Rolled cheese banks massive Ouse chevin

CHEESE is a bait often overlooked by anglers but when Vito Napoli legered a cube of cheddar during his latest trip he didn’t wait long before it was devoured by this cracking 7lb 3oz chub!

The Bedfordshire rod, who is a member of the Chub Study Group, hooked into the powerful fish during a visit to a flooded River Great Ouse but had to squeeze into a narrow swim to ensure he could fish an area of slack water.

He said: “I decided to go fishing without checking the river levels and soon found myself on a raging OXO-coloured Great Ouse…I was half expecting Augustus Gloop to float past!

“I persevered however and quickly found a tight swim with a nice slack thanks to two hawthorn bushes either side.

“I rolled the cheese right under one of the hawthornes and within minutes my rod tip twitched a couple of times.

“I honestly thought it was debris, so I lifted the rod then bang! – the cane hooped over in half!”

What followed next was one of the greatest fights of Vito’s fishing career as this powerful fish tried to shake the hook in the fast current…

“It was a tremendous fight in such a tight area,” Vito said.

“It lasted for five or so minutes and just hugged the bottom – trying to headbang its way to cover under the other hawthorn bush.

“Eventually I saw my lead appear from beneath the murky water followed by a flash of silver, but she bolted into the net.

“I knew I’d caught a real zoo creature!”

At 7lb 3oz the fine chub beat Vito’s previous best of 6lb 6oz, which he caught just a week prior.