The story in yesterday’s Oxford Mail of the discovery of the skull of a massive pike on the banks of the River Cherwell has set the local angling grapevine buzz-ing.

It measured 12 inches from snout to gill plate and was found in the undergrowth by farmer Peter Money, who at first thought it was the skeleton of a deer.

It immediately sparked a debate on how big the fish had been, with estimates up to 40lb.

The discovery was a surprise to Andrew Crisp, secretary of North Oxford AS, who control the stretch, near Marston Ferry Road.

Crisp felt that the massive fish probably did not originate from the Cherwell.

He said: “My feeling is that the fish probably came from some estate lake. We have had a series of floods in the last few years and the fields around where the skull was found are often under water.

“It’s possible the pike became trapped when the floods receded and it could have been eaten by foxes, crows of even otters.

“I’m not a pike angler, but I saw the skull and it was 12 inches long and nine inches across. It looked as if it could have weighed 40lb.”

However, pike expert Neville Fickling felt 30lb was more likely.

That tallies with the views of former Oxford Mail angling correspondent, the late Peter Stone, who always maintained there were big pike in the Cherwell, having witnessed fish to well over over 20lb.