Record Pike from Chew Valley lakes

[Aknib]

I think Chew has been a record in waiting for a decade or so and i'm so pleased to see it come good.

Congratulations Chew and congratulations to the lucky man.

 

[Aknib]

And to add...

I think this record has stood for over thirty years, this being the previous record fish from Llandegfedd back in 1992...

And what becomes of these fish?

It's well known that Pike in particular don't withstand angling pressure but, regardless, we rarely if ever see repeat captures unlike in the Carp world.

Yes i've had repeat captures on the same day and wondered how they'd made it back to their lair before I had recast but generally speaking it's not the norm.

What size and weight do they really attain after they sloop off back into the depths, their capture a lesson in avoidance?

 

[Philip]

I wondered that too ...why repeat captures are alot less common in the Pike world...there are some examples of fish that have been targeted and caught multiple times e.g the Bluebell fish & ex record Thrune fish.. but you rarely see a fish that might span several decades of captures like in the Carp world.

Unfortunatly I think its less to do with avoidance and them learning from their captures and alot more to do with them just being a much more fragile species.

Someone may correct me but they do have a shorter average lifespan than Carp so that probably plays a big part as well.

 

[steve2]

Pike could live upto 25 years under the right conditions but with so few repeat captures it is difficult to say. Growth rate is dependent on available food source, the biggest ones coming from stock trout waters where growth rate is quicker. So in theory overstocked commercials could make good pike waters.
Regarding repeat capture some top pike anglers have lists with many repeat captures which they count on their list as another 20lb fish. When in fact it is the same fish caught two or three times.
Carp as we know are as tough as old boots, treated with kid gloves and are re-caught many times in their lives.

 

[Aknib]

I've been studying the new Chew fish and the head proportions in relation to the size of its body.

I don't think it's in any way disproportionate although I do think it's a relatively (in relation to the weight) young fish that has grown quickly with a readily available food source.

That's just my observation and it takes nothing away from such a remarkable capture and fish.

And I could be wrong of course, it just has an unweary freshness about it in my opinion which is good to see.

 

[John Aston]

Deep joy - the pictures in AT show an ecstatic captor . So I was wrong about the dour look .

 

[The bad one]

The lad's a PAAS member John as well!

 

[Mark Wintle]

I've been going through the Angling Times 1968/69 and the story of the record Morgan pike (47-11-0) is in there. When the BRFC had a clearout of records in 1968 they didn't bother checking out the old records to any degree and this was one casualty. The Tryon barbel was eventually reinstated but the old pike and dace records should probably have stood.

 

[Kevin aka Aethelbald]

I've been going through the Angling Times 1968/69....

My god, we're only a few days into the closed season. What will you be like by June?
.

 

[Philip]

I've been going through the Angling Times 1968/69 and the story of the record Morgan pike (47-11-0) is in there. When the BRFC had a clearout of records in 1968 they didn't bother checking out the old records to any degree and this was one casualty. The Tryon barbel was eventually reinstated but the old pike and dace records should probably have stood.

Wasnt there something about set lining that got Morgans Pike chucked out ? ....by his own admission he lashed the rod to a tree ...something along those lines.

What I find strange is in all these record list clearouts the salmon record has survived all of them ! ...if there was ever a record that has questionable aspects hanging over it then thats the one.

 

[Mark Wintle]

My god, we're only a few days into the closed season. What will you be like by June?
.

I only have them for a few weeks then the owner will have them back, hopefully leaving me 1970/71. All I did was photograph anything interesting for an hour a day during the many wet days we had in February.

 

[The bad one]

I've been going through the Angling Times 1968/69 and the story of the record Morgan pike (47-11-0) is in there. When the BRFC had a clearout of records in 1968 they didn't bother checking out the old records to any degree and this was one casualty. The Tryon barbel was eventually reinstated but the old pike and dace records should probably have stood.

Not sure that Fred Buller even gave it any credence in his Doomsday Book of Mammoth Pike either, without getting the book of the shelf and checking.

 

[The bad one]

There are possibly 3 people who would know why it was chucked out, one sadly is now dead Eric Hodson, as he was part and parcel in setting up the alterative records committee for NASA. Phil Smith and Andy Nellist both of which have sat on the BRFC.

A couple of PS NASA for those that don't know what it stands for National Association of Specimen Anglers and the other would be Ron Clay also now dead and Eric's best mate for 40+ years

 

[Mark Wintle]

Not sure that Fred Buller even gave it any credence in his Doomsday Book of Mammoth Pike either, without getting the book of the shelf and checking.

In Pike and the Pike Angler Buller states that the Morgan fish should be the record.

 

[Kevin aka Aethelbald]

I only have them for a few weeks then the owner will have them back, hopefully leaving me 1970/71. All I did was photograph anything interesting for an hour a day during the many wet days we had in February.

February was enough to give us all cabin fever. I'm a dedicated fair-weather fishermen.