THEY WERE THIS BIG, HONEST! FISH THAT ROCKED THE RECORD BOOKS

Who wouldn’t want to be the captor of a British rod-caught record? Most of us would, of course – although in the case of Chris Yates he put fish welfare before official recognition...

IN 65 years of Angling Times, tens of thousands of big fish have passed across the newsdesk.

They range from records that still stand today through to specimens that started a mini revolution in fishing. Inevitably, wading through that mass has created an ultimate list of greatest captures.

Even with that list drawn up, argument still rages among Angling Times staff, let alone anglers, as to which fish should make it.

Are the Norfolk Broads record pike of the 1980s more important than Llandegfedd’s trout water fish, and should the carp of Holme Fen earn more plaudits than Dick Walker’s record? You decide...