Only way is esox for Jack

CARPER Jack Sharlotte had the shock of the season so far when his bait was grabbed by a 40lb 3oz pike.

The 23-year-old was fishing Wood Fishery, in East Yorkshire, when the huge esox took his zig-rigged foam and plastic corn cocktail, presented in the upper layers. The pike is the biggest non-trout water specimen of 2018. ®

DANNY Taylor and Paul Houghton found the bream on the feed as the duo shared 11 double-figure specimens.

Over a two-day session, the friends banked fish to 14lb from a large Northern stillwater.

The catch came after they spodded beds of groundbait and pellets and presented legered 10mm boilies and sweetcorn over the top.

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TED Bryan, 2007 winner of the prestigious Drennan Cup, has landed his biggestever carp, a 48lb 12oz mirror. The Kent angler banked the fish from an undisclosed Southern pit, using a Mad Baits Nutz Banana boilie.

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DEVASTATION from pollution on the River Witham could be worse than feared, with losses running into hundreds of thousands of fish.

The Environment Agency had originally refused to speculate on the deaths. However, anglers on the ground estimated it to be tens of thousands.

But now the EA has issued a statement admitting no fewer than 100,000 fish had been killed, although the precise figure could be much greater.