Another Day's Piking...01/11/06

I did a Lulu impression this morning. There I was, on the way to my yak (stored at mums this week) when, halfway there the radio tells me the road is closed due to floods a mile away so I have to detour (back from whence I came) and go the long way round. Instead of 18 miles, 45.

Halfway, and the bloody road is blocked with traffic and jammed for miles.

WE-EE-EE-EE-EE-EE-LLLLLLLLL......

I went home. Then all the delays entailed meant not being able to go to pick it up until 11:30, drive over and back etc and all that messing about, I finally launched at 13:10, 1.5 hours later than intended.

It was down to 10 degrees. It was windy as hell. It was raining. There was sleet. The broad was choppy. The water was right up. No one was about on the water. That'll be the place all to myself then.....

I wasn't wrong. I spent an hour and a half going up the north side of the broad, through all of my hotspots and everywhere else I'd taken fish. I'd used Magnums, Super Shad Raps, shallow floating divers. Nothing. I was blanking. Headed up the river, nothing. Headed back down, after a coffee, and changed to some lures that have been effective with casting before - but never trolled well - which I'd just bought a new trio of. Shakespeare Big S are one of the classic designs and only £2.50 a throw. I put on a redhead (wasn't the day for them) and a stripey blue/black/white fella.

Shortly after I had a run. The wind picked up, picked me up as well and flung me into the side. Either the fish ran into the tree, or it was a tree all along. I think the latter but at least it was exciting.

Dusted myself off and carried on. The blue stripey then began to make some noises...



and boy was that pike annoyed



I thought it was bigger, from how it pulled, but it weighed in at 3lb 11oz and unhooked itself jumping in the net





I lifted it for a couple of snaps





and off it went. What a beautiful, streamlined fish. Not like a lake pike.

A quarter of an hour passed when up popped Jack



And duly he was invited aboard



He was all of 2lb 4oz, but fit and fast.



Not much happened on the fish front for a while then. I had rainbows



I had hailstorms and heavy rain



And I had a sunset beginning



At which point Jack turned up, weighing in at 1lb 2oz



Cut part of my face off in this as I was in a hurry. I was 'rushin'



(Hey, at least my ears were warm!)

I put the pike back and it stayed alongside, not tired out but not bothered either, and just using me as shelter. i enjoyed watching until it just sawm off



I was glad I bought the blue stripey Big S (got a second from a car boot sale too)





as this one came in at 3lb 1oz



I also bought a perch patterened one which finally caught this final fish of the day at 2lb 6oz



An interesting afternoon, a lot harder fishing than any day last week - especially as weather conditions had got far worse and the temperature has experienced a rapid drop. However, I did prevail and had a cracking time. Though things were going badly all day, and things weren't ideal out on the water either, I didn't get annoyed and was reminded of one of the signatures on here that goes along the lines of 'a bad days fishing beats a good day ashore'. It's true.

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: