Record British Pike

The British Pike record was broke on the 13^th of February at Chew Valley.
It capped off an unbelievable season even by Chew Valley’s high standards, Manc angler Lloyd Watson made history by landing a pike of 47lb 5oz that has broken the existing record.

“I’m not sure it’s sunk in yet. It’s just crazy, absolutely surreal. I feel like I’m going to wake up in a minute!” the lifelong angler commented

While he has targeted pike for 30 years, it was Lloyd’s first visit, where he’d done his homework on recent captures to choose a swim on Woodford Lodge bank, where he bait boated out a smelt on a running leger rig.

“It was right on bite o’clock around half seven,” he said.

“I’d just sent a bait out, but wasn’t happy with it somehow, so I decided to do it again, putting it out with some chopped herring.”

Just minutes later he had a run and hooked a fish that initially felt modest. And with his travelling companion Nick Skirrow also into a pike, Lloyd had to grab the net himself.

“At first it felt like a small pike that was weeded up,” Lloyd said.

“It was only when it got close in that it suddenly woke up and started taking line- and I started to think ‘hang on a minute!’

"When I got it into the net, we both looked at it and couldn’t believe the size. It was absolutely ridiculous. This is the best day of my life!”

The giant pike not only dwarfed his past PB of 24lb, but swung three sets of scales well over 47lb. With two readings of 47-5 and another of dead on 48lb, the fish has been accepted by the British Record Fish Committee as a British record.

A large crowd gathered and the fish quickly became one of the most photographed pike as Lloyd carefully released it.

He spoke with maximum respect for his fellow anglers who shared the moment with him, especially Ben Humber and John Deprieelle, who helped him to weigh and photograph the fish.

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