Flinging Dead Fish Into The Blue Waters Of A Clay Pit

As some of the rivers were now a reasonable levels I spent a bit of time having a look at spots I'd like to pike fish. While the water levels were OK, the precipitous banks were not. Even where you could get down safely the flat areas you'd be fishing from soon puddled up into a dodgy slippy mess that put you in grave danger of ending up in the river. I decided stillwater fishing would probably be safer and easier. So it was down to one of the clay pits.

I was the only one there when I arrived, and all day. I don't know it more weed suppressing blue dye had been added but the water was very blue. My intention had been to wander round with a lure rod to start with then settle into a couple of swims dead baiting. While I'd brought a lure rod I'd failed to put a lure box in the car. Deadbaiting it was then. I'm working my way clockwise round this pit so started in the next swim along from my last visit on Boxing Day. A small smelt was dropped under the tree to my right at the top of the shelf and a headless joey mackerel to my right at the bottom of the shelf. I moved the baits about but after a couple of hours wasn't really feeling it and felt a move was needed.

Having moved I went to get a tea bag, etc. out of the car and found a shiny new Westin Swim glide bait. It had been bought at the sales and fallen out of the bag. I put the baits out and had a cuppa before winding in and wandering around the pit for a while flinging the lure about. This was as effective as the deadbaits. While having lunch, some Thai chilli noodles, I flicked a few noodles out for the Robin that had been following me about. They seemed to be welcome. After lunch I moved to a third swim. I changed baits to a small roach and a piece of lamprey. While I lefty the roach next to the overhanging tree the lamprey was cast about the place. All to no avail. I had another wander with the lure rod as it was starting to get dark but nothing cooperated. I'd seen no sign of fish all day. Oh well, there's always next time.

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

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.

Clay Pit Success

 For some barmy reason I decided I'd have a go at one of the clay pits today (Friday). My success when pike fish clay pits is not good and I don't know why. The three I fish all have a good head of pike which are happy enough to grab your rudd when fishing in summer or autumn but seem to disappear come winter. They all have nice pikey features as well. Reed lined swims, dead and dying lily beds, drop-offs and deep holes fallen trees. They're all there, but where the pike are I just don't know. So far this season I've fished three clay pits and extracted two little jacks out of one of them. Perhaps it's the desire not to be defeated that brought me back to this one.

The swim I originally intended to start in had a couple of problems. Despite been a well built wooden platform it was slippy as hell and I nearly ended up in the drink when I stepped on it. It also happened to be facing straight into the lovely sunshine, so I'd probably have a problem seeing the floats. The swim I choose had chicken mesh nailed to it which solved the slippy problem and also the sun behind me. A mini mackerel was dropped into the deep hole next to the dying lilies in front of me. A small four inch roach was dropped to my left under a tree and next to bankside reeds. The tiny roach were part of my cunning plan as there was a lot of little rudd and roach that size in the pit.

Halfway through the morning I changed the roach to the right hand side, next to the bankside reeds and the remains of a lily bed. Another pike angler came past having failed on the other side he thought he try this side. He wasn't a great fan of this pit for the same reasons I'm not. Some fish scattered  further down the bank so he headed for that swim. He caught nothing and left by lunch time. The float to my right started to bob and move away. I wound down to some thing but a strike failed to contact. Out went another roach to the same spot. Again the same thing. With the hook through the eye sockets of the deadbait I didn't want to leave it too long. I put another roach out to the same spot but this time hooked at the dorsal fin. Again the float moved away and I left it a little longer. This time I felt something when I struck but the bait was gone and I contacted with nothing. Everything was quiet after that.

 

After lunch there was more fish scattering down the bank so I switched to that swim. Again the small roach went to the right in the middle of a dying lily bed. The mini mackerel, now headless and injected with a little oil went to the right where there'd been a gap in the lilies and it was a little deeper. This was the first float away, trundling across the surface. Again I failed to contact with anything. There were no sign of teeth marks on the bait either. The cuppa trick then appeared to work as the mini roach float disappeared and this time contact was made. A very strong and athletic fish which put on a splendid display of tail-walking was eventually netted. A nice healthy beast of 93cm and 11lb. It's belly wasn't full either. Another mini roach was dropped back in roughly the same spot and not long after I was in action again. Another strong a lively fish though somewhat smaller at 72cm was soon in the net. Just after I released it the mackerel float rose and fell flat. I strike again contacted with nothing and again there were no teeth marks on the bait.

That was it for the day. Two blanks then two nice fish in one session. Have I cracked the code. I doubt it. What had nicked my baits earlier I doubt know but I suspect carp were responsible for the two bits of activity on the mackerel rod.

The Right Wellies - Clay Pit 2

When I arrived at the clay pit a gentleman was already there struggling with the combination lock. I had a wrestle with it but it seemed awful stiff and was very uncooperative. There had been an email about people tampering with the lock so he assumed that's what it was. After a couple of attempts he decided that even if we managed to get in getting out was a higher priority and he didn't fancy being stuck behind the gate, so off he went else where. While I pondered what to do I had another go. A gent walking his dog told me you had to press the shackle into the lock while turning the numbers. Sure enough this worked although the lock still seemed a bit iffy. Never the less I decided to venture in. Especially as I had the correct wellies and had remembered the liquidised bread.

 

Having got in and the gate locked again I set off round the lake with a lure rod. I managed a couple of half hearted follows from jacks but I only had three or four casts in each swim before moving on. One noticeable thing was the lack of fish activity. Nothing topping, no carp splashing about. The two follows were in swims that looked very pikey. Lily pads. Norfolk Reed, and a fallen tree being very inviting. Set up in the first swim I'd had a follow in. A large smelt dropped next to the fallen tree and a small trout suspend under a float near the lily pad. A handful of liquidised bread tossed out near the float to attract any bait fish.

After an hour or so with nothing to show, despite moving the baits about I contemplated moving, but it was rather close to luncheon. Move then have lunch or have lunch then move. I decided on the former. No sooner had I got my Katsu Curry ready when the trout float, now next to the Norfolk Reeds, moved away. Striking into the run a small branch popped out of the water. Thankfully the lunatic little jack shook it off. It fought all the way to the net and for some time after. Another little trout went out, back next to the lily pad and i carried on with lunch. I'd just finished when the float shot under the lilies. I struck but the bait had been dropped. Staring at the float with annoyance it shot off again. This time I connected. Another small looney jack thrashed about the swim before being netted.

Having had a cuppa I moved swims. This one had a larger lily pad and a fair bit of Norfolk reed for the pike to hide in. The same baits were used and moved about the features at regular intervals but nothing more showed. I had another wander with the lure rod to no avail. Just before I considered departing a carp angler arrived. A point disappointed that I'd seen no carp activity. He did give me some info on another venue I'd been regularly told had no pike. He'd also lubricated the lock which as I found out made life a lot easier.

First couple of pike of the new season, even if not big were welcome. Especially as they were  from a venue I'd not pike fished before.