UK: a 39 lb pike on fly at Chew Valley Reservior

An huge pike of  17.6 kg - 39 lb was caught on fly tackle by angler Russell Cowell during his first ever session targeting the species. Russell was fishing at Chew Valley Reservior in Somerset, UK to achieve his ambition of catching his first pike with 4 friends.

Due to tough conditions the party only had a handful of small pike to show for their first day efforts, but that all changed on the second afternoon.

Russell was using a 9 weight fly fishing rod coupled with a 100 lb bite leader when he hooked this monster size northern pike.

“Even though I was well aware of what this water is capable of nothing could have prepared me for this fish and the thrilling experience that it brought me. The fight was amazing and it almost leapt completely out of the water on a couple of occasions.

“Having never caught a pike before I didn’ t know how big the fish actually was until it rolled over in the net and I saw the girth of it, which truly was a sight to behold .