First barbel caught was from the River Ure at Newby Hall, January, mid-eighties. Fish was about 1lb in weight caught on a swimfeedered single maggot on a size 22, perfectly foulhooked in the root of the dorsal fin.
First barbel hooked by design was on the Swale at Topcliffe, late 1980's. Read all the books and articles I could, found a swim that looked right, with a fallen tree opposite and fished meat over hemp. At last knockings the rod nearly went in, but I couldn't keep the fish out of the snag and the line parted - gutted.
First barbel landed by design was from the River Teme, c. 1991. Corn over hemp in a deep gulley under a tree, late summer, early morning - must have been about 4lbs. Can still remember the elation.
First double was March 1999 (10.06) - first fish from the Hampshire Avon, less than a mile from my new house (by design). Probably on halibut pellet.
Best barbel 14:11, again Hampshire Avon, July 2001 (by design, halibut pellet). River record was 14:12 at the time. That fish would easily have been 16+ in the winter, but to my knowledge it has only been caught in the summer.