Nation’s rivers hit top form

The UK’s rivers have been in superb form for a multitude of species over the last week and some truly impressive specimens have been banked.

Here’s the pick of the very best catches to help whet your appetites for the weekend ahead…

Justin Stoddart 16lb 10oz barbel

Fishing through floodwater proved to be a smart move for Justin Stoddart when he went on to bank a sturgeon and this 16lb 10oz barbel.

Targeting an area of slack water on the tidal Trent, the Retford angler fished big cage feeders loaded with scalded pellets and broken boilies with a paste-wrapped boilie hookbait.

He said: “At 2am I had a run on the downstream rod and landed a 2lb 3oz sturgeon! Then, at 4am, my upstream rod ripped off and I slipped the net under a PB barbel.”

Josh Haine estimated 7lb-plus chub 

Josh Haine has been targeting the well-known free stretch of the Dorset Stour at Longham for big chub and this week claimed his biggest ever – but forgot to bring the scales! 

Having caught chub to just under 7lb from the stretch before, Josh was certain this specimen was much larger than his previous catches.

The fine fish fell to a legered boilie on a German rig and lead clip set-up surrounded by a scattering of broken boilies.

Chris Haydon 2lb roach 

Angling Times’ own Chris Haydon had the surprise of his life when he hooked this 2lb roach on the Bristol Avon.

Fishing the pole around 6m out in a weirpool, Chris fed his swim with a few balls of groundbait, and regularly loosefed hemp over the top.

“Initially I was plagued by small fish, so I bulked my rig down and used a tare hookbait to get through to the bigger stamp,” he said. “When I saw the big roach roll on the surface I couldn’t believe my eyes, and when it tipped the scales round to 2lb exactly I was ecstatic.”