Andy Webber rounds up the latest action around Oxfordshire

Cowley angler Roger Buckingham has been trying for 30 years to catch a 20lb pike from the Thames, and now he's done it.

Roger broke his duck with a specimen weighing exactly 21lb.

The big predator took a spinner and came from the Thames near Oxford. It took him 15 minutes to subdue the fish.

Roger's previous best from the river weighed 19lb, way back in December 1975.

  • The other Monday I decided to have a go on the Medley stretch of the Thames to see if I could catch some chub, as the weather was pretty settled.

I parked up at Binsey and walked across to the river, picking a spot halfway between the boat yard and Perch gate.

I have made some very large cage feeders, plus some a little smaller. I used the large ones to deposit a mixture of liquidised bread and pellets into the river, before changing to the slightly smaller feeder with a piece of crust on the hook.

Sport was pretty slow, but I did catch some chub, nothing special.

As I sat there, I looked out across Port Meadow, which in places was still under water from the recent flooding and I wondered how many fish are lost each year when the river is over its banks.

How many fish are washed out of our rivers throughout the country and then find their way back once water levels have dropped?

Let me know if you have any info or experiences.

  • Local carper Pete Garland celebrated his 21st birthday by slipping his net under a 30.13.0 mirror carp from Dorchester's Orchid Lake.

Doing an eight-day stint, Pete moved three times to stay in touch with the fish which were moving continuously.

Besides the '30', he had three 20's up to 28.4.0, plus an upper double.

He was using Tails Up Baits OCM bottom baits fished with a PVA bag filled with broken boilies.

  • Using a feeder with double maggot on a size 18 hook, Abingdon rod Gary Cook caught 13 carp and 11 tench for a total weight of 158lb from Clattercote Reservoir, near Banbury.

Included in his catch was a nice carp weighing 25.4.0.

Because of the cold weather, Gary scaled all his tackle down to try and increase the number of bites and it certainly paid off.

  • If you have any news, views, photos, or you just want to have a chat, you can contact me on 01865 725606 or email andrew@webber 01865.fsnet.co.uk