‘Big Rig’, the controversial biggest carp in the country, has come out for the second time at 71 lb 4 oz, over 2 lb more than its weight a month ago.
Robby Harrison was the lucky captor on his sixth visit to The Avenue, RH Fisheries’ syndicate lake, and smashed his former PB caught 20 years ago by a mighty 30 lb!
RH Fisheries boss Rob Hales bought the fish at 39 lb three years ago and then hand-fed it up on a diet of high protein boilies and pellets until it was around the 70 lb mark and he stocked it in September. Prior to that the fish had been grown on by a fish farm in England, having been brought here legally from Israel in 2009.
It was caught soon after being put in The Avenue by investment banker Tom Doherty at 69 lb 3 oz.
Robby, a 58-year-old postal worker from Liverpool, Merseyside, exclaimed: “This is my first season on the lake and the fishing has been tough. I went for a weekend session and set up in the far corner of the lake where I saw signs of a few fish fizzing.
“As I was tackling up I saw a fish roll to my right not far out in front of a vacant swim and cast a single boilie there.
“I knew owner Rob Hales had baited up the lake the day before, so decided to fire out only ten boilies which I managed to get very tight to the hookbait.
“The next morning I had a really nice 37 lb fish, so decided to persevere in that area, and at 5.45 am I had a screaming take.
“I managed to get the fish in reasonably quickly but an angler who came to help me net the fish caught it with the drawstring and it just shot off again.
“It was pitch black but I could tell it was huge by the size of the mouth and shoulders. I got it back in but couldn’t believe it when the same thing happened again.
“Off it went with me cursing but fortunately it was third time lucky. In fairness to the other guy the fish was so long and broad he hadn’t realised in the dark how deep he had to sink the net before trying to scoop it out.
“At first I wasn’t sure it was ‘Big Rig’ but a mate had some pictures of it on his phone and it was then easy to identify, so we went to wake Rob up to come to accurately weigh the fish and take photos.
“It was truly massive and went 10 to 11 inches across the back and I just couldn’t stop looking at the fish in awe and amazement.
“I was like a kid again who, when he first goes fishing, can’t resist lifting the keepnet out of the water all the time to admire what he has caught.
“I was of course aware of the controversy surrounding the record and, discussing it on the bank beforehand, one or two said if they had it they would just put it back without any fuss, but I am just delighted to have landed such a giant.
“I will claim the record if Rob wants me to, but whether it’s accepted or not, nobody can take away the fact that I have caught the UK’s biggest carp.
“When I went into work after getting back home I was still so made up with it all I couldn’t wait to tell the lads but sadly none are fishermen. So when I said I had caught the country’s biggest carp all they said was ‘that’s good, did you manage to see Saturday’s match?’ And I didn’t have any good pics to show them as they were all taken on other people’s cameras!” he concluded.
Robby tempted the record-breaker on a Mainline Hybrid balanced boilie, fished on what he describes as an ugly rig of his own invention that is a kind of reverse combi rig using Korda Mouthtrap and braid to 15 lb Gardner GR60 line.

This is just a short version of the full story that appeared in Angler’s Mail printed magazine. Get the magazine every week for top tips, big news, best products, and venues that are in form.

CAUGHT A BIG FISH? Email photos and details exclusively to: anglersmail@timeinc.com – you could star in the magazine and win great prizes.

JACOB WISE smashed his zander PB with this 14 lb 6 oz zed despite getting to the venue later than planned following a boozy game of skittles the night before.

Stonehouse, Gloucestershire-based Jacob had been trying for a double-figure zander for three years before getting lucky on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal

Jacob usually fishes from sunrise until about an hour or two after dark, and his later start this time had a slow session with just one other zander of 5 lb around midday.

“I used a small roach deadbait mounted on a wire trace tied to a simple free running ledger rig, fished out in the deeper water,” said Jacob.

“I baited the area throughout the day with maggots to try and attract and hold some bait fish in the area in an effort to attract the zander, and it seemed to have paid off,” added the 37-year-old electronics engineer

This is a short version of the story that appeared in Angler’s Mail printed magazine, where Jacob won a weekly prize in the Korum Specimen Cup. Get the magazine every week for top tips, big news, best products, and venues that are in form.

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ANGLER'S MAIL takes carp fishing seriously. And our big carp galleries are backed by TAG (The Angling Group) who have top carp fishing brands Taska, Nutrabaits and Kryston.

For quality big carp products visit these 3 websites: TASKA – KRYSTON – NUTRABAITS

GARY TAYLOR can only fish the lower River Thames about ten times a year as he lives on the Isle of Wight but made the most of his latest trip across the Solent to nab this 29 lb 11 oz mirror.

The 45-year-old forklift driver, from Sandown, fished a single boilie and had just the one run in a two-night stint.

LEE BUNDOCK was lucky enough to catch the largest of a Lea Valley pit’s big carp stock with this fish known as Cut Tail at 36 lb 10 oz.

The Hertfordshire 41-year-old added others of 22 lb, 28 lb 3 oz and 30 lb 12 oz.

He made sure his 6 in. 25 lb Tunskin hooklinks were straightened properly and his Mainline Cell wafter hookbaits were weighted perfectly before casts landed on a clean spot amongst weed.

Lee used 1 kg of boilies and 3 kg of particles after every one of his big carp.

JOHN CLARIDGE enjoyed a good summer on his syndicate lake but the four biggest carp eluded him until he matted this 46 lb 3 oz stunner.

Swindon, Wiltshire-based John 43, shop manager at the Tackle Den, added two others in 40 hours using Sticky Baits Manila boilies over three sizes of freebies at 60 yards to a small hole in a weed bed.

MECHANIC James Winter notched his third 40 of the season from Farriers Lake in Gloucestershire with this 45 lb common.

Castle Combe, Wiltshire-based James, 38, fished an overnighter and offered Sticky Baits Manila boilies over 2 kg of freebies at 70 yards.

JESS HALL had never caught a carp on a boilie before a trip to his local River Trent near Nottingham produced this PB 23 lb 2 oz common using a CC Moore Pacific Tuna offering.

The 43-year-old, from Calverton, fished into a weir on a standard bottom bait rig.

SUPPORT worker Greg Riand topped a super session on a local club water with the biggest fish in the lake at 39 lb 12 oz.

Long Melford, Suffolk-based Greg, 26, added others of 38 lb 10 oz, 33 lb 4 oz and 26 lb, using a Sticky Baits 16mm Krill boilies on a blowback rig.

LEE GRAVER had a good weekend at Lower Tamar Lake on the Cornwall-Devon border, landing seven carp including this stunning 27 lb 13 oz common.

Bude-based Lee legered Specimen Carp Baits boilies at 120 yards with West Country Leads.

DAN ADAMS couldn’t have wished for a finer-scaled carp than this 30 lb 4 oz mirror from a local estate lake.

Huntworth, Somerset-based Dan legered a Sticky Baits Manila boilie tipped with corn over matching freebies and Monster particles.

For quality carp products & more visit these 3 websites: TASKA – KRYSTON – NUTRABAITS

A stonking 17 lb 4 oz barbel has come out of a middle stretch of the River Thames to big whisker specialist Neil Wayte.

Farnham, Surrey-based Neil, who now works for Willow Park’s tackle shop, fished a two-night session on a middle stretch of the ‘Old Father Thames’, and hooked the specimen using Mad Baits Pandemic boilies.

Neil explained: “I have put in almost 250 hours on the stretch this season and it’s the first barbel I have managed. It came at 4.30 am on the second night and I also had a 6 lb 4 oz chub the previous night which is my seventh six-pounder of the season.

“I use a very large PVA mesh bag filled with broken boilies, pellets and hemp, and scatter a dozen broken boilies in loose feed, then sit tight until a bite comes.

“I have to protect the boilie with Fox Arma Mesh as the crayfish are a huge nuisance and will strip the hook in an hour without protection.

“I think the fish may well have been one I had last year at 17 lb 13 oz but it had two splits in its tail where sadly it must have been kept in a keepnet or sacked up,” he added.

This is a short version of the story that appeared in Angler’s Mail printed magazine. Get the magazine every week for top tips, big news, best products, and venues that are in form.

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LITTLE Oliver Richmond is only seven but already is the envy of many anglers after catching this 2 lb 12 oz roach from the River Trent in Nottinghamshire.

Oliver was fishing with dad Lee, chairman of Derbyshire Angling Federation, offered snail over hemp.

This is a short version of the story that appeared in Angler’s Mail printed magazine. Get the magazine every week for top tips, big news, best products, and venues that are in form.

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STEVE FINDLAY tempted the equal biggest pike of the autumn from Chew Valley in Somerset with this 39 lb beast.

Framfield, East Sussex-based Steve smashed his old pike personal best of 28 lb 8 oz caught from Ardingly Reservoir.

It was his fourth visit to the challenging but rewarding Chew Valley Lake, and he scored using a popped-up mackerel head.

The catch won Steve a weekly Korum Specimen Cup prize from Angler’s Mail printed magazine.

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CARP went on an autumn feed with some colossal fish from around the country including two sought-after 59-pounders.

Biggest carp reported was Single Scale at a massive 59 lb 12 oz that set a new lake record for TJ Elliott at Ringwood DAA club water Rockford Lake on the Dorset/Hampshire border.

Local TJ got his reward for a lot of hard work at the tough 55 acre venue using CC Moore Live System boilies at over 100 yards.

Single Scale’s previous biggest capture was at 57 lb 12 oz to carp star Darrell Peck and now it could become a rare UK 60-pounder.

Rockford Lake is on the standard £160 club permit plus an extra £100 a year for the night permit and holds one of the biggest carp in the UK. Club latest: www.ringwoodfishing.co.uk

CAUGHT A BIG FISH? Email photos and details exclusively to: anglersmail@timeinc.com – you could star in the unbeatable print magazine and win great prizes.

THE Environment Agency is implementing major changes, including price increases, to the rod licence system, starting from April 1, 2017.

Amongst the changes are a free rod licence for junior anglers, a rolling rod licence that lasts for 365 days from the day you buy it and a new three-rod licence option.

The announcement follows consultation with anglers on the proposals that were announced back in May

Possibly less welcome is an increase in charges with the main licence going up by a significant 11.1 per cent to £30, with concessionary rate up to £20, but this is the first increase for seven years and there is a commitment to keep the new rate for a minimum of three years.

The one-day licence is going up by a whopping 60 per cent from £6 from the current £3.75, but the eight-day licence designed for holiday anglers’ remains good value at £12 from the current £10.

Another important change is the ability to upgrade from a one or eight-day licence to a full licence with the price of the one or eight-day deducted. This is to encourage more people to keep fishing once they have tried it and will make it cheaper for anglers who currently buy several short-term licences.

The new three-rod licence will cost £45 which represents a significant saving for carp and specimen anglers who until now have had to purchase two separate licences.

The salmon and sea trout licence, that includes coarse fish too, is rising £10 up to £82.

While fishing for juniors aged 12 to 16 becomes free they will still have to register to receive a licence to fish and not having one will still be an offence.

‘Exciting changes to rod licence’ says EA

Sarah Chare, head of fisheries at the Environment Agency, said: “These exciting changes reflect feedback from our customers.

“We hope that they can all play an important part in getting more young people fishing and securing the future of the sport.

“All money raised from rod licence sales is ploughed back into England’s fisheries, and is used to fund a wide range of projects to improve facilities for anglers.”

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DOUBLE-FIGURE river fish don’t come out that frequently so to catch a trio over 10 lb of different species from a free stretch ranks as truly special.

Tom Schubert made the brilliant catch last week from a local stretch of the River Severn and landed an 11 lb 9 oz barbel, followed by a 10 lb 3 oz bream, then topped it off with a 19 lb 7 oz common carp.

The 25-year-old operations manager for an online beer subscription company explained: “When I moved to Worcester about five years ago for university I was told the stretch didn’t have much to show for itself and tended to be slow going.

“Fishing was pretty slow going towards the start of the season, but I always seem to do better towards the back end. Luckily it’s been pretty mild and the river’s been fairly low so I’ve getting out a bit more.”

Feeder and boilies for river success

Tom explained his tactics: “I use a mixture of Sonubaits Spicy Sausage and their Cheesy Garlic crush groundbaits, with Dynamite’s The Source boilies.

“I loose feed a few boilies now and again but most of it is introduced through a 3 oz cage feeder.

“I pre-baited the night before with a few feeders of groundbait and a few scattered boilies. The river was running pretty low but was still carrying a bit of colour.

“The bream and barbel came within an hour of each other at night with the carp about 30 yards downstream during daylight, and I also had three other double-figure barbel.

“The carp and bream were both personal bests, although I’ve had bigger barbel but not off this stretch.

“The barbel fishing is usually slow but I’ve had seven out from the swim since the start of September, all bar two of the fish have been doubles,” he added.

Tom tempted them all using Dynamite The Source 18 mm boilies on a Korum running rig, with a 3 ft Sufix hooklink and a size 10 Korum Xpert hook.

CAUGHT A BIG FISH? Email photos and details exclusively to: anglersmail@timeinc.com – you could star in the unbeatable Angler’s Mail print magazine and win great prizes.

CARP legend Harry Haskell sadly passed away last week and left behind a legacy of inventions – and wind-ups!

Harry Haskell was a genuine all-rounder who fell in love with carp fishing and was one of the leading writers in the carp boom in the 1980s, and a tackle inventor.

Harry, who was in his mid 70s and lived near Haywards Heath in West Sussex, invented the combi rig, many products for Kryston like their original tungsten putty and found the vital floating ingredient for Richworth pop-up boilies.

Carp historian Chris Ball said: “He wrote a great book called Reeling In The Years that went through his fishing life.

“But in the latter years he became a bit more secretive and I know he caught some massive unknown carp. He asked me at the time what the record was, which was about 65 lb, so we’re talking about some amazing fish which I believe are still alive.

“He was very highly intelligent, clever, thinking angler and he was at the forefront of not moving carp because of the disease threat and wrote some emotive article in the late 1980s on it,” added Chris.

RIP Harry Haskell – tributes to a carp great

All-rounder Neil Wayte said: “Very sorry to hear that Harry has passed away. I met Harry when I took over the Sussex region of the BCSG and Harry attended our group meetings.

“He was a cantankerous old sod who would throw something controversial into the discussions around the table and then just sit back and watch the rest argue over it.

“One of the best evenings we had was when Harry brought a hook testing machine along so we could test all our favourite hook patterns to destruction. RIP Harry and I’m honoured to have called you a mate.”

And Paul Selman added: “RIP Harry. One of carp angling’s most inventive minds and a great character. We crossed swords in the magazines a few times in the past but it was with mutual respect.

CAUGHT A BIG FISH OR GOT A NEWS STORY? Email photos and details exclusively to: anglersmail@timeinc.com – you could star in the unbeatable Angler’s Mail print magazine and win great prizes.

AN ANGLER who killed his best mate while they were fishing together, has been sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

As exclusively reported by Angler’s Mail in May, the close pals and work colleagues went carp fishing together to Claremont Farm in Merseyside and got into a fight after taking drugs.

The day ticket fishery actually bans night fishing but the pair decided to fish at the venue near the picturesque Clatterbidge area of the Wirral where Steven Gerrard and other Liverpool football stars own properties.

Local Christopher Davies, 28, then drowned his best friend Barry O’Reilly, from Birkenhead, Merseyside, after suffering a ‘sudden and unexpected outbreak of violence’ from smoking cannabis that was laced with the legal high ‘spice’.

Davies (pictured) faced a murder trial but his plea of guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of ‘loss of control’ after claiming he had no idea he was smoking spice, was reluctantly accepted by the prosecution.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the pair wrestled before Davies repeatedly punched the 37-year-old and held his head underwater.

A witness, Mr Hagan, told the court that Davies approached him and said: “Call the Police mate. Not being funny, am in a different world. Been given spice by my best mate. I think I’ve killed the man.”

He and Davies then dragged Mr O’Reilly out of the water and tried to give him CPR.

Davies later told Police he feared for his life and said: “He gave me spice, I was on my knees in the water and he was laughing at me, I hit him.”

He added: “It’s not murder, I was fighting for my life.”

Toxicologists found both men smoked cannabis and ‘spice’, but could not say when the drugs were taken.

The defence lawyer said the killer thought he was going to die when he took the drug and felt like he had a black vortex in his head.

He said Davies did not suggest Mr O’Reilly bore him any ill will by giving him the drug and the case highlighted the perils of illegal drug use.

Ten days after the offence, it became illegal to produce or supply ‘spice’, but not to use it.

Judge Clement Goldstone, QC, after hearing how the death had had a profound effect on the victim’s family, particularly his 14-year-old son by a former partner, sentenced Davies to seven years imprisonment and recommended that possession of ‘spice’ be made an offence.

This is just a short version of the full story that appeared in Angler’s Mail printed magazine. Get the magazine every week for top tips, big news, best products, and venues that are in form.

CAUGHT A BIG FISH? Email photos and details exclusively to: anglersmail@timeinc.com – you could star in the magazine and win great prizes.

Black Friday Sale! Subscribe to Angler's Mail today from £12.75 and save a huge 50 per cent!

Black Friday Sale! Subscribe to Angler’s Mail today from £12.75 and save a huge 50 per cent!

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THE biggest grayling of the season has been reported at a whopping 3 lb 7 oz.

Neil Maidment targeted the specimen from his local River Frome and it ended a near decade-long quest to beat his old personal best of 3 lb 5 oz.

Neil, 62, explained: “It’s taken nine years to beat my previous best from the River Itchen but finally did just that with this River Frome fish.

“It was from a local stretch that only opens to coarse angling from November 1 to February 28.
“I retired back to Dorset last year and now live near Wareham so the river is very local to me.

“The middle Frome is renowned for the quality of its grayling and I specifically targeted them most of last winter. I’ve had a few fish to the upper 2s but this is the first confirmed three-pounder.

“It fell to double maggot on a size 18 hook trotting a 5 g balsa with a centrepin and was the first grayling of the day. A few more to around 1 lb-plus followed.

“The fight was typical of a big grayling in that I could see almost every twist and turn as soon as it was hooked. I ended up landing it several yards downstream as it would not easily come up through the faster water to me,” he concluded.

This is just a short version of the full story that appeared in Angler’s Mail printed magazine. Get the magazine every week for top tips, big news, best products, and venues that are in form.

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A lifelong angler has tragically passed away doing what he loved best, fishing in a local club match.

Retired Alan Culley, 74, from Crewe, one of Cheshire’s most well respected anglers, had a suspected heart attack whilst fishing a match on Turks Head Reservoir in Macclesfield on last Sunday.

Long-standing friend Keith Betley commented: “Alan will be sorely missed on the local angling scene and further afield, including places in Ireland where he was a regular visitor.

“He entered teams in all the local leagues in the Crewe and Middlewich areas and ran a lot of the contests himself.

“He particularly loved canal fishing and was part of the Crewe Amalgamated Anglers teams that won the CIU Championship eight years in a row.

“He was a well-respected popular individual who was the best of company whether you were drawn next to him or just socialising.

“As well as fishing he loved his food and was always the first one at the buffet.

“The angling fraternity in Cheshire send their condolences to Alan’s family and friends; he was a legend in all branches of the sport in Crewe and beyond,” he added.

This is a short version of the story that appeared in Angler’s Mail printed magazine. Get the magazine every week for top tips, big news, best products, and venues that are in form.

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THIS huge 18 lb 5 oz barbel has been banked to set a new River Thames record – but captor Chris Whapshott has stayed low-profile.

It beats the old venue best of 18 lb 2 oz, set in 2005 by Guy Robb, and has been accepted by the well-respected Thames Anglers Conservancy.

TAC chairman David Harvey said: “It is top of the list but the guy wants zero publicity.”

And Thames ace Neil Wayte said: “I did hear of an 18 a little while back so it could be that fish. It is a big fish, just look at the girth on it.”

This is a short version of the story that appeared in Angler’s Mail printed magazine. Get the magazine every week for top tips, big news, best products, and venues that are in form.

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A PERCH angler has landed one of the most impressive salmon ever sent to Angler’s Mail after he tussled with this beak-mouthed male.

Mike Wallis landed the stunning salmon while targetting perch on the lower River Severn with a small soft rubber Tsunami Swim Shad lure.

The 55-year-old retired toolmaker said: “Wow! What a surprise. The lively male was returned alive for his happy ending with his Welsh girlfriends.

“It was an awesome specimen – a fish of a lifetime. It was a complete surprise and I’d never even seen one before!

“I didn’t want to waste time weighing him as I wanted to get him back in and on his way upriver ASAP. It was good to see him swim away strongly.

“It had fought really hard and I thought I might have hooked a massive pike until I saw this strange creature come to the surface.

“My friend reckons it weighed about 18 lb which probably isn’t far off the mark. I doubt I’ll ever catch anything this special ever again.

“I totally advocate catch-and-release and do it for sea fishing too,” added Cirencester, Gloucestershire-based Mike.

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A TACKLE shop owner has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum jail term of 22 years for the brutal murder of his ex partner and co shop owner.

Gerry Palmer of Battle, East Sussex, ran the tackle shop at Wylands Angling Centre and co-owned another shop in nearby Sidley with the victim Carrie Izzard with whom he had previously been in a relationship.

On Sunday, March 20, 48-year-old Carrie spoke on the phone to her mother explaining that she had ended her relationship with Gerald Palmer, known as Gerry, some days earlier.

He had moved out of her home and she was now feeling optimistic about her future. Carrie ended the call to her mother at around 11am, stating that she thought Gerry was at the door and that she would phone her back.

Palmer upset by his break up with Carrie had left Wylands Angling Centre in Battle and drove to Carrie’s home in West End, Herstmonceux.

Attacked with a knife

When she answered the door, the 50-year-old attacked her in the hallway with a knife, stabbing her 29 times.

Leaving her to die from her injuries, he cleaned himself up and leaving the knife in the bathroom sink, took Carrie’s shop takings and her house key before returning to Wylands.

Carrie Izzard

Carrie’s family called the Police when she failed to respond to them. Officers attended and found Carrie’s body slumped against a door inside the house.

They told officers about Carrie’s relationship with Palmer and they believed he had visited shortly after her mother last spoke to her.

Palmer was soon found at Wylands Angling Centre where he was also renting a chalet.

He had knife wounds to his neck and abdomen, and was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton.

His self-inflicted wounds were superficial and he was taken into police custody later that evening.

CAUGHT A BIG FISH OR GOT SOME NEWS? Email details (and any photos) exclusively to: anglersmail@timeinc.com – you could appear in the essential weekly print magazine.

A TINY river flowing through one of the most urban areas in Britain is predicted to produce a record gudgeon.

Gudgeon are not the only species to have had troubled existence on the River Wandle in South West London. The Wandle has been heavily polluted in the past but this remarkable chalkstream is highly fertile and does produce surprisingly big barbel, chub and carp despite it being very shallow and narrow.

Wandle regular Ashley Bennett thinks he smashed the current gudgeon record of 5 oz caught by D. Hull in the River Nadder in Wiltshire way back in 1990 with this fish, estimated from 6-9 oz.

‘Absolutely massive’ gudgeon

The 35-year-old, from Morden, said: “I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, the UK record for gudgeon will be broken on the Wandle, and today I’m pretty sure I broke it!

“I took my two boys after school to see if they could sit still for longer than five minutes. So I set the quivertip up and was fishing on red maggots, instantly I had a take and it was a small dace – they loved it!

“Next cast I hooked a fish and when I saw it come up in the water I instantly thought it was a baby barbel, until little man netted for me and on closer inspection I see the biggest gudgeon I’ve ever seen, this thing was absolutely massive.

“The boys couldn’t quite work out why I was going crazy! To them I’m guessing it was a small fish.

“I’m gutted I never had scales or something to keep this beauty in, because I would of got someone down to officially weigh it, but I’m pretty sure I just smashed the UK record!

“Friends have said they estimate it to be between 6-9 oz by counting the scales between the dorsal and anal fins, how true this is I don’t know but it was a total monster,” added Ashley, who runs the Facebook group Fishing The River Wandle.

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A FEMALE angler has quickly gained 72,000 online fans thanks to her great fishing pictures.

Super keen Michelle Clavette fishes four times a week and is getting a growing social media presence.

Some British national newspapers have called her the sexiest angler in the world’ thanks to her often wearing a bikini while fishing.

The 27-year-old is using Instagram to show her pictures of giant fish aboard her boat in Florida, USA.

Michelle said: “I’ve been fishing since the age of six, but it was always freshwater fishing before.

“My dad taught me how to fish. We would go to canals and lakes behind our house or nearby neighbourhoods to catch catfish, bass, puffer fish, or anything that turned a handle.

“I love every aspect of fishing. The adrenaline rush after landing a big fish onto the boat is probably my favourite part.

“I enjoy everything from rigging baits, eating the fish that I catch, to just simply being on the water.”

‘Infinite amount of knowledge to be learned’

Michelle explained: “My favorite part about fishing is that there is an infinite amount of knowledge to be learned.

“There is always a skill that can be improved or a new species of fish to catch on my bucket list, and I relish in being able to check them off.

“Fishing definitely has a male stigma attached to it but I think over the past couple of years, social media has opened the eyes of all female anglers and encouraged them to fish more.

“They see others ladies fishing, like me, and begin to feel more empowered to fish as well.

“I try not to let comments from men specially, get to me.

“I’m fully capable of rigging my own baits, tying my own knots, and catching fish that weigh more than I do.

“It doesn’t make a difference being male or female. We both have hands to do these things, so why not?” she said.

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THE mighty River Trent in Nottinghamshire has been in sparkling form all season with huge barbel, chub, carp and zander ...and now it has produced this superb 27 lb 4 oz pike.

Lee Howdle landed the new personal best from the River Trent at Sawley and a venue bailiff checked his scales and took the photos.

The 30-year-old from Draycott, Derbyshire, said: “It put up an amazing fight which ended with the landing net breaking but I didn’t care because of capturing this stunning fish.”

This is a short version of the story that appeared in Angler’s Mail printed magazine. Get the magazine every week for top tips, big news, best products, and venues that are in form.

CAUGHT A BIG FISH? Email photos and details exclusively to: anglersmail@timeinc.com – you could star in the magazine and win great prizes.