Huge trout banked...from a canal!
This large brown trout caught from a canal in Yorkshire is likely to go down as one of the most surprising catches of the season.
The impressive game fish was landed by Jamie Brearley, who was deadbaiting for pike on his local Wakefield Canal, and was just packing up his kit to head for home when his bite alarm sounded.
“I’ve been fishing the canal every week for nearly three months,” he told us,
“and this was the first bite I’ve had!”
“I’m absolutely chuffed to bits with the fish, though, which I reckon weighed around 8lb. All that time, effort and resilience certainly paid off!”
Jamie Brearley’s impressive canal trout fell to a deadbait
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
WORLD record brown trout!
A COLOSSAL brown trout eclipsing the current world record of 42lb 1oz has been recorded from a canal in New Zealand.
The incredible fish measured 44lb 3oz on the scales and was taken on a spinner from the Mackenzie Hydro Canals, located near to the South Island town of Twizel.
Its captor, who’s requested to be referred to as Seamus from Turangi, decided to keep the prized trout and donate it to the local Razza Bar and Bistro to be stuffed and hung up proudly next to the bar’s other mammoth catches on display – including trout of 38lb 2oz and 38lb 9oz.
The world record brown trout at 44lb 3oz - what a monster!
Enormous pike landed on a tiny trout fly
A TROUT angler experienced the fishing fight of his life last week after a 30lb-plus pike grabbed his tiny size 10 damsel nymph fly.
Gareth Griffith, from Barmouth, was targeting the stocks of brown and rainbow trout at Llyn Cynwch lake in Dolgellau, Wales, when he connected with the immense predator.
“There wasn’t a single moment in the 50-minute fight where my rod wasn’t bent double,” Gareth explained.
“It went on several long runs in that time and I tried to play it carefully so my 8lb line didn’t snap like cotton!
“I only had a small trout net with me, so I had to wedge its head into it and grab the tail with my hand – it was then that I could see my tiny fly was just nicked in the scissors. It was a fight I don’t think I’ll ever forget,” he added.
It’s not the first time this summer that an angler has landed a giant pike on an unconventional approach, as Spencer King (71) proved in June when he landed a 31lb specimen from a West Sussex lake after it snatched his floating bread off the surface!
Not quite the trout Gareth Griffith was expecting!
YOUR top 10 catches of the week!
WE receive so many catch reports here at Angling Times, that sometimes it is just impossible to fit them all in the magazine. We do, however, always love seeing and hearing of our readers top catches.
Here are some of the best fish we have been sent this week, some of which haven’t made the magazine but are still more than worth celebrating…
Remember to grab a copy of Angling Times every Tuesday, to read more of the latest big fish catches and exclusive Drennan Weekly Award winning specimens.
Shaun Markey nets four Trent doubles
A session on the River Trent in the pouring rain paid off hansomely for Shaun Markey. Casting a 5oz feeder and a Shrimp boilie to the middle of the river, he caught four barbel weighing 11lb, 12lb, 13lb and 15lb. Well worth getting soaked for!
One of four double figure Trent barbel for Shaun Markey
Shock River Soar sturgeon!
Jerry Botham had a rather large surprise recently, when on a trip to the River Soar in Sutton Bonington he caught this huge 39lb sturgeon. A new personal best and a very powerful fish.
Jerry Botham and his 39lb river sturgeon
River Can trout
The River Can in Chelmsford, Essex, produced this beautiful 5lb brown trout for Khan Emin. With the river slightly flooded, he used a big worm to catch the fish.
Khan Emin with a beautiful 5lb River Can trout
Light gear tames a big chub
“I had a lovely June the 16th. Trotting maggots on a size 16 Drennan Wide Gape hook, I caught this 5lb 1oz chub. It took a long time to land it on 4lb mainline and a 2lb hooklink. But eventually, with three people watching, I got it in the net and received a big round of applause. I felt like being on the England team!”
Trotted maggots are deadly for chub
Casters fool big tidal barbel
Paul Hamshaw caught this 14lb 12oz barbel from a private stretch of the tidal Trent. The fish picked up Paul’s caster hookbait, fished over a bed of hemp, in the middle of a scorching hot day.
He told Angling Times:
“I've had four fifteen pound barbel but this was the hardest fight I've ever had from one”
Paul Hamshaw caught this Trent barbel on a boiling hot day
Trio of Norfolk perch
An awesome session on the River Bure in Norfolk resulted in a catch of three 2lb perch for Peter Savory. In just an hour of angling he caught stripeys weighing 2lb 7oz, 2lb 5oz and 2lb 3oz. A great start to the season.
Peter Savory and one of his River Bure perch
Big ghostie pinnacle of ten years angling
“I am absolutely buzzing with this fish. It is the best I have ever caught. I have been fishing for the past 10 years, started when I was 14 with my dad. It came at midday on a local carp lake”, said Adam Minto.
Adam Minto was made up with this beautiful big ghost carp
“You are never too old to have a pb!”
Nige Fox caught this 3lb rudd whilst fishing a North Yorkshire syndicate lake. He told Angling Times:
“This bettered my pb of 2lb 4oz, that I caught two weeks ago from the same venue.
“It took two hours to get the fish feeding. They liked double sweetcorn, fished over a bed of mixed pellets.
“I couldn't believe the size of the rudd when I slipped it into my landing net.
“It proved to be the only rudd of the session. But I also caught six carp between 4 & 6lb. But the rudd was most definitely a career highlight.
“I'm 64 years old, and live in Leeds, West Yorkshire. I started fishing when I was four years old.
“Just goes to show, you never are too old to have a pb!”
A lovely 3lb rudd and a new pb!
Big Severn barbel brace
Mark Wood caught not just one big River Severn barbel but two, for a stunning 31lb brace. Both were caught on legered luncheon meat in afternoon and evening sessions.
15lb-plus River Severn barbel
15lb-plus River Severn barbel
Urban barbel is a new best
Fishing the River Aire in Leeds City Centre, David Aldred connected with this 11lb 6oz barbel. A new personal best, David had to weigh the fish twice as he was in shock at how thick it was. He used Hinders Elipse pellets in various sizes to get the fish feeding.
David Aldred and his 11lb 6oz barbel