A picture and story that appeared in Angling Times claiming to be a new British record 57lb pike has been exposed as a hoax, writes STUART EARP.

And top Oxfordshire pike expert Paul Gustafson, who lives in Abingdon, was caught up in the scam as it was a photograph of his 35lb pike caught ten years ago that was ‘doctored’ on a computer and sent to the paper purporting to be the new record.

However, eagle-eyed Adam Ford, a policeman, spotted that the very same picture had appeared in Paul’s best-selling book ‘How To Catch Bigger Pike’ and promptly exposed the record claim as a hoax.

Now, 17-year-old Scott McHugh, from Leeds, has admitted it was all a ruse. He said: “I was messing about on the computer with my little brother and he scanned in the photo of the fish from the book and cut the fish out, before sticking me behind it.

“We then took a photo on a camera phone. It was a bit of a laugh, really. I never thought he would send it to Angling Times.”

Gustafson was unimpressed, but shrugged it off, saying: “I suppose I could sue them for breaching copyright, but that’s not my style, really.”

Paul is regarded as one of the top pike anglers in the country and has had numerous books published, including How To Catch River Pike and Pike Fishing in Ireland, which are available from Swan Hill Press (tel 01939 261616).

He has been keeping his hand in with the capture last week of a pristine 22.8.0 gravel pit fish, which fell to half a mackerel.