First Day Of The Pike Season

Although the first of October is the unofficial start of the pike fishing season it wasn't my intention to go piking today. After the previous two sessions after barbel and/or chub when all I hooked was pike I thought it would be remiss of me not to give it a go. Armed with a lure rod I had a quick session along the same stretch. All looked promising when a small jack followed my eel lure on the third cast. A couple of casts later it grabbed the tail of the lure, no where near the hooks. A couple more casts and I lost the lure in the most annoying way. I managed to release it from the snag only for it to snag in something else even more solid. Despite pulling from different angles the line eventually parted.

Apart form hauling a lot of dead and dying weed out nothing else happened until I got to the swim I got the 12lb 8oz pike from on Monday. First cast and I was into a jack which with a spot of acrobatics throw the hooks next to the bank. At least I'd hooked one. Several more swim and lures later and that was it.

I must admit I was full of optimism, but a couple of attacks and one hooked if not landed isn't that bad. There was a distinct lack of fish activity. On the previous sessions there had been quite a few signs of fish and more than one obvious sign of pike feeding.