What is the Largest Zander Ever Caught in the UK?

In Britain, the presence of Zander was first recorded in 1878, when 23 German Zander weighing around 2lb each were introduced into Woburn Abbey Lakes on February 3rd. This initiative was organized by the Duke of Bedford and the President of the German Fishery.

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Since then we’ve seen the population of Zander explode through various other stocking programmes and self-breeding. Once considered a non-native nuisance, Zander has now become a popular predatory fish to target for many anglers across the UK.

In this article, we look at the top 10 Zander caught in the UK, who caught them and where from.

The UK’s Top 10 Zander on Record

Pos	Weight	Captor	Venue	Date
1	21lb 05oz	James Benfield	River Severn	June 2007
2	21lb 03oz	Kieran Roche	River Severn	June 2020
3	20lb 10oz	John Costello	River Severn	October 2010
4	20lb 08oz	Iain Wilson	River Trent	March 2023
5	20lb 06oz	S Budd	River Severn	March 2012
6	20lb 04oz	G Boddice	Fen River	December 2021
7	20lb 02oz	John Manifield	River Trent	October 2020
8	20lb 02oz	D Palmer	River Severn	July 2012
9	20lb 02oz	M Jauncey	River Severn	February 2010
10	20lb	John Manifield	River Trent	December 2021

This table is up to date as of July 2023

21lb 05oz – The Biggest UK Caught Zander on Record

In June 2007, James Benfield achieved a remarkable feat by breaking the UK Zander record, which was previously held by Dave Lavender since March 1998. Lavender’s record was of 19lb 5oz taken from the Middle-Level Drain in Cambridgeshire. During his attempt to catch Bream, James managed to catch this extraordinary Zander that took a Halibut pellet!

21lb 03oz – The Second Biggest UK Caught Zander on Record

In June 2020, Kieran Roche caught a massive fish while targeting Zander with larger lures. Despite some strange touches, Kieran was determined and scaled down his approach, which eventually led him to catch this hefty Zander. The catch was remarkable, and Kieran’s experience proves that sometimes, you have to adapt your methods to achieve your goals.

20lb 10oz – The Third Biggest UK Caught Zander on Record

In this picture, John Costello proudly displays another River Severn Zander weighing a mighty 20lb 10oz. There is not much information available online regarding the method used to catch this fish. However, it is worth noting that John is one of the few anglers in the UK who has successfully caught both a 20lb+ Zander and a 40lb+ Pike from non-trout waters.

Where Can I Get More Information on UK Zander Records?

For anyone interested in learning more about Zander and to see further UK records you can visit this link, which will take you to the Zander Angler’s Club (ZAC). Here you will find not only the records, but also useful articles, guides and a more in-depth history regarding the introduction of Zander in to the UK.