Flying Tench smashes Pike pb

[JV44]

Whilst out walking the river bank this afternoon looking over a new old bit for Chub Haunts I bumped into John {FT} pike fishing we walked on a short way and came back to see him with a lump in his net ,think his old pb was 14ish he put 8lb on that pics to follow when obvious background removed....he was a very happy chap if not slightly in shock hope you have recovered John and well done again fella ..,.suddenly my man flu don't seem so bad

Edited December 29, 2014 by JV44

[Rusty]

Well done John, what a way to beat your PB! That is one fantastic pike!

 

Another pic, unashamedly (and badly) modified.

 

[JV44]

Thanks for that bit of techy know how Chris ,John if you want the originals let me know and I will email them to you ....lucky we were out eh??

[viney]

Stunning fish!

[J.K]

Lovley looking Pike

 

[Andy_1984]

I done a wee article showing how to blur backgrounds using free software photo editor gimp.

 

Tacklesack.co.uk

[Chris Plumb]

Well Done John! Does this mean your next blog entry is finally going to have a photo with it!!!

 

C.

[The Flying Tench]

Wow, what a day! Steve just beat me to it with his entry. My title for the thread was going to be 'JV44 brings me birthday lucky monster pike!' or somesuch. The conditions weren't ideal (cold, high pressure) but it's my birthday and a free day and I felt I had to get out for an hour or two. I was originally going to try for some chub, but as a last minute change of tactics I decided to try for a pike, using a moving bait because of the high pressure. When I got there I was a bit dismayed to see how up and coloured the river was. Another angler had been lure fishing and caught nowt, so the best I was really hoping for was a small jack or two, so I put on my smallest smelt.

 

I fished for about an hour with no takes except for an odd moment when there seemed a bit of extra resistance. I struck to no effect, but when I examined the bait I saw a bit had been chomped from the side, I assumed by a small jack. I went back to that spot for the last 15 minutes. At that moment who should arrive, but JV44!

 

We chatted for a while and I left the bait static in the water. When Steve left, I started to retrieve the bait only to find there was something on! My first thought was 'Oh no, it'll have swallowed the bait' but it was lightly hooked in the scissors, so perhaps it took when it started to move. Still, if I hadn't stopped to have a chat with Steve my guess is I wouldn't have caught it. It didn't fight particularly hard, and I was amazed when I saw the size of it. Sheer luck! When I think of dedicated pike anglers who wait years to get a 'twenty' .... But I'm not complaining!

 

Then when (in shock, as Steve says) I'd got the pike in the landing net, Steve arrived again with his partner and helped me weigh it (22 lbs 4 oz)and they both took photos. I'm really grateful cos I didn't have a camera. Pretty good timing I have to say, and a birthday I won't forget!

 

Oh, and the reason I'm looking strangely upward is that Steve was standing on a bank!

 

Chris, yes I expect I'll master the technology to get the photo onto my blog.

[JV44]

Happy birthday John I have had to wade through hundreds of jacks for my few decent river Pike great capture no luck if you hadn`t made the effort to get out today you wouldn't have caught nuff said...sent you a pm

[BobH]

Well done, lovely Pike

 

And a P.B.

 

Bob