Baden Hall bream a venue best at 16lb 7oz

Mark Bartlett set a new venue record at Staffordshire’s Baden Hall Fishery with this superb 16lb 7oz bream.

Finding a clear area at 70 yards on the Quarry Pool, the 29-year-old spodded out half a bucket of corn and casters. The specimen slab came in the early hours of the morning to a single grain of artificial corn on a size 7 Fox Arma Point SSBP hook, a 4ins 15lb Reflex hooklink and a 3oz inline lead. Bristol-based Mark, who is sponsored by Fox, Mainline and Hinders, presented a solid PVA bag of Little Gemz pellets.

He said: “I’d heard that a few big bream between 10lb and 13lb had been coming out so I kept my options open fishing sweetcorn for bream, tench or carp. I’m really pleased with this capture as it’s a fish of a lifetime and I’m sure it will grow much bigger as the Quarry Pool has such a rich water quality.”