Trust, But Be Careful Of Whom You Trust

I'd originally intended to fish further up the Ouse instead of just outside the city, but I ended up a lot further up on one of the tributaries of a tributary. I'd fished here last summer and had problems with pike ripping the keepnet apart. Of cause this probably menat there wouldn't be any pike about in winter. The first couple of swims I plumbed up in turned out to be snag ridden hell holes. The next swim was the one I'd fished last time I was here. A float Ledger rig with a small trout was dropped just over the drop-off in the slack created by an over hanging willow. A ledgered piece of lamprey was chucked three quarters of the way across into the fast flow where one would normally fish for barbel.

No sooner had I got the kettle on than the drop-off dropped against the bankstick with a satisfying ping. Winding down I stuck into something solid that shot away downstream in the fast current taking line against the drag. I gave it a bit of stick and it was soon level with me but decided to behave like a barbel and continued upstream again taking line against the drag.  It then gave up in classic pike fashion and was soon in the net. A nice tidy beastie of 103cm and 14lb 11oz. It was also one of the most cooperative pike I've had in a while when on the bank. This was a godsend as it's a rather steep and slippy bank. Thankfully the kettle hadn't boiled dry and there was still enough water in it for a cuppa.

My last piece of lamprey was tossed out into the current again but a little further downstream. Half an hour later the drop-off dropped off again. I wound down to nothing, no weight at all. Realising the fish most be swimming towards me I wound frantically when suddenly the rod lurched over and I was in contact with a real headbanger of a fish. Slowly I managed to get it to head back towards me when I got that sickening feeling as felt the hook(s) lose their hold only to stick again. Another session of head banging and everything went slack. A check of the hooks showed them to be nice and sharp. I can only assume the pike had hold of the bait and was initially determined to keep hold of it. With no lamprey left a smelt was tossed back out into the current.

 Having finished lunch the float started to bob about before heading  towards the roots of the over hanging willow. Contact was made with a small and rather lethargic little jack of 80cm. Another trout was dropped into the same spot and half an hour later the float started to drift downstream. A strike and another serious headbanger. This time though it was only on for a few seconds before letting go of the bait. I tried trotting a small trout in various spots but nothing more was forthcoming. Four runs two lost isn't great but I'd had a couple on the bank so can't complain especially as it was the first time I'd pike fished there.