Petworth and Bognor Club Member Colin Smithson recently received confirmation from the British Record Fish Committee that the 21lb 2oz giant he caught from one of our Club’s stretches of the River Rother on November 7th has been accepted as a new British record.

At the time of capture the river was three feet up and still rising. Colin decided to fish a short afternoon session and was thinking of packing up but the sight of a large mirror Carp rolling in his swim persuaded him to stay on despite the conditions.

When he first hooked the fish he assumed it was the Carp and it wasn’t until he got it to the net that he realised that it was a really huge Barbel. Colin was lucky that there were a couple of other club members present who witnessed the weighing and photographed Colin with the fish.

At the time Colin was elated to have beaten the club record, a fish caught last year by Mick Mills and it wasn’t until later when he spoke to a friend that he realised that he had actually broken the national record. Colin would like to dedicate the capture to his brother Roy who died aged just 63 a couple of months ago.

Club Statement
‘ Petworth & Bognor Angling Club  would like to congratulate Colin Smithson on his truly magnificent barbel, recently caught from the Rother. We know that Colin and others work extremely hard at catching these elusive fish and it is heart warming to hear and see that the work has finally paid off with a new British record.’