So, down I went, kettle on, car around to the back gate and on with the yaks. Trident went on first as it is heaviest and widest – and it is heavy enough and big enough to give me some difficulty in the narrow confines of my back passage (fnaar fnaar!). Time, methinks, for a yellow and black Ferrari and a roof rack. They’re cheaper than the red ones I guess. Anyway, the Prowler 15 followed, both of them just fitting onto my rack. Rods (3½) followed along with tackle and the usual stuff and draining my coffee I headed off to meet Mike. I was already 15 minutes late, not that it mattered as it was still bloody dark! Two weeks ago it was light before 6!
I pitched up alongside a snoozing Mike and we got everything down to the waters edge then parked the cars. I was trying the Trident on the Broad again but with the Day Tripper paddle and Mike was in the P15 having his first experience with the fishfinder fitted. Somehow I had left half a rod at home so he elected to fish just one, saving me driving back to fetch it. It was starting to get light now, 6:30-6:45 something like that.
We went up the southern side, Mike leading and failed to catch in the usual places. We tried going up the dyke (more sblack personing) but again nothing – though some boaties were taking some small silvers. However, ti was my lucky day and I got a new first -I saw my first ever real live wild otter! Sadly it was too dark for the picture to come out so I’m afraid I can’t share that. No point fishing there then! Leaving Mike exploring I tried the western edge and bays of the broad and still blanked. Linking up with him again we headed down the broad chasing swans:
They never fly when you want them to. Mike carried on fishing the southern margins and I crossed the broad to try my other usual spots, but again, although I went right down the northern edge, I picked up nothing, not a sausage.
Coming around past the lock gates I realised I hadn’t got my lucky hat on. 2½ hours I’d been out, how I swore! On it went and I paddled up to the bend where I met up with Mike who had to be getting back. I changed from Gold shiner and Redhead Rapala Super Shad Raps to my faithful Blue Mackerel Pattern Shakespeare Big S and the same in perch patter and figured I’d try one more run up the southern hotspot and then follow him in.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
right on cue, on my hotspot (this time!) a hell of a good hit and the reel let a load of braid out and I was in to what seemed a fine fish. I couldn’t yet see it but it felt like a good double, really pulling with a lot of power: It took line, I took line and
Up she came
Oddly, Pike go really placid when turned on their backs
alongside now, and ready to be lifted and unhooked
A good double it felt like. I doubt if it would have made 4lb! It fought like a river pike rather than one off the broad and I suspect it had come in recently or was very hungry after a good nights partying. A beautifully solid fish
out at arms length to get some scale and show the markings
and this last picture because I just like it so much. I find them to have a really expressive face and wonderfully deep eyes. I don’t know, there is something about pike – and it’s not their teeth – that I’ve always found to be really special.
Time to go. I paddled back to the launch point and unloaded, having a natter with Mike before fetching the car and getting held up for ten minutes while the yachts came through the lock which is just next to the road bridge. The broad is still hard work for the pike, I reckon it needs the cold weather to roll in a bit more, but they are there and they are feeding albeit being picky on the lures they’ll take.
Sweated the mud out that afternoon in the sauna on the holiday village – I think those of you coming in a fortnight are going to enjoy that part!
No comments:
Post a Comment