Putin catches a pike

The Russian leader hooks, nets, lands and snogs a sizeable pike while fishing on his holidays. Is there anything he can't do?

Russian President Vladimir Putin is on his holidays, and in typical Vladimir Putin style, he's not to be found kicking back poolside with a bottle of Pimms and the latest Marian Keyes.

Nope, old Poots has dug out the camo gear and is once again tramping the backwaters of the southern Siberian wilderness, this time with his rod in his hand.

And wouldn't you know it, the cameras just happened to be rolling when Putin came face to face - mouth to mouth, in fact - with a respectable Esox Lucius that he caught all by himself.

What are the chances?

(That's NEVER 21kg. Fair enough a 20-pounder plus, but kilos? Somebody needs their scales calibrated)

Of course, it's just the latest in a long series of Putin-as-adventure-hero photo ops. Who can forget his shirtless hunting exploits, his ridealong with a biker gang, the arm-wrestling contest or even the time he discovered an ancient Greek urn?

Or the time he tranquillised a tiger?

According to the Los Angeles Times, President Bear Grylls also dragged along Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for the latest backwoods trip.

We don't see them catching anything.

Funny that.