The annual pike fishing days at Staffordshire’s Blithfield Reservoir have produced two pike that are probably the biggest brace ever recorded from a British water.
Well known specialist angler Eric Edwards from St Helens boated the fish within an hour of each this afternoon, Saturday, 27 October. The first monster, caught at around 3pm, weighed a massive 37lb 8oz and the second, boated before 4pm, pulled the scales to a mind-blowing 41lb 8oz.
Eric’s pal and boat fishing partner, Warrington specialist and FISHINGmagic contributor Gary Knowles, netted the fish for Eric and commented, “I had a 21lb pike not long after Eric had caught the 41-pounder and after seeing those two huge fish it made mine look like a jack. I just put it back without a second glance.
” Both fish were awesome, and to see two of that calibre within an hour of each other left me almost speechless. I feel very privileged just to have been there and netted them,” he added.
The fish were tempted with a small rubber lure twitched along the bottom from an anchored boat.
Two low 30’s were also caught today from Blithfield.
UPDATE
Sunday
Gary Knowles reports:
“Sunday was really tough, typical second day fishing as the firstday always seems to get the best of it. Both Eric and I blanked withjust one fish bumped off to Eric late afternoon.
“At first light there was a mad dash to the area where Eric and Ihad had fished on Saturday. We actually found it quite amusing andafter spending 15 minutes in the vicinity (we couldn’t get into thesame spot) we upped anchor and moved to a different area altogetherto get away from everyone else again. We weren’t too bothered thoughas, to be honest, we felt that we had already turned over any fish inthat area the day before.
“The amazing thing is that these Blithfield pike are not the usualgut buckets associated with trout waters. They are really broad withlarge heads – superbly proportioned fish.”
Full story and pictures soon.
