LOVE them or hate them, a big bream is a sight to behold, and they don’t come much bigger than this 20lb 2oz specimen banked by London angler Garry Ellis.
It’s the largest of the species reported this season by a near-2lb margin and was part of an impressive catch for Garry, who added slabs of 14lb and 16lb, plus a 10lb 2oz tench and a 24lb mirror.
Targeting a Lea Valley lake, Garry introduced a mixture of pellets and boilies to a gravel bar 50 yards out
and hooked the fish on a 10mm bottom bait.
“My mate netted the fish for me and said it was a British record!” Gary told us. “I thought he was joking, but when I looked into the net, I was totally blown away.”
While the fish weighs a fair way off Scott Crook’s 22lb 11oz best, caught from Ferry Lagoon in 2012, landing it was still a special moment for Garry.
“I’ve always wanted to catch a big bream, and landing this fish was just incredible. Although the 16-pounder
I had in the same session looked huge, this thing was simply in a different league.”
