Record ide...from a river!
ALL-ROUND angler Colin Hebb has landed what’s believed to be Britain’s largest ide, this clonking 8lb 6oz fish.
The 37-year-old from East Yorkshire took it on quivertipped lobworm by a moored boat on his local stretch of the River Hull.
Ide, also identified as orfe, are usually found in commercials, but Colin has targeted them on the River Hull for the past eight years. He said:
“In 2013 I was tipped off about an area that held big roach, but all I could see there were huge ide basking on the surface.”
Colin’s capture beats the current British ide best by 1oz, and pictures of his catch have been sent to the British Record Fish Committee for verification.
Colin Hebb’s record ide, a new best – by just an ounce!
Target achieved with big Itchen chub - Thomas Bark
“This winter I set myself the target of catching a personal-best chub from my local River Itchen. As my previous best was only 3lb 8oz, I didn’t think it would’ve been too hard a task, but I spent around two months blanking or catching bream while other anglers were landing chub to some impressive sizes.
“On January 20 I finally hooked into a good chub on the maggot feeder, but sadly I lost it at the net! It looked all of 5lb and I was absolutely gutted.
“I returned a week later to the river, and half-an-hour later I had a PB chub in the net which weighed 5lb.
“Two hours after that the quivertip smashed round again and I was into a far better fish which fought doggedly and stayed low in the current before rolling over the net. At 6lb 12oz, it was a monster, and smashed my target out of the water!”
Thomas Bark – 6lb 12oz Itchen chub
Massive barbel landed from rising Hampshire Avon
Heavy rain and strong winds are great conditions for barbel, and river ace Simon Daley proved just why with the capture of this 17lb 3oz fish from the Hampshire Avon.
Arriving to find the river and water temperature rising, Simon introduced some bait before setting up. After landing an early 6lb 7oz specimen, the rod wrapped round again, but this time a stronger battle ensued.
He told us:
“I’ve been after a 17lb-plus barbel for three years and had fallen short by just a few ounces last season, so catching this fish made me a very happy man indeed.”
A homemade boilie fished alongside a PVA bag filled with the same baits whole and crumbed proved the downfall of this fish.
Simon Daley – 17lb 3oz barbel
Barbel best is a 'dream come true' - Aaron Bentley
“Recent downpours had caused the Thames to flood, but with rising air temperatures forecast, conditions were perfect for a big barbel so I headed to a local weir pool.
“The river was chugging through, so I clipped on my heaviest 6oz feeder before attaching a homemade boilie to the hair and casting the rig out.
“After two hours I’d only had a chub knock, so I wound in to re-bait and make my third cast. I was waiting for the feeder to settle when my rod-tip walloped over as something huge tore off with my bait!
“Over the next 20 minutes I enjoyed the hardest fight I’ve ever had, and I was convinced it was a 40lb carp. Eventually it tired, and I was able to slip my net under a gorgeous barbel.
“For the last 20 years I’ve fished for nothing but barbel. My PB has been 10lb for a decade, so to catch one of this size was a dream come true.”
Aaron Bentley – 14lb 2oz barbel
Target achieved with a 4lb-plus river perch - Ryan Dabbs
“This winter I challenged myself to catch a 4lb river perch, and over the last three weeks things started to go to plan, as I banked five two-pounders and a ‘three’.
“During my latest session, though, all the stars aligned and I achieved my target with a 4lb 3oz PB!
“I was bouncing a Z-Man TicklerZ lure along the bottom when it was nailed out of nowhere. The fight was incredible and at first I thought I was attached to a pike. I had to follow it upstream, but luckily I had my friend Sam with me who grabbed the net.
“After three minutes or so the fish surfaced and we both looked at each other in awe – the sheer size of it was a sight to behold and it only just fitted into my net!
“We hoisted her up on the scales and when the needle went past the magical 4lb mark I was shaking! A few snaps later and she swam off strongly.”
Ryan Dabbs – 4lb 3oz perch
'Good six' taken on the float - Dean Derbyshire
“My mate wanted to learn some winter chub fishing tactics so we headed to the Dorset Stour to see if we could catch one on the float.
“We set up in a swim with a steady glide and I began baiting it with maggots for half-an-hour before making my first trot through.
“After a few attempts, I let the float carry right to the end of the swim where it buried out of sight. The fish made a run downstream, leaving my 14ft Ultralight waggler rod bent right through!
“It was a solid and typically dogged fight from a big chub, but with slow and steady pressure for around five minutes I was able to bring the fish back upstream.
“My mate and I high-fived the second it went in the net and we both looked down saying that we thought it was a good ‘six’. We were right, too, as the scales soon confirmed a weight of 6lb 7oz.
“I was chuffed with the catch, but even more so because my mate had learned how to catch winter chub!”
Dean Derbyshire with his 6lb 7oz Stour chub
Giant chub falls for sausage hookbait
GERARD O’Sullivan proved the pulling power of Peperami when this 7lb 8oz chub snaffled his sausage hookbait during a short evening trip.
The 29-year-old had prebaited his local stretch of the River Lea with pellets and chopped Peperami before returning two days later to try his luck – but he had no idea he’d be battling a new chub personal best within 10 minutes of casting out!
“After a crazy battle this old brute popped up and headed straight for the landing net, leaving me in complete shock,” Gerard said.
“I’ve only ever caught chub to 2lb so this catch was really something special for me.”
Gerard O’Sullivan’s 7lb 8oz chub fell to a sausage hookbait
'Perch of a lifetime' falls to livebait
Alfie Russell struck into what he described as the ‘perch of a lifetime’ when this stunning 5lb 3oz specimen engulfed his roach livebait during a recent session.
The 22-year-old Londoner first targeted his chosen southern stillwater with lures, before returning for another session and switching to legered to livebait tactics once he’d discovered a shoal of big perch were present.
“After a slow and steady take, I struck into the fish and instantly knew it was a good one as there wasn’t much headshaking going on and my 1.5lb Drennan twin tip rod was hooped right over,” he said.
“After a dogged fight she finally went into the net – I feel truly blessed to have seen a fish like that in my lifetime!”
Alfie Russell and his giant 5lb 2oz perch
Big barbel strikes on the second cast - Sophie Costello
“The barbel fishing on my local river has been tough going in the cold, so when the air temperature shot up overnight I hoped the fish would switch on.
“Settling into my favourite swim at dusk, I cast out an inline lead with two chunks of Spam on the hook, and chucked in a handful of Scopex Squid boilies over the top.
“On my second cast my rod-tip wobbled and then slammed over!
“It had been almost two months since I’d last had a barbel, so my heart was properly racing, but I had to focus as the fish was heading straight for a snag. I pulled her away from danger just in time.
“After a few more runs she was safely landed, and that’s when I realised this was a known fish for the stretch, one I’d been desperate to catch ever since I saw pictures of her on Facebook.
“At 15lb 1oz she was a personal best by 3lb – I’m not sure any other catch I make will top that moment.”
Sophie Costello – 15lb 1oz barbel
Monster Lea chub banked
DESPITE his local River Lea being the colour of tea, Matt Hayes fished through the unsavoury conditions to bank this huge chub weighing 8lb 2oz.
Targeting a small slack on the far bank, the 43-year-old had to wait only a few minutes after casting out before his quivertip smashed over.
He told us:
“At first I thought it was a barbel as it was so heavy, but then this thing that looked like a grass carp surfaced, and I realised I’d hooked a truly monster chub!”
Matt’s new PB took a hair-rigged cork ball wrapped in cheesepaste.
Matt Hayes and his 8lb 2oz chub
Brace of Trent sixes banked prior to floods - David Fry
“Having a free afternoon I headed to my local stretch of the Trent in search of a bite. Out went my 80g cage feeder loaded with mashed bread and it didn’t take long before something took an interest in my garlic cheesepaste hookbait.
“Eventually the tip swung round and I connected with a lovely 5lb 7oz fish. My next bite was instant and resulted in a chub of 6lb 1oz. Knowing I’d located a decent shoal of chub, I just had to get back to the swim the following afternoon and I didn’t have to wait long for the tip to smack round again!
“This fish was a completely different class to the others and I netted a new PB of 6lb 10oz. The next cast produced a 5lb 15oz fish and half an hour later I had chub of 3lb and 6lb 6oz were landed. I was mega happy with my brace of Trent sixes in one afternoon!”
David Fry and his 6lb 10oz Trent chub
Second-ever pike breaks the landing net! - Matt King
“NOT having fished since my teens, I decided to take it up again and target barbel.
“As it got colder the fishing became harder, so I headed to a local stretch of the Trent to see if I could catch what would be only my second-ever pike.
“A few hours in I’d not had a bite so I moved to a point swim where I’d seen some lure anglers fishing earlier on.
“Out went my legered lamprey and half-mackerel deadbaits… and I only had to wait 10 minutes before something huge took off with the latter offering!
“This pike fought just like a barbel and took me all over the swim for 15 minutes before it surfaced at the net. It was the biggest fish I’d ever seen and as I scooped it up the net handle snapped as I shuffled it back!
“Thankfully, I was able to grab the net frame and pull it up the bank and on to my unhooking mat. It turned out that my second-ever pike went 28lb 7oz on the scales – I’m still giggling like a schoolboy now!”
Matt King and his 28lb 7oz pike
Same swim...even bigger barbel!
TWO months after landing a 16lb 3oz barbel from the River Lea, Andrew Hunter returned to the same swim to battle with this 17lb 6oz cracker.
The radiographer fished a chunk of meat alongside a PVA bag of chopped meat into a near-bank slack for his new personal best.
He said:
“The power of this barbel was immense. That swim has been busy with other anglers ever since I caught the first barbel, so to catch an even bigger one on my first visit back is a sign that it was meant to be.”
Andrew Hunter – 17lb 6oz barbel
Slack water the spot for a big river roach - Colin Hebb
“MY local river was in flood, so I headed down with my quivertip rod and a loaf of bread to see if I could catch a chub.
“When I arrived, the water was coloured and rising fast, but I managed to find a swim near some boats and an area of slack water where I could present a bait.
“Pinching a piece of flake on to my hook, I cast my link leger rig into the middle of the river and watched as my lead swung round and settled near a boat.
“A minute later my tip pulled round and I connected with a powerful fish that tried to snag me under the moored craft. I managed to steer it away using side strain, and no more than 30 seconds later this huge roach surfaced.
“At 2lb 13oz it was a new PB, and I was absolutely chuffed to bits.”
Colin Hebb – 2lb 13oz roach
Grebes give away monster perch hotspot
MATT Atkins’ decision to chase perch at the crack of dawn was rewarded with this enormous 5lb 2oz fish. The Bedfordshire rod had spotted two grebes diving for fry behind a weedbed 40 yards out on his local stillwater, so he cast his chopped worm and maggot-loaded feeder to the mark.
“Two hours later my bite alarm bleeped, my bobbin jingled and I set the hook into a very big fish that plodded around, shaking its head viciously,” Matt said.
“At 5lb 2oz it was a way off the 6lb 4oz specimen I caught a few months back but who’s complaining? It was my only bite, and I drove home at 11.30am a very happy man.”
Matt Atkins can thank the grebes for his latest monster perch of 5lb 2oz
Roving approach pays off for huge Lea chub
SWIM-hopping helped Steve Fenton put this chunky 7lb 6oz chub into his net on the River Lea Relief Channel.
The 67-year-old spent no longer than 15 minutes in each swim, casting his bread feeder and flake hookbait combination into the deep channel three-quarters of the way across the river.
It was a tactic that paid off shortly after dark, when his quivertip slammed round within minutes of him plotting up in a fresh spot.
“The belly on this chub was something else!” said a delighted Steve.
“It stayed deep the whole time and fought its corner all the way to the bank”
Steve Fenton and his 7lb 6oz chub
Monster chub falls to lure in high water - Robert Onicala
“I recently had a morning free before I had to work in the afternoon, so I decided to nip out to the Great Ouse beforehand to do a bit of lure fishing.
“The river was running high and coloured, so I knew it was going to be hard work, but I figured I’d give it a go anyway.
“Because I could only really fish the slacks close to the bank, I attached a 2ins Keitech Easy Shiner lure to a weedless hook to avoid snagging up, and began roving the bank.
“I got off to a great start and banked a number of small pike and perch before eventually hooking into something more substantial.
“At first I thought it was a bigger pike, but then this monster chub surfaced… and the panic immediately set in as I tried to land it as quickly as possible!
“I was really pleased with the result, because I’d spent most of the summer trying to catch a big chub but caught nothing that could compare to the size of this beast!”
Robert Onicala – 6lb 4oz chub
20lb-plus 'trout of a lifetime' banked at northern venue
Trout don’t get much bigger than this immaculate rainbow, banked from a northern stillwater and weighing in at 26lb.
A trout to shout about!
It fell to Manchester rod Paul Gregory on a pre-lockdown visit to Rochdale’s Pennine Trout Fishery.
Andy Moran, who owns the venue, said:
“In the same week a 20lb brown trout was caught by another visiting angler, Pitor Pacholek from Bury, so it was a memorable spell!”
Both fish fell to home-tied flies, fished on floating lines. The rainbow took a green bloodworm pattern, while the brownie fell to a pattern known as the Pennine Biscuit fly – a controversial ‘fly’ resembling a trout pellet.
A 20lb brown trout was also landed from the venue recently
Cigar to celebrate big river roach catch
A VICTORY cigar was the order of the day for Roman Vann after he slipped his net under this sublime 2lb 15oz roach during a trip to the Hampshire Avon.
The 29-year-old and good friend Simon Daley had wanted to make the most of floodwater conditions so they headed to their local stretch of river.
An hour after baiting his swim with hemp and casting his maggot helicopter rig over the top, Roman hooked the big roach.
“As it was my second-largest roach ever, I had to crack open the cigars!” said Roman.
(This catch was reported to us before the latest lockdown)
Roman Vann and his 2lb 15oz Hampshire Avon roach
Five-month break from fishing ended with huge Thames barbel
JAMES Hook couldn’t believe his luck when his first session following a five-month break from fishing produced this 16lb 13oz barbel.
After spending every day for the previous two weeks using a bait dropper to prebait his local stretch of the River Thames with boilies and pellets, the 33-year-old returned for an overnight session.
The fine fish was a new PB for James and fell to double 16mm 3FT SG1 boilies fished upstream of his swim.
(This catch was made before latest lockdown)
James Hook and his 16lb 13oz Thames barbel