Ever since a winter netting operation at Dog Lane Fishery revealed the presence of some huge perch, a number of anglers have been targeting them.

And one of the venue’s real beasts has put in an appearance in the shape of a claimed 5lb 8oz fish to Gary Dumbleton. The Rugby angler had fished through the night without a bite using freelined prawn hook baits but at first light fish started showing. He landed a 15lb sturgeon soon afterwards, before dropping his hook bait into the margins where he thought he had seen a fish show, and soon found himself attached to the massive perch. Not so long ago a perch of this size would have been a British record shaker. However, two fish of 6lb 3oz now share the record, one from Stream Valley Fishery and the other from Tring Reservoir.