When we think of big bream, Yorkshire isn’t usually the first place that comes to mind for fish approaching the 20lb barrier, and when it comes to bait, a tiger nut is probably the last thing you’d choose to slip on the hair to catch one.
However, Layton Janes proved that this popular carp bait, which is usually used by anglers to deter bream, will, in fact, be eaten by them and massive fish at that. Also if you choose the right venue, it’s possible to catch specimen fish like this all over the country, even when you least expect them.
"It was my first time fishing a massive Yorkshire gravel pit, after hearing about two or three big carp that reside in there," Layton told us.
"I arrived at the pit early, around 6am, with the aim of watching the water for a bit before deciding where to fish," he added.
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"My gear was on the barrow, and after dropping into a few swims, I finally found signs of fish, with loads of bubbles erupting from the bottom."
"Rather than baiting up and potentially spooking the fish, I tried to capitalise on the feeding activity and opted to chuck a single tiger nut at range, right where I could see the fizzing."
"The cast was perfect, and I had barely put the rod down on the alarms before the bobbin pulled up slowly and the fish began kiting off the spot."
Upon picking up the rod, Layton felt a heavy fish thumping away and assumed it was one of the big carp he was hoping to catch, but he quickly realised it was a bream. His excitement soon turned into the familiar disappointment many carp anglers feel in that situation, however, the fish he had hooked wasn’t your average slab.
"This bream was putting up a bit of a fight, and when it surfaced, I couldn’t believe the size of it, it was absolutely monstrous," Layton recalled.
"Without seeing these fish on the bank, it's hard to comprehend just how big they are. When this old dinosaur pulled the scales round to 19lb 3oz, I was honestly lost for words."
"I never would have thought I’d be lucky enough to catch a Yorkshire specimen bream pushing very close to the magical 20lb mark. It’s a PB I’ll likely never beat—nor forget," he concluded.
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