He’d arrived at a venue for a few hours trotting in a swim he was yet to catch a big roach from. With conditions looking good, he opted for a 4 x No. 4 stick float which he fished on 3lb mainline, with a 2lb hooklink down to a size 16 Drennan Carbon Match hook baited with maggots. After feeding for half an hour he made his first cast, but for the initial 30 minutes of his session, he had no bites.

However, when the sun fully rose, he hit into what felt a big fish, and after a few heart-stopping moments, he had the 2lb 9oz specimen in the net. He was delighted, and knowing he had around an hour’s fishing left before he had to pack up, he spent another 30 minutes feeding the swim before making his next cast. On his third run through, Matt hooked into what felt a true giant, and after a nervy fight a huge fish rolled just in front of his net, and Matt’s legs went to jelly.

When it slipped over the net, Matt knew he’d landed something truly special. When his scales gave a weight of 3lb 7oz, that was absolutely confirmed.

Well done Matt!