Scott Crowhurst had an almighty shock when this colossal 21lb 15oz bream surfaced on the end of his line during a recent session.
The Essex-based angler was fishing his local day-ticket lake at The Mill Carp Fishery when he hooked the specimen on a pop-up boilie intended for carp. It’s just 12oz off Scot Crook’s 22lb 11oz current British Record bream, caught from Cambridgeshire’s Ferry Lagoon back in 2012.
“I’d been out on three occasions this year and blanked each time, but this session got off to a better start, as I’d landed carp of 19lb and 16lb that morning,” Scott told us.
“Things went quiet for a while after that, then, at 1pm I had another take."
“I lifted into a fish that didn’t fight much but felt heavy, and initially I thought it might be a grass carp, as I knew there were a few living in there.”
As the fish neared the net, Scott expected to see the long and slim shape of a ‘grassie’ surface – but he was flabbergasted when the deep-bodied bream appeared instead.
“I thought the record was around 24lb but, as it happens, I’m glad my fish wasn’t 13oz heavier. I was the only person on the lake so would’ve had nobody there to witness it!”, Scott joked.
IF YOU ENJOY SPENDING LONGER SESSIONS ON THE BANK, THE BEST BEDCHAIRS WILL KEEP YOU COMFORTABLE.
Subscribe to Angling Times magazine today. Choose a Print+ Subscription and you'll get instant digital access and so much more. PLUS FREE UK delivery.