Season’s biggest rudd is a monster of 3lb 1oz

The vast network of rivers in East Anglia showed why many predict they will produce the next British record rudd when Josh Fisher banked the biggest fish of the season to date.

Tipping the scales at 3lb 1oz, it fell to self-confessed fishing fanatic Josh, who walked several miles before hooking a fish that smashes his personal best out of sight.

The tattoo artist admitted that catching big rudd from Fenland rivers is ‘the most physical fishing I’ve ever done’ and achieved his ambition of catching a specimen over the 3lb barrier when he floatfished breadflake.

It’s a rudd that beats a previous personal best that stood at around 2lb 8oz, and it was landed with a rig made from a size 12 hook attached to 3lb line.

“Some days I’ll walk for miles and not even cast a line. It’s totally exhausting, especially in the heat. I fainted the other day as I worked to locate the biggest fish,” said Josh.

“But it’s so rewarding when you do hook and land one of these fish. There’s no better sight in the sport than seeing one of these big rudd gulp down a large lump of floating crust.

“I’ve now had 12 fish over the 2lb mark since the start of the season and seen some fish that are scarily big. There’s no doubt in my mind that there’s a British record
in these very special waters.”

Another angler who showed why hundreds from across the UK flock to the Fenland river systems every summer is Fox-backed specialist Matt Rand.

He uses a boat to locate the rudd shoals and often trots his floating bread up to 80yds downstream in order to tempt the biggest specimens. His latest session produced the goods with an immaculate 2lb 11oz fish.

“I don’t fish with line any lighter than 6lb because when you’re fishing at distance the fish have many opportunities to dive into every weedbed on the way in – light gear would be just pointless.

“The fishing around the Fenland rivers is incredible. I’ve been lucky enough to land 20 rudd over 2lb to a best of 2lb 14oz from three different rivers,” he said.

Matt used a 6g Matrix pellet waggler and a size 8 Kamasan Wide Gape Specialist hook.
Finally, Adam Perna achieved a personal ambition to catch a 2lb rudd from the Fens when a morning session produced no fewer than 14 fish to a best of 2lb 4oz.

He, too, opted for a simple float rig with a piece of floating crust.

“It’s been a goal of mine to catch one of these incredible fish over 2lb, and to have had so much action topped by this rudd made for a really special session,” he said.