Last Pike Session Of The Year

 The plan was simple enough. A trip to the sales at the tackle shop for some essentials, then down to a clay pit for a spot of piking. The wander round the tackle shop went well enough, although my card may think otherwise. The trip to the pit was another matter. It appeared that the code on the padlock had already been changed and I didn't have next years book with me so didn't know the new code. Next stop the Estate lake.

There was half a dozen other cars in the car park when I arrived. As it was now late I selected a swim near the car park. A sardine was tossed out to the island and a small roach dropped halfway down the slope on the inside. Luncheon was then prepared. Another pike angler arrived and set up at the other end of the island. We discovered a carp angler had had a couple of carp including a 22lb. One of the maggot drowners had lost a pike that had taken a maggot and the third pike angler had had nothing.

Just as the last two of us were packing up the bailiff turned up to change the code on the lock. Us pike anglers all ended the day with a blank which buggered up our plans for a pike on the last day of the year. Hopefully I'll manage one on the first day of the year.

Happy New Year All

Gravel Pit Piking - Again

 With the local rivers up at silly heights it was stillwaters that looked the only option on Friday. I trundled across the county to a gravel pit I'd fished only once before. That session had resulted in one rather tatty pale little beastie so I hoped to do better. I was the only one there when I arrived. When I looked at the water I wondered why I'd trailed all this way as the water was very coloured.  After a wander round  I started in a swim with my back to the wind. I could fish to one of the island, not that this had done me much good last time. There was also two over hanging trees either side of me that looked pikey.

A small roach was dropped under the tree to my left and a headless herring tossed over to the corner of the island. One cup of tea later and the float under the tree trundle away. A rather lethargic pike of 89cm 8lb 1oz was quickly netted. Long and pale it really should have weighed more but was rather hollow. Still it was quite a bit bigger than the previous little jack. I dropped another small roach under the tree to the right.

Another angler turned up at lunch time for a spot of silvers fishing. he managed three tiddlers by darkness. After lunch I moved to a corner swim. A small roach dropped by a dying lily bed and a lamprey tossed out to the corner of another island. Despite moving the baits about nothing more showed.

Boxing Day Piking

 I thought it best to get out fishing before storm Gerrit (pronounce herrit apparently) hit, so I was up bright and early on Boxing day. Not too early mind you, but it was a bright morning. Arriving at the clay pit I was surprised to find a couple of carperists there all ready. In fact they'd been there  since Christmas Day hoping to final get a Christmas Day carp. Which they nearly managed only it fell off at the net. I set myself up opposite them in a swim with plenty of features.

A small roach was placed near the overhanging trees in about three foot of water and a lamprey was tossed out to the bottom of the ledge in ten and a half foot of water. Sunglasses on, as I was facing into the sun, I sat back and waited. I moved the baits every forty minutes or so. Just after lunch a couple of carp swim along under the overhanging trees before disappearing near my float. Not long after it stated to bob about at first I suspect the carp were causing it, but it slowly started to move away from me. I lifted in to it and there was clearly a fish on the end though it didn't put up much of a struggle until it was under the rod tip where it decide to thrash around for a bit. A tidy but chubby little beast of 5lb 15oz and 75cm.

The rest of the afternoon was rather quiet. The sun disappeared behind the clouds and the temp stated to drop. Around four I started to pack up. I only had the unhooking stuff and rods to put away. The float above the lamprey fell over then shot away. I didn't even strike as the rod lurched over into what felt like a good fish. After a brief bit of all over the place the pike gave up and came in quietly. As I chinned it, the landing net was snagged on something, the hook fell out. A specimen with a damaged jaw. The damage was from some time ago as the wound had repaired. 85cm long and 9lb 1oz in weight it appeared to be in good health. By now the floats would be hard to see so I finished packing up.

A pleasant day and couple couple of fish. Just the thing after the Christmas day excesses.

Even More Estate Lake Piking

After a change of plan, then another change of plan I arrived at the estate on Thursday a little later than intended. Although I initially didn't intend to fish the estate lake. Surprisingly, given the state of the rivers, there was nobody else there in the car park. I opted for a swim that allowed for several different features to be fished including the end of the island. usual sort of float set up was used with a small roach being dropped to my right at the bottom of the nearside slope. A lamprey, finally managed to get some, being tossed out to the over hanging tree in front. Actually it took several casts to get it where I wanted it with out snagging it in the tree.

An hour or so later the float by the tree started to wobble about a little bit. I wasn't sure if it was the breeze, that had got up a little bit, or maybe bait fish in the area.  Eventually it slowly moved away and I was in contact with something not very big.  A jack of 73cm was soon in the net and unhooked. I even got my piece of lamprey back.

 

The rest of the day remained relatively quiet apart from the canada geese. I moved the baits about to various spots at regular intervals. Around three, no doubt prompted by my cup of tea, the roach moved off at a rapid pace and I was connected with something that felt a decent size. The fish swung in to the bank to my right and ended up among the twigs and debris in the shallow water. As seems to be a common problem lately it managed to impale a twig on the hook and come free, but leave me with the twig. 

I stayed until I could no longer see the floats. It had been a remarkably quiet day in a swim that normally produces more. The loss of the larger fish was annoying but just one of those things.

 

Hopefully the rivers will have dropped to a reasonable level soon and I can have a go on them.

Pike Fishing A New Venue

 Friday I went to a brand new venue. I'd passed the place several times over the years but never taken an awful lot of notice of it. Earlier in the week I was in the area and stopped at what I thought was the entrance, but wasn't. All I could see was a frozen pond. Getting there on Friday after Thursday's downpours could have turned problematic as the road was flooded. A change to wellies and a quick paddle showed it wasn't too deep and therefore passable which would save a long detour. I was surprised to find another angler had arrived just before me and was setting up. He was after bream, or whatever. He'd manage to forget his landing net handle so I lent him a storm pole. He also reckoned it was the highest he'd seen the water level. In fact a couple of swims were flooded.

I had a wander round and picked a swim at the end which allowed me access to an island in front. A bay top my right and a nice looking margin to my left. A small roach was dropped in front of some tree roots to my right and a sardine to the right of the island on a corner in five foot of water. I moved the baits about every hour or so. Injecting the sardine with some oil after it had defrosted. It was nearly midday when I got the first run. The small roach had been taken by a very apathetic little jack. A rather pale and tatty little thing of 63cm.

The other chap left around two having only had a single bite. Not long after I had another run on the roach which was now back in front of the tree roots. I wasn't quick enough with the strike and the fish had got into the roots and transferred the hook to a root. A good heave bent the hook out. I fished on until dark for nowt else. The island in front looked ideal for pike. Overhanging trees on the left and vegetation on the right looking like great ambush points. I'll be back though.

First Pike Of Winter

 Friday was the first day of the meteorological Winter and the first proper cold day of the season. The gravel pit was covered in ice. Not thick, but still thick enough to be nuisance. Much like the lock on the gate to the old estate lake which was frozen. A bit of heat from a lighter  persuaded it to work properly. The old estate lake, though, only had about two thirds of it's surface covered in ice. Unfortunately it was the far end of the lake that was ice free so I had an epic three hundred yard trek to make in the cold foggy morn. I also had a brand winter suite as well. The old one, especially the trousers, was falling apart after eight years of abuse.

A medium smelt was dropped next to the reeds to my right and a 7" trout was tossed out to the old stream bed in front. Gradually the sun managed to burn through the fog and it became quite a pleasant morning. A cormorant sunned itself on top of the tree behind me. Just before lunch I wound the baits in to move them. The smelt went in front of a coppiced  willow to my left. The trout bait was falling apart, it had been in and out of the fridge for a couple of years. It was replaced with a large smelt and sent a bit further out into the lake.

The sun disappeared and the fog dropped in thicker than before. Not long after I'd finished my lunch the float to my left trundled away and I was into a rather lethargic little jack of 63cm.

 

Another piker turned up at this point. Making it two idiots sat in the cold fog. I could only just see him when he got to the far bank. Halfway through the afternoon I injected the baits with a bit of oil but his didn't this did nothing to stir the pike. I fished on just into dark but nowt else happened. The other angler lost a fish on his only run.

 Two pike willing to feed after the first really cold night of the winter isn't bad even if the one I got was rather small and lethargic. A bit of consistency in the weather should see the pike back on the feed.