The River Severn has run into its best form of the season with big fish showing and two 100lb catches reported to me using two entirely different approaches.

Both came from Bewdley, float maker Steve Maher bagging 100lb of barbel to 7lb on
straightforward stick float and maggot tactics while fishing a pacey 8ft deep swim in the town centre. Just a couple of days earlier, Des Taylor also topped the 100lb barrier and included two double figure fish to 13lb after pre-baiting a swim above Bewdley and fishing double 10mm pellet hook baits.
Said Steve, who already holds the record for a catch of fish taken on the river on the float: “You don’t realise just how many big fish are in the river until this time of year. The roach and dace seem to be seriously in decline, but they are being replaced by big barbel and chub.”
The barbel catches were not the only big news from the Severn in the last seven days, with the waterway also producing its biggest zander of the season at a whopping 18lb 11oz. And once again it was that man Des Taylor who did the business, while boat fishing a dace livebait. The fish is one of the biggest ten of the species even landed in the UK and is the best from any UK waterway this season. It comes just a week after the Severn produced a zander of 18lb 1oz to Worcester angler James Sakar.

Pic: Steve Maher with part of his catch of barbel taken from the River Severn at Bewdley on stick float and maggot tactics.