“There aren’t many specimen fish in the cold rivers that run off the Pennines near my home in Leeds and, as a result, I’ve been after a 7lb Yorkshire chub since 1985.
John Clark and his 7lb 1oz chub ©John Clark
“Although I’d caught many fish over 6lb, the ultimate specimen had always eluded me, until a recent session in freezing conditions, with a bitter easterly wind and temperatures below -3°C.
“Despite the awful weather I managed to catch this 7lb 1oz chub as part of a six-fish haul. All these were taken on my homemade milk protein paste baits.
“Finally catching this incredible fish was a real achievement – it had a huge girth.”