One catch lands British title

A 14-year-old Norfolk angler has been crowned British junior pike fishing champion.George Shipley, from Broome Green, North Elmham, caught just one small predator, scaling 1lb 2oz.

A 14-year-old Norfolk angler has been crowned British junior pike fishing champion.

George Shipley, from Broome Green, North Elmham, caught just one small predator, scaling 1lb 2oz.

But, on a bad day for fishing on the Whittlesey Fen Drains, it proved enough for him to carry off the junior trophy and tackle vouchers worth �200.

The Fakenham High School student, who qualified to fish the final on the Swanton Morley Fishery, found fish hard to tempt in the clear water that put the pike down.

'I tossed in balls of light ground bait hoping to tempt small fish into the area followed by a few pike,'

he said.

'I saw a small fish break the surface and it seemed like it was trying to escape from something bigger.

'I immediately tossed a small dead bait into that area and the pike grabbed the bait at once. It was not a monster but it was the only fish I saw caught by any anglers around me.'

Proud father Gordon said he was delighted for his son.

'George was kindly sponsored by Rob Parnell at the Fakenham fishing tackle shop and by our local butcher Sam Papworth. I am happy to say their generous support was justified by the result,' he said.

The adult champion was Paul Lenton (Doddington) with three fish totalling 33lb from the 20ft Drain and the heaviest on the day was taken by Aylesbury angler Wes Ogle, whose 20lb 4oz catch made him runner-up.