With nothing to write about on here, mostly because I haven't been out much at all, I was struggling to think of something to put to paper...err to keyboard. So instead, I'll leave it for everyone else to do. Here's my little list of blogs I like to read. Some are famous, some not just yet but hopefully someone will find something to read on these cold dark nights, or at least while the 100mph winds and floods are playing havoc with our fishing plans.
In no particular order-
Norfolk 'N Good A mostly pike blog, which is amusing and educational and sometimes just completely random/strange but very entertaining. An enjoyable read and is updated very regularly. Be sure to check out his Sausage Roll and his Aliens then you'll have a good idea what I'm taking about, maybe not so much an idea what Chris is on about though. Good fun.
Joe Chatterton's Angling Diary Joe is a bit of an all round angler and seems to be able to put his hand to anything. He enjoys the challenge of a bag full of dace or a hard fighting barbel using all manner of tactics I never got around to mastering but Joe seems to be able to do everything. I've enjoyed reading some of his successes and he's also managing to capture some stunning fishing moments.
Fish Fooler is written by a new mate of mine. Having shared a passion of lure fishing on the forums and being local we met up this year and have been out a few times since. Matt Holmes is a much more of an all round lure fisherman than me targeting small silvers on the fly rod, giant perch on the kopytos and even some monster pike too. He's still new to blogging but for me his blog should be one to keep an eye on because as it grows it will have more interesting entries through next year when he gets to show off his variety of styles and venues and he also has another bonus gem which are his home made lures. The design and build quality are fantastic, take a look for yourself.
Pike Blog is and does exactly as the title suggest, it's all about barbel fishing. Wait...what? Actually Brian does a bit of everything but also seems to have got a bit of a bug for catching barbel. He and his mate Dan set themselves a challenge to catch 300lb of barbel in the season, I guess last seasons 200lb challenge wasn't enough. Brian is also a little more famous for something else. He's the creator of a cracking cartoon comic strip, Jack's Pike which readers of his blog are treated to now and again and if you like what you see then go buy his books! Should make a fantastic Christmas gift I reckon. Does my wife read my blog?
The Lure of Angling is a blog that's been going a few years now. That alone means there's plenty to read but add to that when Daniel Everitt writes an entry he doesn't just put up some photos and a couple of words. He reminds me of myself sometimes. Often when I write, off I go and I tell everything that happened that day and Daniel seems to do that too. That might not be for everyone as many people like a few photos and a brief story but for me it's good to be able to see how people think, how they approach a water or a target fish and what challenges they face and how they deal with them. Daniel certainly gives you all the details.
So there's a few blogs that should keep you entertained for a while at least, hopefully until this damn weather perks up a bit and we can get back to fishing, or as it's seemed for me just recently, standing next to water.
Thursday 22 November 2012
Sunday 11 November 2012
Stunning morning on the river
First of all, this is a big long, blog entry so get a brew and be prepared. Secondly, I've included lots of photos because I think so many are worth sharing.
I've had a bit of a steady week on my usual spot. A few hours fishing before work produced just one pike. Not a big fish but I was happy at the time as it was a ferocious take and the fight it put up was a cracker for a fish of only about 6lb. I was excited at the time and eager for a few more perfect conditioned pike, but as the week went on it just got tougher and tougher. Not the greatest results and this change in weather has certainly made it a bit harder to get a result. But a change in weather can also bring some other gems. Just being out this time of year can be an unbelievable experience in itself. Sunday morning I had plans to go off on an adventure to some part of the river i've never fished or even been to look at. I'd wanted to have a crack at this place late summer when lure fishing can be a bit more productive but since the weather and river levels were unkind this never happened, so Sunday I was going in blind, all apart from a look on Googlemaps.
I awoke on Sunday morning to a bright start. As I had my quick pot of tea I could see the sun was starting to come up so I quickly downed my brew and headed off. I live on top of a hill, and when I got in the car I thought the weather was pleasant and the car thermometer told me it was three degrees. As I made my way to the river the weather changed and I was met by frost and fog and a temperature drop to minus half a degree. I guess my hill is a bit closer to the sun or the equator then? I parked up next to the canal and all though this wasn't to be my target I did have a quick ten minutes with the ultra lite rod, however I didn't get any action. I saw a few small fish and something quite large surfaced but I didn't tempt anything and then I also noticed some signs telling me this bit of canal was run by a private angling club. So I nipped back to the car and got the heavier pike gear out, crossed the canal lock gate bridge and headed for the river.
First impressions of the river weren't good. Both sides of the river the bank were really high and I was going to struggle on my side to get to fish it seemed. I'd made a few notes on a piece of paper pointing me in the direction of a few interesting features to have a look at, but already my first spot was no good as I couldn't even get down to the river. I do fish some awkward places at times, but the first thing I always ask myself before fishing is "can I get a twenty pounder out of here?" What I mean is, if I hooked a monster could I get down to it and get it out of the water and then back in again without killing either of us and if this is a no then I walk on, no matter how inviting the swim may look. So with this first spot no good off I went in search of somewhere to get closer to the water, safely.
Already I was not seeing much sign of other fishermen. I don't mean someone on the bank already but footpaths, pegs or anything else that might show me people already fish here. The further I marched the less sign I saw. In fact to get to the river now I had to make my own way, ducking under some trees, over a small fence and over and through nettles and brambles. I finally made it to the water and had a few casts but it seemed pretty shallow here and the water was just pushing through, not really pike looking but it did look good for silvers, trout, chub and the rest. I spotted a bend just up the river and I knew this was another feature I was aiming for. From the satellite images on Google, I made out that this bend had a massive bay. This was as fishy a looking spot as I'd ever seen and as I made my way through more over grown nettles and brambles I was a little giddy at the prospect of fishing a bay like this that no one else seemed to fish. Who knows what could be waiting for me. Making my way down to the waters edge I was greeted by another bit of stunning scenery.
The bay was huge compared to the rest of the river and I got myself set up ready. This bit of water was full of bird life as I made my way here, the water was nice and steady and it was the kind of feature I love to have a go at because you can find all sorts of fish holding up in them. The picture below will give you an idea of what was in front of me. The far bank was where the river current ran and with the river being about thirty feet wide it meant the rest of the water in front of me, sixty feet or so, was the bay. I made a cast and sods law it hit some snag but luckily it was just a bit of weed so I quickly brought it in to cast back out again and again I hit something. What the hell, three or four casts in and I realise this bay is about a foot deep at most and full of silt. The bay was not full of fish like I'd hoped, but was in fact full of mud. It might have looked perfect from space, it might have looked perfect from the bank but in fact this feature was a waste of space. Oh well, never mind. I immediately wondered what this place would be like in flood though. Maybe it could still be that fish holding spot I originally thought it was, just under different circumstances!
I continued on my adventure. I had to double back and then around as the area around this bay was obviously muddy and there was no way I could follow the river course. I clambered back up some steep bank and marched a good hundred yards or so before pushing my way back through the thickness again and in to the unknown. I had an idea there was a large bend in the river, a kind of dogs leg. I knew that this meant I had been heading in the wrong direction and so now had to make tracks and find it again, but judging by what was ahead of me this wasn't going to be easy. I was kind of on a hill and the river was way off further down and between us were more brambles, nettles, bushes and all sorts. I also worked out that when the river is in flood this whole area would be under water, which would be a sight if I came at that time, though I reckon not very safe to fish. Anyway, I had to get through the jungle and without a decent machete I knew I was in for a workout. Typically I'd over dressed for the occasion. With my thermal long Johns and t-shirt underneath, plus my combat trousers and a pair of water proof trousers over the top, together with my other t-shirt, hooded top and quilted camo jacket, not forgetting my fully lined furry wellies I was now starting to get a bit of a lather on. But the water proof trousers and my tough jacket were also giving me protection against the wet, frosty vegetation and all the armoury and spikes they had as their defence. So I had to just sweat it out. It was very tough going now and even with me walking like John Cleese I still couldn't always manage to manouvere over most of the brambles as they were just so tall. I then found myself nearly neck high in the stuff as the ground below me sloped away and what I thought was a two or three foot tall bramble bush was much taller. This is fun.
Eventually I got by the worst of the brambles and was met by an awesome sight. A combination of amazing vegetation and stunning light shining through the fog and I had to stop and take some more photos. I was in another world right now. Fishing was taking a back seat as I just tried to take it all in. I was surrounded at one point by ten feet tall cow parsely (I had to search Google to find out what it was called) and it was kind of surreal with the light shining through. it seemed as though I was in another country, or maybe even another planet! But no, it was our very own beautiful little country and one I love to get out in to.
I finally, eventually made it to the river. I think I jumped out of my skin a total of four times as a pheasant after pheasant shot up from nowhere just a few feet in front of me while I clambered through the undergrowth to get there. The bird life along the river was spectacular, I counted four individual herons and a couple of kingfisher (that's a good tell tail sign if ever I saw one) and the amount of ducks and other similar that were scared to death of me (not the local birds which want to eat out of the anglers hand) made me think that not many people come here.
But alas, the fishing was hard going and no matter how many juicy looking spots I tried I didn't get much joy at all. I covered a good distance up stream with the river changing from fast water, to shallow water to deep water but I just couldn't find any pike. I might have been better off with the lighter set up to be honest to give me the chance of other species. I couldn't help but spot chubby looking spots and much of the river screamed trout to me. Not a fish I've ever targeted on the lures but I do fancy coming back here with the right gear and some trouty knowledge to go with it and see what pops up. I reckon that the fact it seems so tough to fish there's not too many people that do come here and that could mean this place has potential to throw up something special.
I did have one bit of action though which I managed to mess up. I was busy eyeing up a swim on the far bank while not paying 100% attention to my lure. I felt a knock and struck but I was a bit late and managed to just see the rear end and tail of a pike disappear out of sight. I cast at it again and saw the pike follow the lure but it didn't hit I switched lures and the same pike followed my real eel four more times. Nothing I could do would get the pike to take the lure. Fast, slow, erratic retrieves with a combination of lures plus I even called back on this spot on the way home but I just couldn't get the pike to take. I'd guess the fish was knocking on nine or ten pound, so would have made a right good catch but it wasn't to be. I did enjoy the cat and mouse I had with the fish though in crystal clear water, looking down on it from about six feet up. I also had a feeling the pike was watching me at times. One point it seemed to be looking directly at me, while blowing bubbles out of its gills. Funny!
What a cracking few hours I had. I can't stress enough how enjoyable the morning was despite not even catching a single fish and also coming on the back of a tough week. It would have been nice to bag up and find a new super spot to fish. It would have been nice to catch a few fish having not done so for nearly a week. But I just enjoyed being out, somewhere new and enjoying my self exploring. I could have easily gone back to my favourite peg and who knows the pike might have been on the feed and I know what that can mean. However I was also aware of the fact I could have gone to my local spot and blanked. I often get a feeling within the first ten or fifteen minutes how my local stretch will fish. Sometimes you know you're on to a loser and the rest of the fishing isn't enjoyable. It can sometimes feel like a hard slog, wasting time and also there's a bit of pressure put on myself because I know the place can produce. When it doesn't produce it can often feel like a let down. As good as the fishing has been to me on my local stretch it's not always easy and not always enjoyable and if anything, the reason I go fishing is to enjoy myself and not just to catch fish. Of course that sounds silly and of course I want to catch fish but I also want the whole thing. I'm not fishing for fishing's sake nor am I fishing simply to catch a load of fish, despite how my blog often looks. I want to get out and enjoy everything about fishing. The sunrises and sunsets that are so stunning at times, the seasons which create their own moods and feelings, the wildlife around me bringing me smiles and if I can enjoy all that and catch the odd fish too, that's what will bring me joy to match a twenty pounder on the bank.
I've had a bit of a steady week on my usual spot. A few hours fishing before work produced just one pike. Not a big fish but I was happy at the time as it was a ferocious take and the fight it put up was a cracker for a fish of only about 6lb. I was excited at the time and eager for a few more perfect conditioned pike, but as the week went on it just got tougher and tougher. Not the greatest results and this change in weather has certainly made it a bit harder to get a result. But a change in weather can also bring some other gems. Just being out this time of year can be an unbelievable experience in itself. Sunday morning I had plans to go off on an adventure to some part of the river i've never fished or even been to look at. I'd wanted to have a crack at this place late summer when lure fishing can be a bit more productive but since the weather and river levels were unkind this never happened, so Sunday I was going in blind, all apart from a look on Googlemaps.
I awoke on Sunday morning to a bright start. As I had my quick pot of tea I could see the sun was starting to come up so I quickly downed my brew and headed off. I live on top of a hill, and when I got in the car I thought the weather was pleasant and the car thermometer told me it was three degrees. As I made my way to the river the weather changed and I was met by frost and fog and a temperature drop to minus half a degree. I guess my hill is a bit closer to the sun or the equator then? I parked up next to the canal and all though this wasn't to be my target I did have a quick ten minutes with the ultra lite rod, however I didn't get any action. I saw a few small fish and something quite large surfaced but I didn't tempt anything and then I also noticed some signs telling me this bit of canal was run by a private angling club. So I nipped back to the car and got the heavier pike gear out, crossed the canal lock gate bridge and headed for the river.
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| Canal lock gates |
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| Beautiful morning |
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| Foggy barge |
First impressions of the river weren't good. Both sides of the river the bank were really high and I was going to struggle on my side to get to fish it seemed. I'd made a few notes on a piece of paper pointing me in the direction of a few interesting features to have a look at, but already my first spot was no good as I couldn't even get down to the river. I do fish some awkward places at times, but the first thing I always ask myself before fishing is "can I get a twenty pounder out of here?" What I mean is, if I hooked a monster could I get down to it and get it out of the water and then back in again without killing either of us and if this is a no then I walk on, no matter how inviting the swim may look. So with this first spot no good off I went in search of somewhere to get closer to the water, safely.
 |
| High steep banks on both sides of the river |
Already I was not seeing much sign of other fishermen. I don't mean someone on the bank already but footpaths, pegs or anything else that might show me people already fish here. The further I marched the less sign I saw. In fact to get to the river now I had to make my own way, ducking under some trees, over a small fence and over and through nettles and brambles. I finally made it to the water and had a few casts but it seemed pretty shallow here and the water was just pushing through, not really pike looking but it did look good for silvers, trout, chub and the rest. I spotted a bend just up the river and I knew this was another feature I was aiming for. From the satellite images on Google, I made out that this bend had a massive bay. This was as fishy a looking spot as I'd ever seen and as I made my way through more over grown nettles and brambles I was a little giddy at the prospect of fishing a bay like this that no one else seemed to fish. Who knows what could be waiting for me. Making my way down to the waters edge I was greeted by another bit of stunning scenery.
The bay was huge compared to the rest of the river and I got myself set up ready. This bit of water was full of bird life as I made my way here, the water was nice and steady and it was the kind of feature I love to have a go at because you can find all sorts of fish holding up in them. The picture below will give you an idea of what was in front of me. The far bank was where the river current ran and with the river being about thirty feet wide it meant the rest of the water in front of me, sixty feet or so, was the bay. I made a cast and sods law it hit some snag but luckily it was just a bit of weed so I quickly brought it in to cast back out again and again I hit something. What the hell, three or four casts in and I realise this bay is about a foot deep at most and full of silt. The bay was not full of fish like I'd hoped, but was in fact full of mud. It might have looked perfect from space, it might have looked perfect from the bank but in fact this feature was a waste of space. Oh well, never mind. I immediately wondered what this place would be like in flood though. Maybe it could still be that fish holding spot I originally thought it was, just under different circumstances!
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| Perfect spot? Nope! |
I continued on my adventure. I had to double back and then around as the area around this bay was obviously muddy and there was no way I could follow the river course. I clambered back up some steep bank and marched a good hundred yards or so before pushing my way back through the thickness again and in to the unknown. I had an idea there was a large bend in the river, a kind of dogs leg. I knew that this meant I had been heading in the wrong direction and so now had to make tracks and find it again, but judging by what was ahead of me this wasn't going to be easy. I was kind of on a hill and the river was way off further down and between us were more brambles, nettles, bushes and all sorts. I also worked out that when the river is in flood this whole area would be under water, which would be a sight if I came at that time, though I reckon not very safe to fish. Anyway, I had to get through the jungle and without a decent machete I knew I was in for a workout. Typically I'd over dressed for the occasion. With my thermal long Johns and t-shirt underneath, plus my combat trousers and a pair of water proof trousers over the top, together with my other t-shirt, hooded top and quilted camo jacket, not forgetting my fully lined furry wellies I was now starting to get a bit of a lather on. But the water proof trousers and my tough jacket were also giving me protection against the wet, frosty vegetation and all the armoury and spikes they had as their defence. So I had to just sweat it out. It was very tough going now and even with me walking like John Cleese I still couldn't always manage to manouvere over most of the brambles as they were just so tall. I then found myself nearly neck high in the stuff as the ground below me sloped away and what I thought was a two or three foot tall bramble bush was much taller. This is fun.
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| Need to get to that river, where ever it is. |
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| Not an easy task though |
Eventually I got by the worst of the brambles and was met by an awesome sight. A combination of amazing vegetation and stunning light shining through the fog and I had to stop and take some more photos. I was in another world right now. Fishing was taking a back seat as I just tried to take it all in. I was surrounded at one point by ten feet tall cow parsely (I had to search Google to find out what it was called) and it was kind of surreal with the light shining through. it seemed as though I was in another country, or maybe even another planet! But no, it was our very own beautiful little country and one I love to get out in to.
I finally, eventually made it to the river. I think I jumped out of my skin a total of four times as a pheasant after pheasant shot up from nowhere just a few feet in front of me while I clambered through the undergrowth to get there. The bird life along the river was spectacular, I counted four individual herons and a couple of kingfisher (that's a good tell tail sign if ever I saw one) and the amount of ducks and other similar that were scared to death of me (not the local birds which want to eat out of the anglers hand) made me think that not many people come here.
But alas, the fishing was hard going and no matter how many juicy looking spots I tried I didn't get much joy at all. I covered a good distance up stream with the river changing from fast water, to shallow water to deep water but I just couldn't find any pike. I might have been better off with the lighter set up to be honest to give me the chance of other species. I couldn't help but spot chubby looking spots and much of the river screamed trout to me. Not a fish I've ever targeted on the lures but I do fancy coming back here with the right gear and some trouty knowledge to go with it and see what pops up. I reckon that the fact it seems so tough to fish there's not too many people that do come here and that could mean this place has potential to throw up something special.
I did have one bit of action though which I managed to mess up. I was busy eyeing up a swim on the far bank while not paying 100% attention to my lure. I felt a knock and struck but I was a bit late and managed to just see the rear end and tail of a pike disappear out of sight. I cast at it again and saw the pike follow the lure but it didn't hit I switched lures and the same pike followed my real eel four more times. Nothing I could do would get the pike to take the lure. Fast, slow, erratic retrieves with a combination of lures plus I even called back on this spot on the way home but I just couldn't get the pike to take. I'd guess the fish was knocking on nine or ten pound, so would have made a right good catch but it wasn't to be. I did enjoy the cat and mouse I had with the fish though in crystal clear water, looking down on it from about six feet up. I also had a feeling the pike was watching me at times. One point it seemed to be looking directly at me, while blowing bubbles out of its gills. Funny!
What a cracking few hours I had. I can't stress enough how enjoyable the morning was despite not even catching a single fish and also coming on the back of a tough week. It would have been nice to bag up and find a new super spot to fish. It would have been nice to catch a few fish having not done so for nearly a week. But I just enjoyed being out, somewhere new and enjoying my self exploring. I could have easily gone back to my favourite peg and who knows the pike might have been on the feed and I know what that can mean. However I was also aware of the fact I could have gone to my local spot and blanked. I often get a feeling within the first ten or fifteen minutes how my local stretch will fish. Sometimes you know you're on to a loser and the rest of the fishing isn't enjoyable. It can sometimes feel like a hard slog, wasting time and also there's a bit of pressure put on myself because I know the place can produce. When it doesn't produce it can often feel like a let down. As good as the fishing has been to me on my local stretch it's not always easy and not always enjoyable and if anything, the reason I go fishing is to enjoy myself and not just to catch fish. Of course that sounds silly and of course I want to catch fish but I also want the whole thing. I'm not fishing for fishing's sake nor am I fishing simply to catch a load of fish, despite how my blog often looks. I want to get out and enjoy everything about fishing. The sunrises and sunsets that are so stunning at times, the seasons which create their own moods and feelings, the wildlife around me bringing me smiles and if I can enjoy all that and catch the odd fish too, that's what will bring me joy to match a twenty pounder on the bank.
2012 pike tally
Doubles 34
Total 212
Largest 22.5lb
Twenties - 2
Bonus Perch 54
Largest 3lb 12oz
Bonus chub - 1
Twenties - 2
Bonus Perch 54
Largest 3lb 12oz
Bonus chub - 1
Sunday 4 November 2012
Cold slow day on the canal
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| Matt on the canal |
Sometimes it's just good to be out. No, it wasn't a blank before you ask but it was a tough shift. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bothered about catching but I was just glad to have the chance to get out and throw a lure and anything else would be a bonus. With the clocks going back and me on the half eight half four shit, I just didn't get out to fish last week. So i was determined to get out for at least one day over the weekend and by coincidence I received a text from Matt on Saturday asking me what I was doing on Sunday. The only answer I could give was that I was going fishing, no idea where but whatever happened I was going fishing since I'd not been out for what seemed like ages. Matt suggested we hit a small canal because a bit of rain recently had filled the river with chocolate and it doesn't seem to produce when it is like that. So that was the plan and I was up bright and early the next day with plenty of food inside me.
We met up on a cold frosty morning which was just about thawing by the time we parked up at around half nine, once Matt had dropped the kids for the day with their grand parents. My kids were still lazying in bed when I left but I knew they already had a lazy Sunday planned and I was free to fish all day. We'd chosen the light set ups because we knew this place is mainly full of jacks and we'd only intention of catching fish, not monsters. Matt was having a dabble with some 9cm and 13cm soft 4plays with either the lip skull fitted or not while I had a bash with the 13cm lip lures. The water looked slightly cloudy from all the muddy water which had either washed in off the fields or through the lock gates a bit away. We wanted to cover some water and so were just spending a few minutes each in a swim, leap frogging each other along the canal. It wasn't too long before I got my first fish, typically a small jack. However it didn't fall to the lip lure, but first cast after switching to a small black spinner bait. I'd stuck it on to give it a go since I'd never used it before and first cast the jack hit it. How about that for luck! It looked as though the little pike had used a bit of it's own luck in the past since half its tail fin had been bitten off, presumably by another pike or some big fish eating bird.
I gave the spinner bait a bit more stick thinking it could be the lure to do the damage today with the flash and vibration given off. But Matt and I were soon realising we were up against lots of broken up weed and reeds which seemed to blight virtually every cast. We were both trying to figure out which lure would work best and not pick up the crap and again I switched lures but this time to a 20cm real eel. Same again, first cast with the eel and I'm in again but this one, and in the words of my mate Woodchucker, was "like a pike but smaller". Amazingly the little pike had engulfed the lure from behind but by the time I'd finished faffing around with my gloves and cold fingers the pike had flipped the eel out of its mouth and the photo didn't look anywhere near as good as it would have had I had a bit of circulation in my fingers. Not too long later Matt had his first glimpse of a fish when a pike came up and hit the lure but frustratingly for him it didn't stick. We kept on the same tactic of leap frogging along the canal and again Matt had another take but with the same result, no fish.
At least we were happy of a bit of action, a couple of fish to me while Matt was still a little frustrated he wasn't off the mark yet. Still I was confident we'd get more action and get a few more fish. It was tough going but we were going to be covering plenty of water and already we'd had some interest. We walked a mile or so and didn't get a sniff. The further along we went the cloudier the water became and it reached a point where we didn't feel confident. We were also still struggling with weed on the hooks so decided to head back towards our start point. As we got closer to where we'd had a bit of action I had a quick hit while trying an eel again. I quickly cast back out and again the fish hit but I couldn't make it stick. But at least it was a fish again and maybe we could hook in to something again. Not too long after and Matt was finally in to a fish but again it was only a small pike. Still, it counts and it saves a blank and makes you feel a little bit better.
We got back to where we'd started and decided to work the canal back the other way. We figured the water might be a better colour here maybe even clear but when we got there we couldn't believe how clear it was. To the right of where we started was cloudy water which got worse as you went along, but to the left, where we were going next it was crystal clear. We had plenty of theories as to whether this would work in our favour or against us but the only way to find out would be to fish. We had another good hour or two covering a mile or so but despite the water being so clear we never even saw a fish except a few small perch hiding in the edge under a bridge. It was a tough day but at least we got some reward. I know Matt had been out a couple of times in the last week or so, which you can read about here and here, so maybe he wasn't so much craving a fish but for me I was ready for a session and a pike, any pike would do.
The colder days are definitely here now, the extra socks worked a treat, and the fishing is going to be tougher on the whole. But if I can manage to stay warm and keep catching the odd fish every now and again I also know there's still a good chance that a bumper day could be had or even still a decent sized lump might be tempted and while ever those thoughts are in my head I'll keep getting out whenever and wherever I can.
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| pike on a spinner bait |
I gave the spinner bait a bit more stick thinking it could be the lure to do the damage today with the flash and vibration given off. But Matt and I were soon realising we were up against lots of broken up weed and reeds which seemed to blight virtually every cast. We were both trying to figure out which lure would work best and not pick up the crap and again I switched lures but this time to a 20cm real eel. Same again, first cast with the eel and I'm in again but this one, and in the words of my mate Woodchucker, was "like a pike but smaller". Amazingly the little pike had engulfed the lure from behind but by the time I'd finished faffing around with my gloves and cold fingers the pike had flipped the eel out of its mouth and the photo didn't look anywhere near as good as it would have had I had a bit of circulation in my fingers. Not too long later Matt had his first glimpse of a fish when a pike came up and hit the lure but frustratingly for him it didn't stick. We kept on the same tactic of leap frogging along the canal and again Matt had another take but with the same result, no fish.
At least we were happy of a bit of action, a couple of fish to me while Matt was still a little frustrated he wasn't off the mark yet. Still I was confident we'd get more action and get a few more fish. It was tough going but we were going to be covering plenty of water and already we'd had some interest. We walked a mile or so and didn't get a sniff. The further along we went the cloudier the water became and it reached a point where we didn't feel confident. We were also still struggling with weed on the hooks so decided to head back towards our start point. As we got closer to where we'd had a bit of action I had a quick hit while trying an eel again. I quickly cast back out and again the fish hit but I couldn't make it stick. But at least it was a fish again and maybe we could hook in to something again. Not too long after and Matt was finally in to a fish but again it was only a small pike. Still, it counts and it saves a blank and makes you feel a little bit better. We got back to where we'd started and decided to work the canal back the other way. We figured the water might be a better colour here maybe even clear but when we got there we couldn't believe how clear it was. To the right of where we started was cloudy water which got worse as you went along, but to the left, where we were going next it was crystal clear. We had plenty of theories as to whether this would work in our favour or against us but the only way to find out would be to fish. We had another good hour or two covering a mile or so but despite the water being so clear we never even saw a fish except a few small perch hiding in the edge under a bridge. It was a tough day but at least we got some reward. I know Matt had been out a couple of times in the last week or so, which you can read about here and here, so maybe he wasn't so much craving a fish but for me I was ready for a session and a pike, any pike would do.
The colder days are definitely here now, the extra socks worked a treat, and the fishing is going to be tougher on the whole. But if I can manage to stay warm and keep catching the odd fish every now and again I also know there's still a good chance that a bumper day could be had or even still a decent sized lump might be tempted and while ever those thoughts are in my head I'll keep getting out whenever and wherever I can.
2012 pike tally
Doubles 34
Total 211
Largest 22.5lb
Twenties - 2
Bonus Perch 54
Largest 3lb 12oz
Bonus chub - 1
Twenties - 2
Bonus Perch 54
Largest 3lb 12oz
Bonus chub - 1
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