PAC president speaks in Lincoln

PAC president Phil Wakeford brings his entertaining and informative talk on his pike fishing career to Lincolnshire on Monday, March 3.

He'll be speaking at the Turk's Head, Newport, Lincoln.

More than 150 twenties and eight 30s from all four corners of the British Isles make for an evening not to be missed.

For more details on Lincoln PAC, click here.

Dennis Moules at Cheshire PAC

Cheshire PAC is hosting Dennis Moules talking about Pike Fishing on The Fens where he lives and sharing his memories of both is life as a policeman and experience as a pike angler, on Monday 10th March 2008 at the Whipping Stocks, Little Peover, Nr.Knutsford. Meeting to start at 8.00 p.m. £3.00 for PAC Members and £4.00 for non-members.

If anyone is interested in attending could they contact Mark Johnson on mark-cheshirepiker@fsmail.net to give him an idea on numbers.

Phil and Pete speak at Durham meet

Darlington, Teesside and Durham PAC present pike fishing legends Phil Kirk and Pete Haywood on Tuesday, March 4.

They'll be speaking about their take on 30 years of Pike fishing at the Coxhoe Working Men’s club at Coxhoe, Durham, DH6 4AA.

The evening kicks off at 7.30pm. All welcome, admission £2 members/£3 non-members on the door.

Watch out for the snakeheads...

Anglers fishing Lincolnshire rivers are being urged to take care after a pike angler landed a tropical predator more fearsome than a piranha.

Andy Alder, from Lincoln, was deadbaiting on the River Witham, at North Hykeham, when he caught a giant snakehead.

The species is usually found in India and SE Asia, where it can reach lengths of 5ft and preys on other fish, amphibians and birds.

"It had a gob full of razor-sharp teeth," Andy said. "To be honest it looked terrifying."

Today the Environment Agency said the 2ft long fish was probably let loose by an owner after it became too big for its tank.

It was playing down the capture, after one tabloid newspaper warned snakeheads could attack and kill people.

"It requires temperatures of 25 to 28 degrees so it's unlikely to have survived in the water," an EA spokesman said.

"We are not sure where it's come from. It was so cold it might have been able to survive by eating other species. It's voracious and can out-compete native species.

"The big message is that you don't put fish like this in native waters. We would hope that if someone put it in then it was the only one."

The agency will still monitor the section of the River Witham, near North Hykeham, from where the snakehead was caught for signs of a fungal disease common in the fish.

Click here or here for more.

Pike fly expert speaks in Cambs

Rutland Water warden and acclaimed fly angler Nigel Savage will be giving a talk on the flies, methods and tackle to use when targeting predators on the method on Thursday, February 21.

It's being staged by the Invicta Fly Fishing Club at Harston Village Hall, on the A10 south of Cambridge, from 7.30pm.

Nigel is one of the foremost exponents of pike fly fishing, with several 20lbs-plus fish to his credit. He is also a successful zander fly angler.

All welcome on the night, admission is free.

Zander riddle solved, AW pike dates

A rumoured record zander had predator anglers flocking to Graffham Water this season. Hooked 2008 - Anglian Water's magazine for anglers fishing its reservoirs - shows the rumour mill wasn't far wide of the mark.

Ian Bradfield is pictured with an 18lbs 8oz zander believed to be the biggest ever caught on a fly.

There's also a picture of Robbie Marsh, who caught a 23lbs pike during a PAC event on Rutland back in September, literally minutes after telling his boat partner huis ambition for the season was a lure-caught 20.

Events organiser Mark Skinner is trying to arrange another day this autumn after 60 turned out for lasy year's charity fish-in despite the odd post-convention hangovers.

Pike dates for 2008 have also been announced. Anglers can lure fish Pisford on alternate weeks from Monday to Friday, from June 16 and Jun 30; July 14 and 28, August 11 and 25 and September 8 and 25.

Boat fishing with sea deads (excluding lamprey) and lures over 18cm is available as follows:

Pitsford: October 1 - November 23;

Ritland: October 6 - November 16;

Graffham: October 13 - November 30;

Ravensthorpe: October 27 - November 23;

Ardleigh: May 1 - February 28, 2009.

Anglers can now fly fish for predators on Graffham, Rutland and Pitsford from June 16 if they buy a special predator permit, which costs £14 on top of normal boat fees.

Bank fishing is also available on Pitsford from November 1 - December 31; all-year-round on Hollowell, with sea deads only from October to February; and all-year-round on Alton Water and Costessy Lakes.

Win a freezer full of bait

If rising fuel prices have you counting the cost of going fishing, how about next winter's bait for free..? Our friends at Baitbox are offering £150-worth of deadbaits to the winner of a competition in Pikelines.

The winner will be the person who catches the biggest pike on one of their baits. See the magazine for more details and rules but don't hang about as the deaedline for sending in your pictures is March 31.

Hat full of doubles at Quays fish-in

Seven doubles, five of them over 15lbs with the best an 18lbs 2oz, have been caught during the PAC's access event at Quays Pit in Surrey today. With plenty of jacks caught, it's been a busy day for the 10 members who signed up to fish.

A river thirty for Eric Edwards

Eric Edwards landed a river 30 after an epic scrap - click here to read it on his blog.

Wakefield Correction

The date we were supplied with previously was incorrect, Jon Neafcy is talking at the Wakefield region TONIGHT, Tuesday 12th February at 8pm onwards at Henry Boon's Pub on Westgate in Wakefield.

Check out "Billy's Backbiters"

PAC Midlands stalwart Steve Bown has been making drop-off alarms for his piking mates for nearly two decades. Now he's taken the plunge and is offering to build them. They've got a wealth of features not found of mass-produced alarms. He also offers a two season guarantee against anything other than a complete drowning.

See the review in Pikelines, or click here for more info.

Predator feast on stage in Surrey

A real feast of predator fishing entertainment is happening in Surrey on Saturday, February 16.

It starts at 6pm, at the Mytchett Community Centre, 140 Mytchett Road, Mytchett, Nr Frimley GU16 6AA - near Junction 4 of the M3

Illustrated talks by Eddie Turner: The famous “ET” talks about piking his way;
Simon Clarke: The catfish expert shares some catfish secrets and tales;
Stuart Gilham: Talks about big tropical predators and his new luxury fishery, in Thailand, home to some huge Arapaimas.

Other attractions include the Catfish Conservation Group for advice and catfish gear

Big prize Raffle

Bar

Eddie signing copies of his new book Megapike: The Return

Pike tackle stall

Admission £3

Jon Neafcy at Wakefield

Jon Neafcy (R/O Region 31 South Lancs) will be returning to the Wakefield region to entertain the lads with his slideshow on Tuesday 12th February at 8pm onwards at Henry Boon's Pub on Westgate in Wakefield.

'One gulp and it was gone...'

Amateur photographer Stewart Canham captured a cormorant eating a foot-long pike at a lake near his home in Dorset, the Daily Mail reports.

"The cormorant was desperately trying to get the pike into its mouth but it was struggling," he told the paper.

"Then the bird suddenly stretched out its neck and twisted it before swallowing the pike down in one."

Click here to see his pictures.

Target 3000 - Pikelines 19 preview

Target 3000, it says on the cover of the latest Pikelines. That's because we're within reach of our target of increasing membership of the PAC to 3000 by the end of the current committee's term in office.

Membership secretary John Cahill is appealing to all members to encourage friends to join the club or renew.

Elsewhere the magazine includes a fascinating interview with underwater cameraman Dean Burman, whose acclaimed film of pike was recently screened by the BBC.

Mick Hastings and other members asked Dean some searching questions about his observations on pike behaviour. Some of the answers might well surprise you.

Mike Green reports on an incredible day's fishing shared with Bob Church in which the pair landed 90 pike on lures and flies.

John Cahill reports on a successful trip stateside, where the muskie were playing ball despite less than favourable weather.

There's also more on a new initiative to combat the large scale removal of fish for the table from our waters, while we turn the spotlight on Dave Morris and Pete Austin - two stalwart members from different ends of the UK.

There are full reports on PAC events, along with all the usual news and views and an expanded gallery section.

Keep your eyes out for the postman.

Pikelines is sent free to PAC members four times a year. For more information on the club or to join online, click here.

PAC end of season events update

There's still time to bag yourself a place on one of the PAC's final events of the 2007/08 season.

That's the message from events organiser Mark Skinner, as Pikelines goes out to members.

There are places available for Hykehem, a Lincolnshire gravel pit which has produced fish to the stamp of the pike pictured in recent seasons.

We have Hykeham reserved for Saturday, February 23 and Sunday, February 24.

We have Quays gravel pit in Surrey booked for the weekend of Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17; while on Saturday, March 1, and Sunday, March 2, we will be returning to Ecton Lakes, Northants.

Mark said: "Your pikelines will be dropping through your letter boxes any day now and details of our events will be inside.

"We have not reproduced the applications slips for these events so you will need to use the slips from previous magazines, if you haven't got any to hand then simply put all the relevant details on a sheet of paper, include a cheque for the event you wish to attend, enclose a SAE and send it to me via the address in the magazine.

"You will then recieve an event pack, including rules, event ticket and directions to the fishery.

There is at time limit on accepting applications, so get them in now to avoid disapointment."

Jon Neafcy at Region 31

R.O. Jon Neafcy will be presenting his slide show on Wednesday 6th February, upstairs at the Caledonian pub, Bolton Road, Ashton in Makerfield (next to Tesco garage).

Jon is the region's Regional Organiser, a regular angling writer in Pike and Predators magazine, a qualified angling coach and enthusiastic pike angler.

The slide show is in two parts covering Jon's angling exploits. Part one is from childhood to late teens, and part two covers the last few years covering many different water types and Jon's journey to date.

Entrance is free for Region 31 members, £2.00 for non-members.

Prize raffle to win an ET Sladle, amongst other prizes.

Eric Edwards at Cheshire PAC

Cheshire PAC is hosting Eric Edwards's talking about Pike Fishing on Large Waters on Monday 11th February 2008 at the Whipping Stocks, Little Peover, Nr.Knutsford.

Meeting to start at 8.00 p.m. £3.00 for PAC Members and £4.00 for non-members.

If anyone is interested in attending, could they contact Mark Johnson at mark-cheshirepiker@fsmail.net to give him an idea of likely numbers attending.