There is no denying that carp fishing is the most popular branch of the sport in the UK, with more anglers spending time behind alarms than in any other discipline. However, we are witnessing a revival among anglers who enjoy catching a variety of species, especially as conditions grow colder and the carp fishing slows.
Thirty-nine-year-old Adam Snowden spent much of his life chasing carp, as many do, but he fell in love with zander after seeing them appear increasingly on social media. After catching a few smaller ones over the past couple of years, his dedication paid off with a giant 15lb 4oz zander—a fish he described as "the most impressive fish he has had on his mat."
"After more than 20 years dedicated solely to carp fishing, I have shifted my focus to becoming an all-round angler, intentionally targeting many other species over the subsequent years."
"This year alone, I've caught nearly 65 different species in the UK. Fishing everywhere from the Orkney Islands in Scotland to Cornwall, I've driven approximately 20,000 miles to venues across the country."
"Living in North Yorkshire, zander venues are quite far from home and can seem like a daunting prospect. However, last winter, I took the plunge and started targeting them on the tidal Trent."
Adam only managed a few trips before the river flooded, making it unsafe to fish. Despite the challenging conditions leading up to this, he did catch a couple of nice zander and began to pinpoint the areas where they were residing. Heading back recently a few sessions resulted in very little except constant aggravation from the resident Mitten crabs that plague the tidal stretches.
"It was a couple of weeks later when the rain finally arrived, and I was paying very close attention to the river levels online. Everything looked promising, so I made the two-hour journey to the spot."
"The river was heavily swollen and dangerously close to the top of the flood bank, which was exactly what I had been hoping for. I cast a couple of rods into my prepared area and, a few hours later, received the only action of the day."
"The bite was a typical zander bite, a small tap on the rod tip followed by a jitter on the bobbin, which led me to hold the rod and feel the braid for any further movement."
"After a few seconds, I felt another small tap and set the hooks. The fish instantly felt much larger than anything I’d hooked before, taking full advantage of the powerful floodwater."
"Everything went smoothly, though, and when the fish surfaced in front of the net, I was absolutely blown away—it looked massive."
"On the scales, the fish weighed 15lb 4oz and was the most impressive catch I’ve ever had on my mat."
IF YOU WANT TO CATCH A ZANDER, READ THESE EXCELLENT TIPS AND CATCH ONE ON YOU NEXT SESSION.
