3lb-plus Itchen grayling

Specimen angler Matt Fernandez was left blown away by this 3lb 3oz grayling – because it was a new personal best from a river where grayling this big are rare.

Targeting the intimate River Itchen, Matt caught the fish on trotted maggot, and when he first hooked it, he suspected it to be a trout.

“To my knowledge, only one of my friends has had a 3lb grayling from this stretch, and that was seven years ago!” he told us.

“I never expected to beat my personal best grayling on this river, but am truly pleased that I have.”

Matt Fernandez and his 3lb 3oz Itchen grayling