Bank Holiday Weather

With only a short time available to me on Friday I popped down to Pocklington Canal. I wasn't full of optimism given how bright it was, at least there was a bit of wind creating some ripple when I got there. At least the plants hadn't got too big yet, but the path had been mowed and in places the canal was covered in clippings that had been blown on.

 








 It wasn't until I got to an area with a bit of shade afforded by the bank-side trees that I saw my first fish, a small pike. It just sank into the weeds as the lure past in front of it. A bit further along  a pike of similar size grabbed to lure just as it came over the edge of the weeds and put up a stunning fight, for it's size, on the light perch tackle I was using. Near the end of the trees another small pike shot out of the weeds before grabbing the lure and continuing towards me. Swinging the rod 180 degrees I just contacted the fish at the end of the strike. Burying itself in the nearside weeds it soon came adrift.

By now the wind had dropped completely. Not holding out much hope with the gin clear water and glass like surface I headed back to the car. As I reached a spot where the bank-side vegetation, that had come adrift, had formed a bridge across the canal I spotted half a dozen reasonable perch hiding underneath it. As the lure passed in front of them they scattered in blind panic. Quite why they were frightened of such a tiny lure I've no idea, but they were the last fish I saw.

 








Talking to a couple of other anglers on the way back didn't do any thing for my optimism as they'd had nothing at all, not even seen a fish. So my one landed. one lost didn't seem so bad. Especially given the weather, while ideal for a bank holiday trip to the seaside, isn't ideal for predator fishing.