There’s certainly something special about float fishing with a centrepin reel, with many anglers using the old-school tactic for the sheer joy of it. But Joe Savage showed that the very largest fish can be tempted on the method with this 8lb 1oz chub caught at the back end of the season.
He was fishing a southern river with a bread flake hookbait and had sat and fed his swim for nearly an hour before he started fishing. After casting out his stick float, he landed a fish of 5lb 12oz, then a smaller one, before hooking the big one. On a 15ft rod and 5lb line, he knew he’d hooked something special, and after seeing the fish close to the bank, he took his time with it, knowing it was absolutely massive.
Well done Joe!