Bread snares 8lb River Lea chub

Just a few pence worth of bait was all Jerry Brown needed to claim one of the season’s biggest chub in the form of this colossal 8lb 4oz specimen.
The 60-year-old banked the new personal best from the famous Kings Weir stretch of the River Lea in Hertfordshire by feeding liquidised bread and moulding breadflake around the hook – however, his session was far from plain sailing.
“I had fished two previous swims, but struggled for a bite,” Jerry said. “On my third move, I noticed a nice-looking overhanging branch just off the main flow and introduced a couple of balls of liquidised bread. I then lowered in my breadflake and sat back and waited.”
Little did Jerry know that he’d only have to wait 10 minutes for a bite, but it was nothing like he’d expected from a fish of this size.
“Almost immediately a number of small indications registered on my quivertip, so I knew a fish was there,” Jerry added. “Then, all of a sudden, two positive taps yanked the rod and I couldn’t help but strike – and it was met with immediate resistance.
“I’d like to say it shot around the river, but it didn’t – it stayed right on the bottom and was difficult to get to the net. Smaller fish usually charge around the swim, so I knew I had hooked into something special.”
It was a moment of sheer relief for the semi-retired insurance manager when the chub was finally netted as he could tell that it was a new personal best. “I’ve felt really blessed this season,” Jerry said.
“My previous chub best was 7lb 2oz – again from Kings Weir. “I’ve also had a 16lb 2oz barbel from the members’ stretch which sums up how good fishing can be on the Lea.”
Jerry’s outfit consisted of a Shakespeare twin-tip barbel rod coupled with a reel loaded with 8lb maxima line. This was fished direct to a running link leger boasting four SSG and a size 8 Drennan Super Specialist hook.