ROWAC Club Chairman, Rob Leather strikes lucky twice with two double-figure barbel in the same short session.

‘Having a few hours spare one sunny lunchtime I elected to take my rods for a walk along the river to watch the world go by, and hopefully spot some Kingfishers. The sun was high, the river was clear and my fishy expectations were low. Just nice to be tucked under a tree on the banks. An hour passed with no indications, my instincts proving correct, until my left rod gave that unmistakeable not-so-subtle barbel pluck. Solid, chugging upstream in its own time. “Oooh, this might be a nice one…” In the net. Might be worth popping this one on the scales! 10lb 1oz. Wow!
Happy, and in somewhat disbelief, I recast…

(I was fishing with a pair of 2lb TC Harrison Torrix rods, 18lb pre-stretched mono, 2.5oz running leads, 11lb flouro leader with 5 inches of braid tied to a size 8 barbless hook, tipped off with a boilie. No feeder, no loose feed today…Laziness paid off?).

…anyway, like something conjured by the film ‘The Matrix’, an hour later Deja-Vu struck. I wondered if I had dozed off (one of my favourite activities to accompany my fishing). Shortly afterwards, and after having pinched myself a few times, another double in the net; this one 10lb 4oz. I floated home, very happy …Quite the trip’.

Well done Rob ….leading the way as the Chairman should !