Didcot specimen hunter Neil Johnson braved the cold spell by catching a magnificent 30.12.0 pike from the Thames, writes ANDY WEBBER.

The big predator took a liking to his legered sardine when he fished the weirpool at Sutton Courtenay.

Neil's fish is the heaviest pike I have heard of locally this season.

  • ALAN Bray, from Romsey, is enjoying his retirement by popping up to Linear Fisheries after the big carp at the Stanton Harcourt complex.

The 61-year-old caught the 38.0.8 mirror carp known as 'Two Tone' from Guy's Lake.

He used 12lb GR60 mainline, Tournaments reels, Harrison rods and CC Moore Live System boilies at about 60 yards range.

  • FORMER Oxonian John Cadd has been catching some nice chub from the Hampshire Avon.

Spending a whole weekend, he bagged up with fish weighing 5.2.0, 6.4.0, 6.8.0, 6.12.0 and 6.14.0 - and that was just on Saturday.

Returning to the river on the Sunday he had fish of 5.15.0, 6.13.0, 6.15.0 and a huge chub going 7.10.0.

Cadd, who lives in Ferndown, Dorset, was using two maggots on a size 16 Drennan Super Specialist hook tied to 5lb Browning braid hooklink.

The biggest chub is his seventh 7lb fish from the river.

  • ROLF'S Lake, which lies between Wheatley and Waterperry, has a reputation for some massive match weights and even in the winter it produces the goods.

Owner of the water, John Bennett, fished hair-rigged bread under a waggler instead of the normal pole-pellet set-up and weighed in 237lb of carp, the majority being low doubles.

  • IF you have any news, views or photos, you can contact me on 01865 725606 or email andrew@webber 01865.fsnet.co.uk