Four sessions and six forties

There can be few anglers who can match Spencer Wright’s last month.

The Isle of Wight rod banked an incredible six British forties in just four overnighters and one day session.

The magnificent May haul included one repeat capture – of a 47lb linear – alongside a 40lb 9oz common, a 41lb 6oz common - which hadn’t been caught since 2009 - and mirrors of 41lb 3oz and 41lb 7oz.

The senior design technician, who juggles his fishing around family life and full-time employment, told Angling Times: “It’s something I still haven’t quite got my head around even now!”

Spencer’s run of form began on May 4, with an overnighter that produced fish of 33lb 7oz, 37lb 9oz, 41lb 3oz and 47lb 11oz in a crazy four-hour morning period.

Four days later, on May 8, another overnighter yielded two 20s and a 40lb 9oz common.

Spencer returned to the island venue on Friday, May 18, and just as he was packing up following a biteless night his clutch began spinning and an epic battle ensued.

He said: “Everything was packed up with just the rods lying on the floor. I quickly shipped the net together before pulling into the angry fish, which breached the water three times in the fight.

“Then after an arm-aching battle, the fish I’d been tracking on and off for four years, the Big Scale Common, which had remained uncaught since 2009, finally slipped into my net.”

On May 25 Spencer banked the big linear again at 47lb 7oz, before taking Clover at 41lb 7oz two days later.

All fish fell to CC Moore XXX and Northern Special boilies presented on reverse combi rigs.