Double-figure bream target achieved in Ouse haul - Steve Cowley

“This season I set myself the goal of catching a double-figure bream from the Great Ouse Relief Channel in Norfolk. As the hot summer days arrived, though, my mate Keith and I discovered the bream’s feeding windows had shrunk, but by changing our time of attack I managed to catch 100lb of slabs and smash my goal!

“Between opening day and our latest session we’ve enjoyed several trips, including two special occasions where I caught more than 200lb. On June 16 I had my best result and caught 21 bream, including a PB 9lb 2oz fish, for 240lb.

“As the trips rolled on I upped my bream best further and took fish of 9lb 6oz and 9lb 10oz in quick succession, but that double eluded me.

“Keith managed one, and I’d witnessed a carp angler catch one too, so the desire to achieve my goal grew stronger.

“At the start of the season we were catching throughout the day but that stopped when the hot weather arrived at the beginning of August.

“The heat had an effect, so we decided our next trip would be an overnighter. The Relief Channel is vast, and it was a good 450m slog to our pegs, but we were set up by 7pm. 

“We both fished the same line at 45m to which 30 balls of Bait Tech Omen and Kult Carp groundbait and corn were fed. 

“As darkness set in, the isotopes on our quivertips remained still and did so all night. We decided then to get some kip on our bedchairs and be up at 3am with hopes of catching.

“The move paid off, as between 5.30am and 8am the bream moved in and I recorded 11 big slabs on worm and corn cocktails.

“Each bite felt like striking into a brick wall as the fish were solid and fought hard in the flow.

“When bites dried up we checked our keepnets and weighed the heaviest bream. It turned out I’d caught two doubles at 10lb 2oz and 10lb 9oz, along with another belter at 9lb 14oz…mission accomplished.”

Steve Cowley – 10lb 9oz river Ouse bream