A five-year campaign to catch one of the UK’s biggest pike finally ended in success for Chris Darke when he slipped the net under a 41lb 12oz specimen.

The giant predator was taken on a free-lined, dead ide hookbait from renowned Northern pike fishing venue, Wykeham Lakes in North Yorkshire.

Chris’ fish is reported to be the same specimen which made the headlines back in 2014 when Chris’ fishing partner Wyndon Coole landed it for the second time at the record shaking weight of 46lb 11oz – the biggest pike ever caught in England.

It was Wyndon’s first effort, however, which really inspired Chris, an engineer from Scarborough, to catch the huge prize:  “I have been trying to catch this fish ever since I netted it for Wyndon back in 2012 at the weight of 45lb 14oz” he said. “I have come so close to getting it in the past few years, including once when I watched it take my hookbait and drop it before I had the chance to strike but when we hadn’t seen it for over 18 months before this week I started to wonder if I had missed my chance until it finally came along.”