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.

Weekend on the Navigation - Now With Added Pike

 Arriving at the navigation I found cars strewn everywhere. According to the web site  there wasn't a match on so I assumed it was the new moon rush for the pike. Turned out it was, sort of. It was a PAC get together. I saw one pike come out and believe another had been caught.

I headed in the opposite direction flinging all many of large lures about with out any sign of a pike. As I returned towards the car for a cuppa I met a couple of anglers I'd met before. One of whom had a small pike first cast. I had my cuppa and headed back with a lighter set up. A variety of lighter lure were chucked about with little success until a mighty thump on a Jerkster. Consider how hard the lure was hit the pike came in like a wet blanket. I chinned it and lifted it clear of the water. It was then it decided to put up a fight. The lure went one way the pike the other, skinning my knuckles as it went. A fish of 5-6lb but a pike at last. Time was now running out. As I headed back to the car a bait angler had a fish slightly larger than mine. The two anglers I'd met earlier had had nothing else.

The next session headed further down the navigation. The swans seemed quite happy paddling about the flooded field. While over the other side some twitchers were playing spot the duck, or something. It was a warmer more pleasant day than previous. I started off with a spot of perch fishing under the bridge and eventually managed to winkle four fish out. Little perch like that shouldn't be so hard to catch.

AS I was having a cuppa contemplating whether to fish for perch or pike another lure angler turned up on the opposite bank. He seemed to be having a bit of a problem with his baitcaster. Whether he was new to it or what I don't know. As I finished my cuppa a few fish scattered ahead of a large swirl. I already put a SG Da Bush spinnerbait on with the intention of trawling it along the edge for pike so cast beyond the swirl.  The bait had probably travelled some ten yards along the edge when it went solid, then swung out into the cut. The pike put up a very spirited fight before giving up and allowing me to chin it. A 90cm fish of 8lb 10oz.

I then spent the next hour or so chucking the spinnerbait about but didn't see another pike. When I got back to the bridge a cormorant was happily sunning it's self on the far bank. I flicked the lure over which hit the stone work and had the bird dive into the water. I looked up and down for it to reappear which it did along way down. I'm still surprised how far and how fast these things can swim underwater.

Two sessions. A pike on each. Not brilliant but things are getting better. With another storm on it's way I'm not sure where's go to be fishable later in the week. Somewhere will be and hopefully the fish will get bigger and better.

Weekend on the Navigation

 Originally I'd planned on a spot of floodwater barbel fishing over the weekend, but I had my family taxi duties on Saturday then I was reminded by a friend we were going to chuck some pike lures around in the navigation. The barbel would have to wait. As I had a bit of time between taxi duties I took a lure rod with me for a bit of a fling about. The canal was pushing through with a lot of rubbish and the likes been pushed along as well. The river was just under the top of the flood banks which would have had the locals worrying as three years ago it overtopped them and made a right mess of houses and businesses.

 

I had a couple of hours flinging lures about on the navigation which looked in remarkably good order considering. I'd expected water from the river to be pushed into it to provide a bit of relief to the flood banks. Despite my best efforts I only managed to attract one pike which followed the lure to within three foot of the bank then sat there seeming hypnotised as I pulled the lure back and forth in front of it. As I lifted the lure from the water it shot away never to be seen again. One angler had had a pike on fly and another a decent perch but that seemed to be it.

Sunday the navigation had dropped six inches and was pushing through a bit. There was also a tad more colour to the water. This time I took two rods. I was going to concentrate on perch but had the pike rod with me in case they decided to feed. My mate just had his pike rod. While I managed some dozen or so little perch on our two mile wander my mate had nothing. Not even a follow. Back at the car he managed to winkle out a couple of little perch on my rod to avoid a blank. We moved spots to a section where we'd both had pike in the past but we again failed to elicit any response. By now there navigation was pulling through again. A couple of other lure anglers we spoke to had had no luck either. My mate and I decided that the pub may be a good idea.

 
I had been thinking that my lure chucking skills, especially for pike, had deserted me, but as nearly everybody else seems to be failing at the moment I feel a bit better about them. Still plenty of season left to prove they're still with me.

The Passing of William Jessop

 As I looked over the bridge  A couple of the CRTs work boats passed by on their way to repair the bank further down. The first was William Jessop and the second was Wharfe Ⅱ. 

I set off with both a pike rod and a perch rod. Really I was after pike but as they can be a tad uncooperative I'd taken the perch rod along just to prevent a blank. After an hour and a half of fling pike lures about in the bright chilly conditions I met a couple of other anglers who'd been fishing for three hours for just one little jack and where now heading back for a warming cuppa. This seemed like a good idea. As I was gathering my kit together I noticed a few small baitfish scatter very close to the bank and could see three decent perch attacking. I flicked out a Salmo Minnow and a couple of twitches later I was in. It wasn't one of the three I'd seen but a smaller fish that had grabbed the lure. A welcome blank saver. I fished around the area for another fifteen minutes but failed to attract anything else. Back at the bridge I changed lure to a Z-Man TRD TicklerZ™ . Second cast and I was in to what felt like a good fish. A rather nice perch of 32cm. Having unhooked it I flicked the bait into the water and prepared to take a photo when i noticed the rod tip bouncing about. A tiny little perch had grabbed the bait as it dangled by the edge. By now the boat traffic had suddenly increased. Four boats were heading towards me and looking through the bridge there was three more heading my way. Time for a cuppa while they sorted themselves out taking it in turns to go through the narrow bridge.

By the time I'd finished my cuppa all was quiet on the water, no boats in sight. I just took the perch rod with me, along with a smaller landing net. It took a while to find then perch. Strangely they weren't in the shadow of the bridge but out in the sunshine. They were obviously a lot of tiny perch down there judging by the rattles I was getting. Eventually I had half dozen perch in the landing net. Things then went quiet for a while before I hooked another. As I wound it in it suddenly got very heavy and shot under the bridge. After a couple of minutes I had it heading back towards me. As I got it to the surface, the perch still in it's mouth, it made another bid for freedom and the hook came adrift. It had been bent out. I grabbed the pike rod out of the car and put on a perch pattern lure. If it was prepared to hang onto the perch for that long maybe it was very hungry and would have a go at the lure. After a dozen or so casts I change to a loud lime green lure in the hope of shocking it into an attack. This didn't work either.

By now it was just about time to leave as I had to be elsewhere. I had a couple more casts with the perch rod before I got snagged up. Unable to ping the lure free I had to pull for a break. I did know about the snag as I'd lost lures on it in the past. As had others. Nobody seems to know what it is but it must have a fair collection of lure attached to it. Whatever it is it's not ferrous as the magnet fisherman have never got their magnets attached to it. Not a bad day although I wish the pike would be a bit more cooperative when I'm down there.

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.

The Wrong Wellies

 My first pike trip of the season didn't get off to the best of starts when I discovered I'd managed to bring two right wellies. One size 42 from my summer pair and a size 44 from my autumn pair. Things weren't too bad though, as the 44 went on my left foot without being uncomfortable.

I started in one of the swims that I'd previously fished where the pike had made a bit of a nuisance of themselves. A sprat was to dangled under a float near one lily pad and a roach under another float was to be fished on the bottom by another lily pad. Apart from a carp mouthing the float very little happened.  I tried a few different lures through the swim to no avail. Once I'd thawed out some bits of chopped fish I dropped them into likely looking spots in a couple of other swim. Each swim was given a couple of hours with the baits moved about and the depths at which they were fished varied.

In one swim I a float popped under the water about an inch and stayed there. Winding down to something solid I struck only to come up with a load of silk weed.  I put on a trout to replace the roach and dropped it back in between the overhanging tree and the lily pad. It has to be said there was very little sign of pike activity. No fish scattering nothing. The carp, the other three anglers were after, were happy showing themselves amongst the lilies.

With the radar showing some heavy looking rain on the way I packed up before I got soaked. In fact I had just got the gate shut when the heavens opened. Not the start I'd wanted to the new pike season, but pike are bloody awkward like that. As an angler pointed out on a previous occasion, when we were both being bothered by pike, if come back with pike gear they won't be feeding. One thing I must remember for the next outing is the liquidised bread to attract the roach and rudd into the swim.

Not Long Now

 'Tis nearly the end of the coarse fish season on rivers and the snow melt is heading towards me. With this in mind and my lack of success with pike on lures, not that I'd tried much, I headed out with a lure rod and a selection of lures. I was heading for a spot I'd not fished for years. According to the gauges it had risen a foot but had levelled out so shouldn't be too bad. The most disturbing thing was the lack of vehicles in the parking spot. Last weekend of the season and no anglers. At least I'd have the place to my self. 

For the best part of two hours I flung baits about. Along the bottom, in the slacks, under the bridge, in the whirlpool, around the lock gates. Nothing. Natural colours, lurid colours, baits with rattles, baits with out. A cuppa and a ponder were called for. The only bait I'd not tried was a spinner bait, but I'd forgot to put them in the bag. After the cuppa I decided to give it another go, but concentrate on the most likely looking spots and run different baits through them. After half an hour a little jack followed a glide bait in a couple of times but didn't attack. I tried a shad  but the failed to elicit a response. In the next swim I got a very savage thump on the glade bait but failed to contact with anything. Next cast the same. Clearly a fish hitting it. I tried nearly all the baits I had but couldn't elicit another take.

Just as I was thinking of calling it a day the shad I was using came to a sudden halt. It was the first really solid snag of the day so it was out with the bit of broom handle and a really good heave to free it. Having got it free I was unwinding the line from the bit of broom handle when it suddenly tightened up. If I'd had my wits about me I'd of struck then, but I got the line of the broom handle and grabbed the rod and started winding. I did feel the fish but a shake of the head and it was off. I probably wouldn't have stayed on given two points on the treble had been bent out. That rig will need a new hook even though I could bend it back to shape the points had been folded over. I only had a half an hour before I had to go and apart from braking a hook point on another snag that was it. Oh well, too more days to go.