River season ends in style! The best catches from the final week on the rivers
Specimens go on a feeding spree in the last week of the season
AFLURRY of specimen fish have ensured a spectacular end to the river season for big-fish anglers across the UK.
Angling Times was flooded with captures from all corners of the country as anglers made the most of the last of running-water sport before the annual three-month shutdown.
Only a day after catching a remarkable pair of 7lb 5oz chub from the River Lea, James Champkin returned to beat that feat with this 7lb 10oz leviathan (below). The fish sets a new personal best for the Angling Trust man, who used a simple boilie and PVA bag rig with a 1/3oz lead to catch his quarry. He used a quivertip approach, holding the rod so he could react quickly to some cagey bites.
CHRIS LOWE, 15lb 4oz ZANDER
2 Perseverance paid off for Fox-backed Chris Lowe, who landed his 13th double-figure zander of the season at 15lb 4oz.
Using a boat to navigate the River Severn, Chris took the specimen by bouncing a Fox Slick Shad along the riverbed to win his only bite of the day.
BOB BRIGGS-PORTER, DAMIAN HARKER AND DARREN FIXTER, FOUR PIKE FOR NEARLY 90lb
3 Prebaiting helped three lads to enjoy a memorable session as they took four pike for over 88lb in just an hour. They emptied their freezers of deadbaits and introduced the chopped fish into their swims on
“A window of opportunity we couldn’t miss” – Craig Woolhouse talking about his Trent zander session
the River Trent a day before their session.
Returning the next day, they didn’t have long to wait before the first pike struck. Damian Harker had the biggest specimen at 23lb, along with a fish of 21lb 8oz. Bob Briggs-Porter was next in line, bagging a fish of 22lb 7oz. The final predator fell to Darren Fixter, at a weight of 21lb 15oz. Bob said: “We couldn’t stop laughing – this just doesn’t happen in a session!”
OLLY LUKER, PERCH TO 3lb 7oz
4 Up-and-coming angler Olly Luker experienced a fabulous end-of-season trip to the upper Thames, landing six big perch topped by a specimen of 3lb 7oz. Fishing towards a snag where he knew the perch lived, Olly used a chopped worm and maggot approach via a feeder.
SCOTT RICHARDSON, 18lb 7oz ZANDER
5 Imagine catching a zander of 18lb 7oz on your first ever session targeting them… well that’s just what happened to tackle shop owner Scott Richardson when he netted a monster during an overnight session on the tidal Trent.
Scott revealed that a big zander had been on his bucket list, but although he predicted to his customers that he’d catch one, he never expected to land one quite so big.
Scott said: “I’ve fished all my life, but have had nothing like this – it’s a special fish”.
A free-running leger rig and a tiny roach deadbait produced the goods for Scott.
SIMEON OSBORN, 7lb 8oz CHUB
6 The Dorset Stour is famed for its monster chub, and Simeon Osborn proved why by banking a 7lb 8oz specimen. After missing several bites on a link leger, a change of approach on the tricky stretch was needed for success. The 34-year-old fishery manager delivered his cheese paste hookbait on a Korum running rig made up of a 2oz lead and an 18ins braided hooklink through to a size 8 hook.
SHAUN PARNELL, 14lb 13oz ZANDER
7 Heading to the snow-clad banks of the River Trent in terrible conditions proved fruitful for Shaun Parnell when he banked a new personal-best zander of 14lb 13oz.
It was a case of ‘now or never’ for him and his angling partner Craig Woolhouse. “It was a window of opportunity we couldn’t miss,” said Craig. “If the snow had melted the river may have been ruined for the rest of the season”.
Both anglers fished fresh roach deadbaits in the deep channel.
MARK DOHERTY, 7lb 7oz CHUB
8 Mark Doherty fitted in a last gasp session on a stretch of the River Thames, where he found success using a maggot feeder approach, snaring several chub over the 5lb mark topped by a monster of 7lb 7oz.