He was fishing a low-stock stretch of the River Thames where there are some very big fish. In his first swim he snagged up, so James moved to a spot with a bit of slack water over the far side. After missing a bite on his first cast, he chucked back out. 30 seconds later another bite developed and this time, he struck into something heavy.

Using a 1lb test curve rod and 5lb line, he battled a fish that felt like a dead weight in the fast water on the near side. He eventually teased it upstream and managed to net the chub first time. Upon seeing the fish, James admits his mind was racing. Once on the scales, he went into a state of shock! After a few pictures he rested the fish in the net, admiring the specimen, before releasing it.

Well done James!