With a few hours to spare Saturday afternoon I drove to the River Loddon for a spot of barbel fishing before heading off to the River Blackwater for the evening.  Arriving at the fishery I found it to be fairly quiet with only two other anglers on the stretch.  I decided to bait two of my favourite swims with some 6mm Barbel & Carp Elliptical pellets that I had added hot water to help them break down.  To this I added a good squeeze of hemp and spicy sausage flavour.  Dropping a couple of handfuls onto each spot I waited for 20 minutes before introducing a hook bait.  Before casting I molded some of pellets around the lead and carefully lowered it onto the patch.  Immediately I started to get line bites and after twenty minutes the tip flew over and after an excellent fight I was soon netting a barbel weighing 10lb 13oz. 

The next swim produced two barbel weighing 5lbs, 7lb 14oz and a chub weighing 4lb 9oz.  All fish fell to Sonubaits 13mm halibut pellets.

Just before dark I made the twenty minute drive to the River Blackwater hoping that I might be able to sneak out a barbel.  I got to the river with just enough time to introduce a tin of Hemp N corn before darkness fell.  After casting out I soon started to get line bites and it wasn't long before the tip pulled over and a Blackwater barbel weighing 6lb 3oz was soon being returned to the river.