New member Lyn lands 39 on Menteith

They call it the Lake of Dreams. And dreams came true for one of the Pike Anglers Club's newest members today, when she landed a 39lbs 8oz (pic) brute during a PAC event on Menteith.

Lyn Baker's fish is believed to be one of the biggest pike ever to be caught by a female angler in the UK.

Lyn, 32, from Newcastle, said tonight: "I'm still shaking now, I was so excited.

"It fought really hard, it was really fit. We didn't see it for five minutes after I hooked it, and when I did, I just thought oh my god."

Lyn, who joined the PAC a few months back, was on a boat with her husband Neil when the monster picked up her sardine deadbait.

"I've been pike fishing for around three years," she said. "Neil got me into it, he fishes all the time. We used to do a lot of fly fishing for trout, then he got into pike fishing and got me to try that."

Neil convinced Lyn it was worth entering the draw for a place on a fish-in on the lake of Menteith organised by the Pike Anglers Club, which she joined a few months earlier.

"Her previous best pike was 10lbs 8oz and I said if we go to Menteith you've got a great chance of beating it," he said.

"Her first fish after half an hour was 21lbs 5oz and she was absolutely over the moon, she'd have happily gone home then.

"I said it'll take you a while to beat that, then she struck into this thing, it came out of the water and I've never seen anything like it."

The PAC obtains a limited number of days' fishing for its members on Menteith each season. The events are always over-subscribed and members enter a draw for places.

PAC special events organiser Mark Skinner said: "I spoke to Lyn in the pub the night before and said wouldn't it be great if a woman member caught the biggest fish.

"It's truly a great achievement for any pike angler but to see one of our female members come on here and upstage all the household names shows what the club's about.

"It shows anyone can join up, get in the draw for places and stand a chance of catching a fish like this if their number comes up."

Details of other fish caught on the day are still coming in. Sussex RO jon Cook equalled his PB with a 27lbs 2oz pike. And Lyn's husband Neil also boated a 20lbs 6oz fish.