Inverts and Jack

 I spent the morning invertebrate sampling for the River Monitoring Initiative. Along with quite a few sticklebacks and bullheads the usual suspects turned up in the samples. Plenty of Cased Caddis, Caseless Caddis, Baetis, Gammarus, and a couple of BWO. Stonefly and Mayfly are occasionally found but Heptagenes aren't found in this beck at all.

After this I headed to a local lake for a short pike session. I was the only one there so dropped in the most convenient swim close to the car. After a quick check of the depths a small roach went out to the left and a headless bluey was cast towards the island. An inspired cast saw it land very close to the overhanging tree and not in it. Next job was luncheon. Like last time here I was just tucking in when the float bobbed and moved away. A strike contact with a fish which came adrift half way back. There was surprisingly little damage to the bait though.

Lucnh passed with out any more interruptions. I shallowed up the roach to allow it to drift along into the bay. to no effect. I tossed it out to a bit of a hole near the island and various points in-between. The bluey had been cast back under the tree, again with out getting snagged up. Another cuppa was had mid-afternoon while if rained.. Not long after this the Bluey float bobbed and moved very quickly away. A quick strike again contacted with a fish, and again it fell off half way back. Nowt big, but that was probably the problem. Little jacks have a habit of picking deadbaits up but don't get near the hooks on bigger baits. Late afternoon a repeat permanence of the previous two runs. Again I contacted with a fish but I got this one in the net before it spat the hooks out. A spirited beast of 73cm.

 

That was that for the day. I'm now edging closer to one pike per trip but not quite there yet. Next day I was back, but this time for a work party. I spent my time picking litter out of the brambles with a litter picker. Others were involved with opening swims out a bit and clearing undergrowth impeding the path, along with the usual arson. 

 

 

After which it was back to the beck to assist pegging out for the Grayling match.