Moored on the Oxford Canal at Fenny Compton, in Warwicksghire, pensioner Alan Holmes was enjoying an evening’s fishing from the back of his narrow boat.

Using a pole with bread as bait, he was catching a few skimmers when his float slipped away and he realised he was into something very big which turned out to be a 16lb barbel.

Not only is this the biggest authenticated barbel from a canal, but Alan’s first one.

I would imagine that this fish had made its way into the canal from the River Cherwell because the canal and the Cherwell merge together in some places.

Alan landed the fish on the top two sections of his pole as he lost the rest of it to overhanging branches.

It was a remarkable feat of angling.

Alan, who fishes the canal around Oxford a fair bit, reckons that it is stuffed with fish, with plenty of double-figure carp to have a go for.

  • AN unnamed Oxfordshire pit has produced the second largest bream ever caught, weighing 19.6.0, just four ounces under James Rust’s British record.

The monster bream was caught by Bradford angler Gordon Ramsden, who spent three nights on the water.

He targeted a gravel patch around 100 yards out and baited the area with groundbait, pellet, hemp, corn and boilies plus two Richworth boilies on the hook.

Gordon, who spends most of his time fishing for bream and tench, is no stranger to big bream. Last year, he had them up to 18.12.0.

  • A couple of weeks ago, I told you about Oxford’s Andrew Shellard, who banked two 40lb carp in the same session.

Well, Andrew is back in the news again with a 39lb common from the same Oxfordshire syndicate water.

He noticed several large fish about 60 yards from the bank and cast out a zig rig with a trimmed down pop-up. He had a take and after a 45-minute scrap, his size 12 Korda wide gap hook held and he slipped his net under the big common.

  • IF you have any news, views or photos, you can contact me on 01865 725606 or email andrew@webber01865.fsnet.co.uk