Consistently successful Oxford Pike angler Marc Dibsdall with a spectacular 29lb 1oz Thames Pike, another deserving weekly Drennan Cup winner. We love the seasonal photo with a Snowdrop background!

Having bagged a much coveted 33lb gravel pit fish last season, Marc wisely decided on a completely new project this Winter – to escape the competition and try to locate and target a specimen Pike from the unexplored miles of the Thames in Oxfordshire. Truly a daunting undertaking and exciting pioneering!

“What came was a hell of a lot of walking, a hell of a lot of Signal Crayfish, a hell of a lot of blanks – and a lot of questioning my sanity!” Marc told us.

Putting serious effort in and keeping some spots away from other anglers primed with pre-bait, Marc found one location started to produce a number of doubles, so concentrated his effort. After a disappointing February he thought any chance of a real specimen had passed… but kept up the pre-baiting three times a week.

Marc’s hard work provoked a result in early March when he dropped his hookbait under a marginal tree, and hooked what felt like a big, heavy Pike! But after a brief fight lasting a couple of minutes the fish threw the hooks and was gone – “Thinking I had blown it, I nearly packed- up” explained Marc. We all know that sinking feeling!

But hoping the big fish would stay in the area, Marc got a hookbait back out, with a tricky cast ‘right on the money’ near an overhanging tree.

“To my surprise in minutes the float disappeared into the depths! The next ten minutes was an epic fight between me, the pike, the snags, and the Thames”

Finally Marc netted the Pike and summoned his brother down to help with the photos before darkness fell. The set-up included a Drennan Piker float, Titanium trace and E-Sox extra strong trebles to present a popped up Roach deadbait injected with Mackerel oil.

A truly inspiring story and a breathtaking Pike, well done and richly deserved Sir!
For full details on the E-Sox treble hooks as used by Marc, click here