When he was 12 years old, Duncan Hayward caught a 21lb 4oz pike on a lure that’s been his PB ever since. But, after a campaign on the Thames that’s seen him endure cold, wet and muddy banks, plus countless blanks, his efforts have been rewarded with this fish of 30lb 3oz caught at the back end of the season.

Duncan described it as a pike he’s dreamed of for nearly 30 years, a roach livebait presented in the margins was his winning tactic. He added “The float was going mad for a good 10 minutes before I received the take so the pike must have been stalking it for quite a while before attacking it.”

Well done Duncan!