So what’s the problem?Well, locals say Mill Loch is an unlikely sport for such a huge fish because it does not benefit from “bonus” food like salmon. It measured 54in, which would certainly be about right for a pike of that size. Furthermore, there’s even a picture of Simpson with the fish, though it’s a bit blurred because it was taken with a phone camera. But Angler’s Mail, a weekly angling paper, has done a very fine job of tracing not only the venue but the captor as well.It was taken at the end of December from Mill Loch, a small water near Lochmaben in Dumfries and Galloway, and it was caught by Ralf Simpson, a 40-year-old warehouseman. Hardly anyone bothers to fish for pike except to remove them from salmon and trout waters.News of the pike surfaced at a meeting of the British Record Fish Committee, which otherwise concerned itself with heavyweights such as a 1lb 12oz tadpole fish (from Bangor Harbour, if you fancy a crack at the record) or a mighty 1oz 4dr butterfly blenny, the proud trophy of Cliff Williams, who will surely never forget that momentous day off Weymouth.The committee merely stated that it would consider a pike claim from R Simpson for a 50lb 12oz fish from Scotland at its next meeting No more details were known.

Not many salmon left these days once Irish drift netters, seals, cormorants and other predators, from otters to poachers, have grabbed a piece.The largest Scottish pike was caught back in 1945 from Loch Lomond and weighed 47lb 11oz. In 1967, Buller himself lost one estimated at 50lb from the self-same spot, but there’s been nothing since To most Scots, pike are on a par with rats and Englishmen. Others were caught by dubious methods (one was speared by a pitchfork) and most stretch back more than 100 years, when weighing was often carried out by eye rather than scales.
Many were taken in Ireland, in the days when a big pike’s diet was enhanced by a feast of migrating sea trout and salmon. It is almost 5lb larger than the official British record, caught in 1992.

Fred Buller, who knows more about pike than anyone, records 32 over 50lb in The Domesday Book of Mammoth Pike, but many have come from elsewhere in Europe. *** Frank Buckland, Queen Victoria’s Inspector of Fisheries, was highly suspicious of pike anglers. He said: “More lies have been told about pike than any other fish.” So it’s not surprising that there is some doubt over the claim by a Scottish fisherman that he has just caught a pike weighing 50lb 12oz

Let’s put that in context. “I thought our fate was sealed when I saw the draw, but Jamie has got him just where we wanted.”Spencer made it a double when Derby entry Pound Sign, from the Michael Bell stable that took last year’s Epsom showpiece with Motivator, outclassed his rivals in the maiden.. “That was just a beautiful ride,” said the winning trainer, Sylvester Kirk.

The six-year-old was badly drawn, on the outside of the 14-runner field, but Spencer kicked smartly out of the stalls to get to the front, disputed a slow early pace and went for home early in the straight.Grand Passion and Nayyir, who found trouble on the rails inside the final furlong, finished well but Sri Diamond had enough in hand to hold on to take the £56,780 Group Three prize. He jumped well and he’d be one for next year’s Grand National.”The champion Flat jockey, Jamie Spencer, showed his mettle as he took the first Group race of the European season, the Winter Derby on the sand at Lingfield, on the 8-1 shot Sri Diamond. It sealed victory for Francis Flood’s charge, who was carrying 16lb less than his rival, with L’Aventure plugging on for third place, 14 lengths adrift, ahead of Victory Gunner.
“We don’t get four-milers in Ireland,” said the winning trainer’s son, Francis jnr “We thought he was crying out for the trip. After the four-mile slog the 5-1 favourite’s springheeled leap at the final obstacle was a sterling effort.

The eight-year-old gelding G V A Ireland, ridden by the Festival meeting’s leading jockey, Ruby Walsh, took the muddy marathon, worth £61,974, by four lengths, beating Ossmoses after a tussle over the last half-circuit. It was one of those nights and we will learn from it.”In Friday’s other match, Leeds were pushed all the way by Salford at Headingley before winning 20-12.. The Irish carried on where they left off at Cheltenham when another emerald raider plundered yesterday’s main prize, the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter. It’s not the first time this has happened to us but we’re not too despondent. They lost their discipline and, as injuries began to disrupt their team, finished well beaten team.