Sometimes small changes make all the difference — and for Paul Elt, a clever rig tweak turned frustration into triumph when he landed a superb 7lb 3oz eel, a new personal best.
Fishing a stillwater in his home county of Cambridgeshire, Paul had originally set out in pursuit of the venue’s big bream. He introduced an impressive mix of feed — five pints of dead maggots, three pints of casters, chopped worms, and fishmeal groundbait — to a gravel plateau at range.
Over the top, he fished feedered worms. But as night fell, his session turned chaotic: a string of full-blooded screaming runs, with nothing to show for them.
Realising eels were the likely culprits, Paul made a crucial adjustment. He cut down his rigs to improve hooking efficiency and swapped whole worms for worm kebabs on the hook.
The decision paid off almost immediately. The next run produced a powerful battle with a monster eel that stripped line before finally sliding into the net.
Weighing in at 7lb 3oz, it was not only a new PB but also one of the largest eels caught in the country this season. To cap off his success, Paul added another eel of over 3lb shortly after.
This remarkable catch highlights how specimen hunters can often turn frustration into success with a bit of tactical thinking.
