Last season wasn't as spectacular for me personally; only adding one 20lb plus fish to my tally but i guess that's 'Pike Fishing'. I did land over a 100 doubles with many superb fighting upper doubles. The one 20 that i did land was a lifetime ambition fulfilled; namely a River Dee 20...24lb 12oz to be precise. I managed a fish of 19lb 12oz fish off the Groves when i was 18 yrs old and since then i have not manged to beat it until one day in february this year when i decided after finishing nights to just have a few hours before dark. First cast i caught a plump double of 15lb 8oz and after that little beauty had been landed, weighed and photographed my second rod's bung dipped and slowly moved out into the middle of the river. After a tremendous scrap during which the fish never surfaced; staying down deep until eventually it leapt from the river, angry flaring it's gills in one last attempt to shake the hooks but it was all in vane and my dream fish surrendered. i was awestruck as i looked upon this huge fat Dee Lady. A course angler on the next peg came and acted as witness and photographer but managed to take 3 awful photos; 1st capturing the strap of the camera, 2nd the fish was out of focus and the 3rd i had my eyes shut. Ireturned the fish immediately and was reassured the photos were super but upon reviewing them later i realised they were awful. But who cares the memeory of such a fish will never leave my mind. I immediately phoned 'Womble' who dashed out of his house with 2 glasses and a half bottle of champagne to celebrate. Stu; as a Cestrian who loves the river understood what that fish meant to me. i have 2 30's to my name and over 40 20's but all these fish put together never meant as much to me as this Dee 20. Also pictured above as well as my long-awaited 20 is a selection of other nice doubles caught during the season.
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