Freezing temperatures weren’t enough to keep reigning Drennan Cup champion Jamie Cartwright away from the river bank as he braved the elements to bank this impressive 7lb 10oz chub.
The Northampton Specimen Group member only need 20 minutes on the River Great Ouse in order to fool the specimen chub.
Jamie used his “ever faithful” Drennan 12ft 1.5lb Specialist Avon/Quiver, 10lb Feeder & Method Mono, a 1.5oz in-line lead, 15lb ESP Two-Tone hooklink to a size 8 Curve Shank hook.
He baited the swim with a few small pieces of CC Moore Odyssey XXX paste before setting up. The specimen took a matching boilie wrapped in the same paste that he used to prime his chosen spot.
“The day started with my alarm going off at 4.00am and I was faced with a 95-mile drive to my chosen venue,” explained Jamie. “When I got there, the weather took a turn for the worse, so I decided to drive all of the way home and fish a swim that I’d never targeted for chub. The weather was better and this just goes to show that when it comes to catching big fish you have to go with your instincts.”
This fantastic capture earned Jamie a weekly Drennan Cup award in Angling Times on the 10th of February.