Double figure tench for perch record holder

PERCH record holder Neill Stephen banked his biggest tench of the year when he slipped the net under this mint-conditioned 10lb 11oz specimen.

The former Drennan Cup Champion from North West London had to make a late start to his tench campaign this season after breaking his arm in May, but he certainly made up for lost time when he visited a tough gravel pit in the Home Counties.

After introducing two buckets of hempseed, he fished popped-up red maggots on a 15lb braided hooklink and 12lb mainline over the top to tempt the specimen that was backed up with another fish weighing 7lb 8oz.