I made the arrangements. 7am launch. I didn’t take into account the clock change until later and ended up there on my own initially; first light was my plan for getting afloat.
I flicked out a spinning rod with a Big S on one side and a Super Shad Rap on the KP Scarborough on the other – I wanted a pike on the KP you see. I also had a silver-basher onboard but would need to wait for Paul to arrive as he had the maggots. It was ideal for them then though with fish topping all over the place. It looked like it’d be a nice morning.
I paddled up past the boathouses on the way to Geldeston without so much as a sniff. The water was lovely and clear but starting to drain out of the river, being tidal. I turned and headed back down towards the bypass bridge the other side of the quay as I wanted to fish the town stretch today. I went all the way down, still not a touch. Then Paul called, him and his dad were there and tackling up. I turned and headed back to the top again.
I was a few hundred yards past the iron bridge when I felt the pull, almost on the wide bend. Great – the KP!
Hmm, good fish. It dove deep, it pulled the yak around and with the flow and the fish I was heading back to the bridge at a steady pace ;D It soon tired and I chinned it out.
Hmm, I haven’t weighed a pike in years. I’d guess between 6 and 8lbs, it was quite chunky and broad too. It doesn’t really matter, it was a good scrap.
With a splash behind my other lure within a minute of setting off I carried on up to Paul and his dad then pulled over and tackled up with a 4bb float and a size tiny hook. Paul chucked over some maggots and off I went. The plan was to get a livebait for a pike, again on the KP. Bites were not instant and I drifted along trying single red maggots here and there. Finally a dace decided to feed.
It didn’t take line and didn’t swing the nose around. All the same, I was happy to see it.
Paul and his dad soon caught up and with Tim arrived and kitting up we drifted along waiting for him. Obviously he’d put his clock the wrong way!
Paul had a take on a home-made spinner, a jack of a pound or so and I had another dace, slightly larger, but it was pretty quiet. A large splash near use caused anticipation but nothing came of it.
Heading upstream again Paul had another hit…fish on!
His rod was hooped well over and he was loving every second of it! Then, with it alongside, he chinned out a lovely, broad pike, a match to my earlier one.
Lucky I was quick on the draw as the trophy shot went pear shaped!
Again, within a minute of setting off I had a splash behind my lure without a hook-up. Oh well. We carried on upstream and caught up with Tim, looking cool in shades 8-) He was out for a play, fly rod, whip, all sorts. If only I could have spent a whole day on the river, we had all the trappings of a chill-out and the atmosphere was great.
But I couldn’t and after a paddle and a chat together I had to turn and come back in – past Paul and then his dad who’d also had a pike…great stuff ;D
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