RUDD

JAMIE Martin proved the merits of doing your homework before setting out to go fishing when he used the Angling Times to help him land an award-winning 4lb 1oz rudd.

The Ely-based angler scoured AT’s match pages in order to help him locate some big rudd after previously spending years trying to beat his previous best for the species, which stood at 2lb 10oz.

The big-fish specialist finally achieved his ambition after pinpointing a fishery in the Fens which held rudd to over 3lb.

Jamie fished a pink mini dumbell boilie alongside a small feeder packed with liquidised bread, but started to wonder if he had made the right decision after receiving no bites during daylight hours.

As night fell, however, his swim came alive and an aggressive take soon saw him playing a fish he had long dreamed of: “It gave me an epic fight and I was convinced I was into a tench but when I saw the big bar of gold close to the surface my legs turned to jelly.

“When I finally got the fish in the net I knew I had cracked it!”