Faster Warmer Poodle

 Another trip out to the Vale of Mowbray again in rather chilly conditions, along with a nasty cold breeze. I'm sure there are more sensible things to do on a day like that. Never the less there I was on a frozen river bank. Despite the welcome sunshine the wind took away any heat it provided. Even the ice at the edge of the river didn't melt.

 

 

A quick cast about with the Deeper showed 10' next to the snags downstream and 12' by the overhanging tree upstream. Tactics were to be float fished dead bait and a float ledgered dead bait. A sardine went on the float set up. This is set so the bait is just on the bottom which allows it to drift up to the snags. A headless bluey was put on the float-ledger rig. Out they went. They would be recast every 30-40 minutes. The bluey head would be chopped up and chucked about the swim once it had defrosted.

I'd recast the Bluey for the third time and was about to do the same with the sardine when the float above it started to move nearer the snags. A quick strike and I was in. Much to my surprise it shot out into the the river rather than into the snags. That run was it though. It came to the net with barely a struggle.  91cm 8lb 10oz of pike. It woke up when I started to unhook it successfully drawing blood.

The sardine was replaced with a roach and went back out near the snags. Time for luncheon. My old stove has been struggling to function for a little while now and really struggles when its cold so I'd replaced it with a shiny new OEX one. I must say it is rather good boiling water in next to no time and isn't really effected by the wind. The only problem with it is it needs a canister stand. Something the manufacturers recommend but has to be bought separately.  I'd also repurposed an old sock as a Pot Noodle cosy as it had got rather cold before I'd finished it the other day. 

With no more action I moved downstream to the next swim. Snowdrops were starting to appear in this one. With similar depths not much readjustments were needed. The roach was positioned under the downstream tree and a new bluey was placed upstream at the bottom of the drop off. Despite moving the baits several times there was no more action by the time I left. A somewhat scenic route had to be taken to get home due to an accident on the main road. Thankfully no deaths. The average pike per trip is now 0.86.