A third UK fifty for Chancellor

Dave Chancellor has become one of a select group of anglers who can boast of catching three different UK fifties with the capture of this 58lb mirror from the Avenue.

Incredibly, it is the forty second fish he has landed in just eight sessions on the tricky Shropshire syndicate water where most people would consider 15 fish in a year a good result.

The impressive specimen known as Jona topped an 11 fish haul which also included two thirties, seven twenties and an upper double.

“I’ve tried to do things a bit different to everyone on the lake and I think all these little tweaks have played a part in my success,” he said. “All of my fish were taken from close to a gravel bar which runs down the centre of the lake. Most people cast tight to the feature, and yes fish do get caught from here, but I think they’re used to being fished for here and can be very cagey. I prefer to fish a couple of rod lengths short of the bar where the fish feed much more confidently.”

Dave used a Mainline Hybrid pop-up with a piece of lead wire inserted to create a ‘wafter’ hookbait. This was mounted on his variation of the popular chod rig which he has called the hopper rig.

His previous fifties include a fish known as the Northern Mirror at 51lb from an Essex syndicate and Acton’s The Italian at just over 50lb.