SINCE he began pike fishing in his teens, James Champkin had dreamed of catching a pike of over 30lb – and last week he finally smashed his long-held target with this 33lb 2oz fish.
James, from Milton Keynes, had the fish from a Midlands reservoir on a float-legered joey mackerel deadbait in 17ft of water.
Initially he thought that he’d hooked a jack, but then the fish surged off on a series of powerful runs! Luckily, he managed to net it without further drama. James said he was then hit by a wave of emotion as he recalled how he first pike-fished with his late father, whom he lost five years ago.
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