After taking six months off fishing, James Hook returned with a bang last week when he landed this 8lb 8oz chub on link-legered breadflake.
He was on a low-stock stretch of the Thames which is rumoured to hold some very big fish, and after getting snagged in his first swim, James moved to another spot offering a bit of slack water near the far bank.
After missing a bite on his first cast, he chucked back out and, 30 seconds later, received another indication and struck into a solid resistance.
Using a 1lb test curve rod and 5lb mainline, he said the fish felt like a dead weight as he brought it across the faster water near his own bank, before eventually managing to tease it upstream and into the net at the first time of asking.
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