The River Derwent has produced a magnificent perch weighing 4lb 10oz 12dr to a former match angler who once won the Division One National.

Tony Hopley, who won the gold medal at the blue riband event for team match anglers in 2003, banked a 3lb 8oz stripey from the river last year and has been trying to beat it ever since.

He’d endured a run of blank spells, and decided to cut back on the amount of feed to try and change his fortunes. The Perchfishers member’s tactics were to feed casters in molehill soil with a few maggots and then present a worm just off the bottom.