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.