PAC member Paul King landed a brace of 30lbs pike and beat his PB four times in two brief sessions on a Norfolk stillwater.The haul was topped by a 38lbs specimen (left), which struck as he worked a rubber Castaic lure on his first trip to the un-named water.
Witnessed and photographed by his son and fellow pike angler Bob, he followed it with a 22lbs 8oz sample after losing another large pike during the same stint.
The following day, a short afternoon session produced fish of 31lbs and 24lbs - again to lures.
Swaffham-based Paul, whose previous best was 20lbs 8oz, admits he is not a regular lure angler, making four fish for a combined weight of more than 115lbs an even more exceptional haul.
"I'd sat there until 2pm deadbaiting without a thing and and I thought shall I go," he said.
"I decided to chuck a lure about and I had the 38 first. I felt a couple of bumps then the rod went right over and I knew it was a very big fish.
"It just took off really deep and it took ages to get it up to the top. Ten minutes later I had a 22lbs 8oz from the same swim.
"I went again the next day and had a 31lbs (below) and a 24lbs within an hour, so I'd beaten my PB four times in a weekend."
Paul's next two sorties brought him back to earth with a bump, as he suffered a pair of runless blanks. But he remains philosophical."The 38 was the fish of a lifetime but I'd like to think I can beat it," he said.
