MOST of the textbooks tell you to target the slacks for river zander, but Rob Smith had this 15lb 3oz fish from pacey water on a non-tidal stretch of the River Trent, targeting the same areas of a swim you might favour for barbel.
In fact, Rob’s whole approach was similar to what you’d use for barbel, with a hair-rigged bait, and two rods pointing in the air. However, his hookbait was a roach head, and rather than waiting for the rod to hammer round, he was looking for delicate taps on the tip.
After receiving just such a finicky bite, he hit into a fish that didn’t put up much of a scrap. Instead it just plodded around, staying deep before giving Rob a surprise when it surfaced.
It turned out to be this 15-pounder, but it fought nowhere near as hard as a 9lb fish he’d had an hour earlier.
