He’s enjoyed a superb run of form with the species on a northern syndicate water, where he’d landed a PB of 4lb 8oz previously. Simon was happy enough with that fish, but it was blown clean out the water by his new PB. On the day, conditions were far from ideal, with bright sunshine beating down on the lake. Undeterred, the Durham-ace fed three balls of groundbait laced with chopped worm and casters, which he left to settle for 30 minutes before casting a feeder fished worm, popped-up slightly, over the top.

Initially, Simon was pestered by pike, before landing a perch of 3lb 12oz. Another pike followed before Simon received another bite at 10am, with his bobbin climbing all the way to the butt before line pulled from his baitrunner. Expecting another pike to be the culprit as the fish flat-rodded him, he was shocked to see a flash of red on the surface and an unmistakeable dorsal fin. As soon as he landed the fish, Simon knew it was close to the 5lb mark. Safe to say, when the scales read 4oz past that, he was absolutely delighted.

Well done Simon!