Boxing Day Blankers…26/12/2011

Christmas plays havoc with everything but Boxing Day is traditionally a day for pike fishing and this plays havoc with nothing. I dunno if it’s a real tradition or one I made up but I’ve been out piking on a lot of Boxing Days. Today, though, I was taking Whippersnapper out as well. Oh, and my nephew. My brother joined us too.



It was around 08:30 when we all launched. Two Frenzys, a Scupper Pro and Whippersnapper in her brand spanking Tetra 10, maiden voyage time! You see Whippersnapper is now a supported paddler; the first junior and first female to join the Ocean Kayak Fishing Team so she has to train ready to do her daddy proud at Swanage ;D



So we start off upstream with a mixture of lures between the three rods. The area by the boathouses is a hotspot in summer but would it produce today?



Nah. So we head back downstream.



The area by the hotel usually throws up a fish or two…Mike has nothing; I have nothing; Eloise is going backwards and her rod is hooped over! Yes! Game on!



Nah. It’s a snag. We carry on. It widens out here, there’s usually a pike about.



Not today though. Just short of the bridge?



Ah, I know, under the bridge next to the troll.



Guess not. We head back.



Nope. Still nothing… never mind, time for a seal launch and a re-entry? Oh go on then, why not stand up as well?



I suppose we’d better work on the seat position, paddle length and altered technique to suit the change of kayak before we go trolling a couple of miles again.