Targeting the River Thames, Lee headed out in heavy rain to a tricky stretch, but one where, when you get a bite, there’s a chance that something special could be on the other end. “I questioned my sanity driving to the fishery in heavy rain, and had to set up the brolly,” he told us. “Unsurprisingly, there was no one else there, given the adverse conditions.”Fishing a piece of curry flavoured bacon grill on a short hair beneath a size 7 hook on a fluorocarbon hooklink, it wasn’t long before Lee had an indication.

“I’d only been fishing for 20 minutes when I had a few taps on the rod tip, which I thought were leaves moving through the recently increased flow,” he revealed.

“But, touch legering, I felt a definite tug on the line, then a drop back, followed by a steady pull. I struck and played the fish carefully in the strong current, and as soon as I landed the chub, knew I had smashed my 5lb 14oz PB!”

After resting the fish for 10 minutes, Lee lifted it onto the unhooking mat and couldn’t believe the depth of the fish. “It’s an amazing chub and the reward for a lot of rod hours I’ve put in this season on the tricky, low-stock stretch”, Lee added.

Well done Lee!