Simon and Mark Go Piking...28/10/06

Simon Everett and I decided to get together and have a days piking today as he would be almost in the area. And so it was that midday saw the two of us launching from a slipway onto the broad for a 5 hour session. having lost my mackerel CB9 a few days prior, and having been wet from the waist down I was sporting a magificent set of Mustad Bib and Brace beneath my lifejacket and had bought a pair of Wychwood shallow floaters (trout and firetiger) which were attached to my serviced and greased reels (one of which was to throw a spring before launch leaving the clutch impossible to tighten and giving me a reverse-winding multiplier. Great for lure fishing, shite for trolling!!)

So, off we paddled with a fair bit of wind and a dull sky.

Having trolled out for a while without a hit we headed across the broad to a hotspot I'd found previously. A good spot for Simon to try with his fly as it almost always results in a run on the lures. And lo and behold a star did appear in the east, and his name was Simon, and he did cast his fly amongst the waters...





And they did part before him...



and he did have his 'one on the fly', a 3 pounder who was released unweighed in short order.



First blood to the away team, with the home team 'Wallering' in his wake!



having politely given my guest the lead (cough) I then began to unhobble my piking shoes and put on a pair of Rapala Magnum redheads - CB9 and CB13. The Wychwoods were set aside while I drew even at 4lb 6oz, (photos to follow)

Then, after coffee and a chat with a fellow local piker, it was off to see what Simon was up to. I had to stop of course, with another of 2lb 4oz having a crack at my lures. (photos also to follow).

Well, I sorted that out and fiddled around and then came upon a most interesting discussion being held by Simon and the aforementioend local (honestly, I didn't bribe him to keep you occupied while I snatched that 3lb'er from beneath you) (photos to follow).

Well, it was time to head further up, and tales of another place that was producing gave direction to our bows, Simon pulling ahead as I nattered, finally following him up, getting close when



What's that?



Oh.One of these



An 11oz monster had ferociously assaulted my lure and had to be forcibly removed. It was now 4:1 to the home team. A discussion shortly before had been along the lines of quality/quantity - me stating I'd rather have loads of small ones than a couple of big ones. Simon being of the opposite opinion. So, to spite him I caught another, at just over a pound.



that was after losing a good one (5lb or so) that scared the crap out of a motor boat's occupants who were helping the dinghy club cover most of the broad. taking the lure up to the surface it spalshed out 3 or 4 metres away from them. Laugh? I nearly **** myself. Until it threw the hooks.

At 5:1 boated it was decided that down the other end was the place to head for. Trolling through my hotspot I was surprised to only have one run. This turned out to be a moored yacht, which was soon unhooked and put back. Fortunately unwitnessed.

Running through again, back the way I'd come, resulted in nothing. But here came the away team, running down the wings and POW! From the halfway line:



Get a load of that! And what does that do to a rod? Bends its



shakes it



Any way she wants it. She being 'Annette'.



And lo, it came to pass that a monster had come up from the depths and accepted the proffered sacrificial Rapala Super Shad Rap in Goldfish clothing. A PB for Simon I believe... even if the bloody scales only recorded it at 12lb 2oz (we both think it was nearer 20). These naughty scales need a thorough testing tomorrow. Whatever the weight, it was a fantastic fish and well done indeed.

Nothing much happened from then on. I nattered to another local and emptied my thermos, and then off we went to the other side of the broad. A bit more watching Simon trying on the fly and then it was time to head in. Of course, i couldn't resist sticking my lines out. And he couldn't resist taking them:







At 2lb he felt bigger initially, then went as stiff as a board and gave up. Unhooking him, I noticed marks down his flank that lead me to believe he had nearly been dinner for something far bigger. But he soon went off, and in we went, finishing the day at sunset with a fish.

Credit: 8 pike between us. Debit: 1 lure and 1 landing net between us. A tie on weight overall, if the scales are correct, but Simons fish is clearly the biggest landed on a yak there this week. I have yet to get one to that size on mine.

The bulk of the photographs will follow in a few days as they are on Simons camera. A brilliant day out, thanks Simon, it was a pleasure to fish with you.

here are a few more pics from Simon: Apart from Simons I'm unsure which are which except for the last, but refer to the first post and try and jiggle them...

The trouble with 2 lures being out and wind/current:



easing the fish over the net, not pushing the net to the fish







The way to do it - fingers/hand under the gill cover at the front - avoid the filaments so you don't do any damage





which allows you to get the hooks out freely as the mouth will invariably stay open giving you plenty of room (a perch is harder to unhook than a pike by far). Don't worry about the teeth as they are far smaller than those on your average household cat or dog.





Simon in action:





netted:



Lets take a look then Simon:





Well done theat man - now slipping her gently back, supported until she's ready to go



Worth the drive then?



Says it all really!

Oh go on then, just one more:





You should have seen the one that got away:

Even More Jacks in Yaks...25/10/06

More? You want more?

Well, I went out AGAIN! Wife and children went of to the zoo - being a wednesday when her friend has a day off - so I went off to the Broad again. Weather was due to be iffy in the afternoon but I'm pretty much bone from the neck up so that wasn't a problem.

Dropped off, I launched (dry) from the side and paddled out, dropped my two Rapala's down (CB9's, blue mackerel and red head). Just getting into my stride after 5 minutes when:



He didn't need boating, just unhooked in the water at 1lb 11oz.



Smiling he was



A good start, I was really wondering what might happen if it went like that all day! The thing is with trolling in relatively shallow water where there is some weed about (and you are going close to seek out the pike) you never know what's going to happen - you keep an eye on the rod tips, alternating (like Biggles) and wait to see if they either stop vibrating, start jumping or just go tight/jumpy which indicates weed. Sometimes you have to glance at where the line is to spot things, like



which translates into



or 2lb 11oz in Imperial measures. As opposed to the 1lb 6oz of both this





and this, my personal best for the species



that's a perch by the way, and it has a beautiful dorsal fin which i couldn't hold up due to the camera being in my other hand.



Shortly thereafter on my way in (thinking y wife had called and was coming to pick me up) a 1lb 4oz jack took off



So I hoiked him in



And stuck his head near my nuts



Having a couple of lads nearby, i had to pose again - and they'd never seena pike before.



Now, these are the successful hook-ups. I had a good few runs which resulted in dropped lures and two hook-ups with big fish which both got off. One while taking a pic which was probably 5lb or so, and which threw the lure while jumping clear out of the water and tailwalking - usually a summer thing - which is the one of the splash and the rod already seen, another hook up of maybe 8-10lb that tore off and then came close enough to see before throwing the lure, and another, bigger one, that took the other lure as I was bringing it in straight after, being alongside when it took and I saw a swirl and a big golden flank when it hit the lure (and missed) - difficult to estimate because water magnifies etc but it was a very good fish.

So, my wife not being there, and not coming yet when i managed to get hold of here, i went off again, picking up



I figured it to be weed but it weighed in at 9oz!!



Unlike the fish that came next, after a missed run, at 2lb 11oz





By the way, I paddled around repeating the weights inside my head all day so i could remember them to tell you lot!! Anyway, I then had a stunning bit of excitement and some absolutely shockingly Keystone Kop-like moments. First off, I had a run which dropped (these are surprisingly common). then a run on BOTH rods, which also both dropped off. Then bang - I wa sin to a bloody good fish. He was up and out of the water, clutch screaming, and off. Turned the kayak too. Anyway, I start getting him in, and hauling the landing net from its position hooked under the front hatch straps I catch the rear portion of the handle by the thumb screw. This results in the rear portion going into the water and drifting off vertically with ar trapped in the spike, looking like a periscope. Now I'm down to a 2 ft handle (and a 10ft 6 rod). This'll be fun. So, unhooking mat over the legs, and in I bring it. Unhooking mat over the side and off she runs again. Unhooking mat back in place, wet nuts, and alongside once more. Battery on the camera is getting low so no fighting pics, and besides I don't want this bugger escaping. Net under (eventually) and the lure snags in the middle, meaning I can't get the fish in properly without some deft handling. Finally managing it I get her aboard. This one is longer than the diameter of my net (I'd estimate 10-12lb) and it's bloody angry. keeps flipping around. Eventaully i get the hooks out of her mouth (she ain't opening up!!) and then have to bugger around to remove some line caught between her jaw plates - line is running across her mouth on the inside. get this out, she flips, goes over the side. I grab her tail, have a hold, but she's too slippery and off she goes. No pic, no weight, y biggest yet by far in the yak, and guess what? I have the line in my hand, i have thelure she was caught on sitting in front of me, but my other rod (with 50 yards of braid out) is missing the trace and lure -and the line in my hand is from that rod. What happened to my lucky mackerel CB9 I know not. I've had it for 15 years too. So, happy but a tad fed-up, I tie on another trace and clip on the CB13 redhead that did so well yesterday. Two redheads out and things went haywire.

Runs left and right, reels screeching and big fish thumping away on the end but not hooking up, an 8-10lb that went UNDER the kayak and threw the lure, and then



a 5lb 1oz pike to finish the day. These big ones all came on the bite in a space of 20 minutes or so, then went off again - I couldn't get a run after. 8 pike boated, 1 perch (personal best) 4 pike seen that got off (all big fish), countless runs and a fantastic day out on the yak. It doesn't get better than that. I NEVER had fishing like that on land. I feel fitter too but really need to get some waterproof trousers (was soaked from the waist down) and some waterproof footwear (suede desert boots are dumb in a kayak, especially when scupper stopeprs get caught on the heel and pulled out!!).

Getting out was when I realised how cold and wet my lower half must have been (although I didn't feel cold at all, any of the three days this week, and had extra clothing at hand in case I did). It was difficult to get out of the yak. It was difficult to stand up and get moving. i'd been in one position for 6 hours or so.

So, shopping list - waterproof lower half and a cushion for under the seat (unhooking mat being used for, well, unhooking). Handy luggage - lunch, coffee. Not that I'd have stopped to partake - tok me 5 hours before allowing myself to stop and swig some water!!

A cracking day. No need for me to drive to Wales at all! Which reminds me, there is a holiday village that backs onto the broad, that has a marina accessible from it, and has reasonable rates…..if Llangorse is a success how about a second meet in the new year over here?