A wee bit of luck brings 32lb pike!

Gareth Sheldon became the envy of hundreds of specimen hunters across the UK when he landed this 32lb 10oz pike – while minding his dad’s rods!

The father and son were fishing their local day-ticket venue Horcott Lakes when Ian had to answer the call of nature and asked his 21-year-old son to keep watch over his swim at the 22-acre venue in Fairford, Gloucestershire.

During Ian’s visit to the bushes at the back of his swim, the new venue record pike picked up a popped-up legered lamprey section and Gareth – whose previous best for the species stood at 12lb – was on hand to set the hooks home.

“He offered to give me the rod back, but he struck into the fish so in my mind it was his.

“Neither of us could have imagined how big it was going to turn out to be,” said Ian, who also helps manage the fishery.

“I’ve never had a pike over 30lb myself so you can imagine how much stick Gareth’s been giving me – I’ve had to slap him on the back of the head a few times.

“But that being said, the look of joy on his face was a real pleasure to behold.”

The two anglers also shared 20 other pike to mid-double figures, but Gareth’s 32-pounder smashes the previous venue record that stood at 26lb.

Ian reckons there are many different twenties in the water and believes that with the abundance of small rudd present, there’s every possibility that there are more huge fish over the 30lb mark swimming in the depths of Horcott Lakes.

“This venue is fished mainly by carp anglers, but in the winter the predator fishing really comes into its own,” Ian continued.

“It’s absolutely stuffed full of small rudd, which have really thrived over the last few years, and the pike are growing really big on them.”

Birthday boy’s Pike Champs joy

The 2016 Pike Championships results

1 Andrew Muirhead, Cromer, 21lb 1oz (two fish)
2 Wayne Lees, Oxfordshire, 16lb (two fish)
3 Jack Taylor, Stoke-on-Trent, 14lb (one fish)
4 Diniz Rodrigues, Cromer, 13lb 12oz (one fish)
5 Paul Lenton, Doddington, 13lb 2oz (two fish)
Kevin Roads, Alderminster, 11lb 2oz (one fish)

A cheque for £1,400 and the 2016 Angling Trust Pike Championships trophy was an unexpected but pleasant reward for birthday boy Andrew Muirhead.

The pike fanatic, from Cromer, Norfolk, celebrated his 52nd birthday with two fish totalling 21lb 1oz, including the day’s biggest pike of 18lb 1oz. 

Fishing peg 24 on Cambridgeshire’s Bevill’s Leam, an area known locally as Glassmoor Bank, Andrew had to wait 90 minutes for his first run of the match, but after recasting a dead roach to the drain’s far margin the float was off again in two minutes. 

“I gave the rod a hefty strike and immediately knew it was no jack pike – but the fight from the 18-pounder was rather disappointing,” said Andrew.

Things could have been very different had third-placed 12-year-old Jack Taylor not lost a potential match winner. 

The youngster, from Stoke-on-Trent, caught a 14lb pike then, like the winner, saw his float dip again from a second fish.

“I saw the fish briefly in the clear water. It was a much better fish than the 14-pounder, but unfortunately it let go and I lost it,” said Jack.

Incredibly, he hooked the fish again moments later, but in a cruel twist of fate, he lost it again. Consolation came in the form of third place and the prize for top junior. 

In between Andrew and Jack was British Pike Fishing Squad member Wayne Lees with two pike for a combined weight of 16lb, including a 13lb 4oz fish.

On a day of heavy rain, an early-morning frost and strong winds, another four double-figure fish were recorded as well as a host of smaller fish.

Match organiser Ted Rowe commented: “Despite the horrendous weather conditions throughout, the 2016 Pike Champs has been another roaring success and I’d like to thank the Angling Trust for its sponsorship, my wife Ann for helping to organise the event, all the match stewards, and Whittlesey AA’s Dave White for the venue.  

“For me, though, the story of the day was young Jack landing a double-figure pike to come third in the match, beating off some very strong competition.

“Hopefully news of his success will spur on other juniors to take up this great sport of ours.”

Dave White, vice president of Whittlesea Angling Association, added: “Even though the conditions were poor and the fishing very hard, Whittlesey AA are proud to be able to hold the Championships on one of our many waters.” 

Carper’s 30lb pike falls to a boilie!

Tom Bray became the envy of predator hunters across the UK when he landed this impressive 30lb 1oz pike... on a boilie!

This is only the second pike that the 21-year-old has ever caught, and it gave him his only bite during a session at a day-ticket water in Cambridgeshire.

A critically-balanced boilie topped with a popped-up piece of imitation corn was too much for the predator – which beats Tom’s 17lb personal best for the species – to resist.

“At first I thought it was a small carp. It was shaking its head and giving a decent account of itself as it neared the net,” said Tom.

“I probably would have put the fish back without weighing it, but then it rolled over in the net and I couldn’t believe the girth of the creature. 

“My mate, who’s a keen piker, came down to see it and he was blown away, so there was no way I was going to slip this one back without weighing it properly and getting a few shots.”

Tom, from St Ives, Cambs, had never seriously targeted pike before this recent trip to his local carp water, but in the light of this accidental capture he’s now admitted to an urge to fish specifically for them this winter.

“I’ve never fancied fishing for pike in the past, but this fish has changed my mind,” Tom continued.

“I know I’ve been very lucky to catch this fish of a lifetime, because anglers fish for years and never catch a 30-pounder.”

“It’s going to take some beating, but who knows what else is in this lake.

Chidgey snaps up a pike best

Personal bests have tumbled in another incredible week’s pike fishing at Chew Valley Lake.

Julian Chidgey was delighted when he boated a huge 34lb 14oz pike thanks to the use of an underwater camera that he attached to his rig during a prior visit to the Somerset venue.

“I used a Waterwolf camera and I saw pike investigating and picking up my bait without giving me any indication at all,” said the local angling consultant.

“So this time I scaled down my hooks and baits to give a more delicate presentation and it worked a treat.”

Huge Grafham pike

Gavin Watts’ predator fishing season began in style when he slipped the net under this huge pike.

He hooked it during a lure fishing session on the Western Arm of Grafham Water and it tipped the scales at 29lb 14oz. 

It’s the biggest pike to be boated since the Cambridgeshire venue opened its doors to predator anglers on September 1. 

Grafham’s predator season is open until the end of January. Anyone who wants to book on can do so by calling the lodge on: 01480 810531.

Chew Valley 30 sets pike target for 2016

This is the picture of one of the biggest pike of the year.

The pointer on the scales went round to 30lb 8oz for a fish boated by Martyn Cattermole when he spent the day afloat on the UK’s finest specimen pike venue.

Chew Valley Lake in Somerset has provided hundreds anglers with personal bests for the species, and the 58-year-old from Bristol was celebrating following the capture of his biggest-ever fly-caught pike.

He was drifting over 12ft-13ft of water when the huge predator took his bait.

“It felt as if the fly was snagged on the bottom until it started moving away, then before I had time to think it stripped 30ft of line and a brutal scrap with the fish began,” Martyn told Angling Times.

“I had three attempts to net the fish and I saw the fly was only just in the corner of its mouth. I was bricking it, thinking that the hook would pull any minute.”

Lake with 25lb pike and huge perch will open this autumn

Day-ticket anglers could soon be targeting record-breaking fish at a venue that’s opening to coarse angling for the first time ever.
Angling Times can exclusively reveal that perch to almost 6lb and monster pike will be just some of the huge fish on offer at Lake Savage later this year.
The former trout fishing venue in Theale, Berkshire, has been taken over by game fishing retailer Sportfish, which immediately drew up a raft of plans for the gravel pit.
Additionally, the fishery is being sponsored by leading specialist predator tackle manufacturer Savage Gear.
The huge potential of the new lake has already been highlighted by Savage Gear-backed Chris Lowe, who was given exclusive one-off access for a test session. He not only netted a 25lb pike while drop shotting for perch, but also heard stories of other giants.
Chris believes Lake Savage is capable of making a reality of the promise it has already shown.
“The pike I caught had already spawned, so we already know there are fish over 25lb in here – and that is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.
 “A huge perch was recently discovered, and although it was dead, it weighedwell over 5lb.
“Fly anglers in the past have caught specimen stripeys, so who knows what else the lake could throw up?” he added.
Sportfish is currently in the process of making improvements to the fishery, including restocking Lake Savage to improve sport still further at the company’s new Game Fishing Centre before it opens some time this autumn.
Ian Welch, who is overseeing the project, told Angling Times: “As well as improving swims we will be netting our on-site trout lake, taking out all the pike and big perch and introducing them into our new predator lake.”
“Lake Savage has bags of potential, and I’m hoping it will whet the appetite of lure anglers who want to come and fish it.”