Huge Grafham pike landed — Angling Times

THIS is the image of one of the biggest pike of the season, weighing an impressive 37lb 2oz.

The giant was caught by lure fishing ace Gary Edmonds, who boated it from Cambridgeshire predator hotspot Grafham Water.

The Angling Trust ambassador tempted the predator on a homemade fly he calls the Zander Lander, due to its effectiveness with the species.

Fishing with his son Sam, Hertfordshire-based Gary’s epic battle started after the pair spotted a huge pike roll on the surface 100 yards from where they were anchored.

Within minutes, they had moved the boat and Gary cast out a fly tied on a size 2 hook and attached to a 15lb wire trace. In no time at all he was playing what was to be a new personal best.

Pure Fishing consultant Sam told Angling Times: “We knew it was something big the moment Dad got the take, and we didn’t speak during the whole fight out of nerves. His light 10 weight rod looked as if it was going to explode and at one point the line was grating against the anchor rope and we thought he’d lose it.

“When we finally netted it I never heard my Dad swear so much.”

At 124cm the fish, which beats Gary’s old 28lb 14oz pb taken from Grafham in 2001, was longer than the current British record pike of 46lb 13oz.

However, the capture almost never happend. Sam said: “Dad had been having a problem with his elbow and said he was only going to have a few casts, but after catching that pike he wanted to add a double-figure zander and a 3lb-plus perch, so he carried on fishing. He caught several more pike, an 8lb zander and a 2lb 14oz perch, but he paid the price the next day and needed a cortisone injection in the joint.”