail in any good newsagent every Tuesday or if you click on any of the links to their website on this page you can find a stockist near you or subscribe to the magazine.
Insight Masterpiece Barbel Rod
INSIGHT technology has now produced the ultimate big barbel rod. Using materials used in formula one motor racing and state of the art rod design technology INSIGHT have been able to change the concept of rod design and manufacture a rod which is so special it will be a mile stone in fishing rod manufacturing in years to come. Combining the INSIGHT commitment to quality and high standards, and the valued perfection of a hand built rod. INSIGHT now presents the INSIGHT Barbel Masterpiece.
All versions of the INSIGHT Barbel Masterpiece Rod are extremely light with a balance, which is supreme; all tip sections have been designed to be very responsive while retaining that very important bite detection response.
The rod comprises of seven sections; three interchangeable tops, one middle section and three butts of different lengths. The nine foot butt section has a twenty two inch handle, while the eleven and thirteen foot butt sections have a twenty four inch handle all being part Duplon & cork with screw winch reel fitting which includes a palm swell handle to eliminate fatigue in the forearm when in use, especially when playing fish. A hook-retaining ring has also been included just above the handle for the roving angler.
The combinations can be a thirteen foot rod with either heavy, light or quiver tip sections; an eleven foot rod with the same choice of tops and a nine foot stalker, again with a choice of tops. Line range would be between 6lb breaking strain and 12lb breaking strain.
In the 13ft mode the heavy tip, is perfect for floodwater fishing and for fishing on larger rivers where a perfect pick up of line is required. It also retains all the sensitivity one has come to expect from INSIGHT rods. With the light top the rod retains the delicate bite indication and presentation required when using lighter leads. The quiver tip section is ideal for feeder fishing on big rivers and will handle feeders of 3oz plus.
The eleven foot rod, again with a choice of 3 tops, the middle section and a specialist butt, is the perfect rod for rolling meat, lighter leads in smaller rivers and close in fishing in floods. It is an unbelievably light and yet responsive with reserves of power and is a joy to use. It also makes an excellent chub and tench leger rod.
The secret weapon, unique to the barbel fisher's armoury, is the nine-foot stalker & close range with three interchangeable tops. This is a specialist tool for fishing near and undercut swims, and for medium to close range stalking under trees and in reed beds, where a longer rod could become a hindrance. When used with a centrepin it is a revelation, responsive but with a reserve of power that will deal with the angriest of barbel.
This rod has already encountered many double figured barbel over twelve pounds and has exceeded all expectations. A very useful addition is when used in the 13ft mode it is possible to have a 9ft rod also set up as a second rod or stand by set up.
Tip Specifications
The 1.5lb TC quiver tip section; is a faultless tool for summer feeder fishing using small baits and finer hook links. The responsive versatile carbon quiver is built in to achieve a smooth action from quiver to rod.
The 1.75lb tip section is perfect for medium leads e.g. 2oz, 2.5oz for rolling meat and upstream legering in steadier flows.
The powerful 2lb TC tip section makes for a wonderful winter barbel & big chub rod. It can be used with leads of up to and over 4oz. It makes an excellent rod for upstream legering in floodwater conditions and for fishing snag-ridden swims where the hook and hold technique is necessary.
Rod Specification
9ft/11ft/13ft 7-piece, 3 butt sections, plus 3 top sections, 1 middle section. 1.5lb test curve quiver tip section, 1.75lb test curve tip section & 2lb test curve tip section.
Rings: - Silicon carbide rings (for braided lines).
Handle: - 22/24 inch part Duplon & cork for added grip with Fuji screw winch reel fitting and palm swell handle.
Finish: - Burgundy colour with wine whippings tipped red. Tip sections marked for easy identification, i.e., Quiver, 1.75lb & 2lb.
Manufactured in England using the highest quality materials available.
Supplied with seven-partition cloth bag.
Insight Barbel Masterpiece Retails For £499.99.
You can buy the Insight Masterpiece Barbel and other Insight rods in our shop.
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