My hopes of doing a bit of carping on a local water were thwarted by a massive algal bloom making it look like tow-rope crossed with tinsel! The picture gives a fair idea of what I was up against so I decided to postpone my carping and try for a barbel on the Trent.

My first trip was an evening after work in what the weatherman described as showers.  I thought showers meant dry spells between periods of rain – it turned out that it was raining on my arrival at about seven and carried on continuously until I packed up at 11pm. Normally I avoid using a brolly wherever possible but without a brolly on this occasion I would have been heading for home long before the only bite of the night at 10:20. It proved well worth the wait, as it was an immaculate barbel of 9lb 12oz that took a liking to the Sonu Shellfish Plum boilies I was using.

That makes it carp, roach, rudd and now barbel that I’ve caught on them – I think Sonu are going to be on a winner with this bait. Get on it!