Dream chub and barbel brace taken from Stour

Dean Derbyshire got a soaking twice during a recent session on the Dorset Stour, but he wasn't complaining after banking a dream brace of chub and barbel weighing 6lb 10oz and 14lb 8oz respectively.

The 20-year-old engineering apprentice began his memorable day session in a swim opposite an overhanging willow tree that he had been visiting in recent weeks and which he knew held a good head of chub.

After catapulting in a few free offerings and watching the fish dart out to intercept them ‘on the drop’, Dean cast out a pair of elips pellets…..and didn’t have long to wait for the action to begin.

“They took the bait straight away on the drop. I took eight chub in total, and the 6lb 10oz fish was the fourth to fall. It gave me a few problems because of a big snag upstream on the near bank which it went underneath. I had to jump in to the margins to net it – but it was worth a soaking!” said Dean.

He then switched his focus to barbel and eventually locating a couple of barbel sitting right in the edge.

“As soon as the pellets fell through the water, they were on the bait. Less than two minutes passed before it wrenched round and I was in. The fish made straight for the snags and rushes and I had to jump in again to stop it cutting me off!” he said.

See all the pics and read the full account in tomorrow's Angling Times.