In-form Josh bags big thirty

Josh Hammersley’s run of form on a ‘secret lake’ has continued with the capture of this 39lb 10oz mirror.

A last-second hookpull nearly robbed the Bedfordshire rod of the capture, but the scaly specimen had rolled into the net just in time.

Josh has been targeting the previously unpressured venue with friend Ashley Irvine since the start of the summer and both have already banked 40s.

Josh told Angling Times: “Ashley and I were sitting there cooking breakfast when suddenly I got a couple of beeps on one of my alarms, and as I got up to investigate it started to roar off.

“I picked up into the fish then suddenly it went slack I started to reel in thinking it was off, before it went solid in a weed bed. 

“Still not knowing if I had the fish on, I kept a slight pressure on for a few minutes until we saw a tail appear, so I kept pressure until she broke free.  By this time, Ash was out in the lake with the net.

“As I teased her back to the net the hook suddenly pulled out and my heart sank. I looked at Ash to ask if he got it and he looked at me and said ‘I got it, mate’.
“She went 39lb 10oz and I was made up with that one. Many thanks to Ashley Irvine and Premier Baits!”