Albert Watkinson, 76, and his river Dane chub that weighed 5lb 2oz
A forum thread, started in November 2001, wondered if a reported 4lb 10oz chub from Cheshire’s river Dane was a record. Many of us who had fished the river for years then went on to declare that we had seen very few four-pounders in many years of fishing the river, and never a ‘five’.

Then, almost exactly two years later, on the same thread, Albert Watkinson, aged 76, from Northwich, Cheshire, and a Dane regular, declared he had caught a chub of 5lb 2oz from the river.

Many of us Dane regulars thought he may have made a mistake, so Albert sent me a picture of the fish.

In the accompanying letter Albert said, “This is the second 5lb-plus chub I’ve had from the Dane in recent times and he had a head like a bulldog. I checked my scales fully to make sure they were accurate and I had a witness to the fish. The scales registered 5lb 12oz and I weighed the net at 10oz.”

“It is my personal best chub,” Albert added, “and I’ve had many over 4lb from the Dane. I’m 77 in May and I never thought I would get a ‘five’ from the Dane, and now I’ve had two.”

I originally thought you might have made a mistake in the weighing, but the chub looks every bit of 5lb 2oz to me Albert. Well done! I don’t know about a bulldog, but definitely a Great Dane! And it could be a record for the river. I don’t know if you submitted it to the weeklies but the fish deserves every prize they have on offer. You’ll be getting a FISHINGmagic cap and some line from me anyway – Graham.

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