Pike fishing trials start at Farmoor I and II trout fishery today and continue until the 28th of this month – and I can’t wait.

I will be there bright and early and for the duration I will be fishing nowhere else as this represents a chance to catch a very big fish indeed.

If you fish from a boat, you need to book in advance (tel 07747 640707), but to fish from the bank, just turn up and pay.

For the record, Farmoor II has done a 30lb-plus fish in the last season and Farmoor I has produced one 30 and a few 20-pounders over the years.

Trout reservoirs have a history of producing very large pike.

Only a few years ago, John Everard, Dennis Moss and I witnessed a superb specimen of 45.15.0, which I weighed using a tripod and two different sets of Salter scales at John Barnes’s trout lake at Standlake.

I have fished Farmoor for trout since 1968 and seen some very big specimens of all freshwater species – chub to 7lb, plus bream to 18lb and a roach of 4.1.0 that I found dying.

On inspection, I realised it would not survive so I dispatched it and the late, great Peter Stone came to my house to collect it and have it set up.

If anyone knows its whereabouts, I would dearly love to hear from them.

I have also seen a colossal eel feeding on bream spawn off the draw-off tower on Farmoor 1, so you can see there are more than enough food fish for the few pike that inhabit these concrete bowls.

Looking forward to seeing you at Farmoor!

l If you have any news or pictures, you can contact me on 01869 321610 or 07917 772615.