Huge predator! Traffic jam leads to 17lb zander from the River Severn
Captor turns off motorway and bags 17lb 2oz zed instead
GARRY Bagley had a 10-mile traffic jam to thank for the capture of this 17lb 2oz river zander.
Having been sat bumper to bumper for over an hour, the predator fishing fanatic decided that he’d rather be sitting on the banks of the River Severn than in his stationary car on the M5.
After turning off the notoriously troublesome motorway, the 58-year-old from Stourbridge admitted that he didn’t expect to get a single run after casting out a small roach deadbait – in bright, warm conditions the odds seemed stacked against him.
But Garry got one of the biggest surprises of his angling career when the huge fish made off with his bait, legered just a few rodlengths out from the bank.
“Conditions couldn’t have been worse for fishing but I’d much rather be on the river than sat staring at the car in front of me,” Garry told Angling Times.
“To say that it was a big surprise when I got the bite would be an understatement, but not as big a shock as when the fish came to the surface.”
His impromptu session on a lower section of the famous waterway was rewarded when he positioned his bait close to a snaggy area with a rig made from 65lb braid, a 30lb wire trace and size 8 trebles.
“If it wasn’t for that traffic jam I would never have caught this fish – I wouldn’t have even bothered under those conditions. It just shows you how unpredictable fishing can be,” Garry said. “This is a huge fish for this time of the year, so you can imagine how big it could be come the winter.”
WHAT IS THE DRENNAN CUP?
DRENNAN Cup prizes are decided by tackle giant Drennan and awarded to anglers who have caught specimen fish by design.