No Robin Today

With the rivers still up down and all over the place, it was back to the gravel pit for another spot of piking. Due to a couple of errands it was well into Thursday morning before I arrived. As sprat hadn't been too successful I decide on fishing sardine near the tree roots and a smelt out towards the middle, both under floats. The pit is slowly filling, but tree roots that are normally under water are stll high and dry.

 








I didn't have to wait long for the first run, which resulted in a little slightly tatty jack. It put up quite a spirited fight. When released it tuned and shot straight back to the bank, beaching itself. When turned round and released again it swam away slowly. The second shower of the day arrived not long after along with a fall of leaves and branches which was the reason I'd put my brolly up in the first place. I'd been hit a couple of times by small branches and had leaves in my cup of tea. Another angler arrived around one for a spot of maggot drowning, but failed to get a bite.

 











A couple of times fish scattered near the centre of the pit and also over to my right. In fact there seemed to be quite a bit of pike activity to my right, but it's a tackle grave yard and I would have spent a lot of time hauling branches out. The next run came as the light was fading, on the nearside smelt. A considerably heavy fish that hugged to bottom all the way to the net, causing trials of bubbles as it moved about. A remarkably light fish, at 7lb 6oz, for it's size. By the time I'd sorted it it was pitch dark so time to go.

While contemplating the fact that I'd not seen the robin today it also occurred to me that I'd not seen the kingfishers on any of my recent trips either. Given the size of the fish the predators were scattering there's no shortage of food for them. Nor is there a shortage of diving platforms either.