Biggest bream of the year landed!

AT 20lb 7oz, this is the biggest bream of the year so far. 

It was a personal best for Gary Knowles, and is his first bream in four years’ fishing an ultra-tough 90-acre mere on the Cheshire/Shropshire border.

“I know anglers that have fished this lake for 15 years and are yet to get a single take… this is as difficult as it gets,” Gary exclusively told Angling Times.

“So imagine how my heart was pounding when I watched that bobbin climb and saw the line slowly peeling off the reel.”

Korum-backed Gary baited up with mixed particles, Sonubaits ‘S’ pellets and a handful broken Code Red boilies. His rig consisted of 20lb braided mainline, a coated 15lb hooklink and a size 10 hook baited with two trimmed down Code Reds tipped with a 6mm pineapple boilie.

“The fight was painful. Bringing in an obviously huge fish on braid and a relatively small size 10 hook takes patience, and I’m not ashamed to say I was a nervous wreck,” Gary continued.

“When the black tail waved at me 30 yards out I knew for certain it was one of the mere’s giants, and after a flurry of activity over the last few yards I was overwhelmed with relief when it finally came over the net mesh. 

“Instantly I recognised it as the same fish I’d caught at 17lb 2oz some four years ago. With shaking hands I lifted the scales to record a weight of 20lb 7oz and achieve a milestone that I had thought was beyond my wildest dreams.

“I’ve fished the meres since a was a young lad, and in those early years a double was the dream target. Never did I imagine that I would actually double that weight from one of my local meres.” The current British record stands at 22lb 11oz.