I am out for a few hour’s today, on the hunt for that big pike, who is hiding in this lake. I am going to be as mobile as much as I can with the weather as it is today (wintery showers).
All set up in my first swim. I will be dead baiting today with mackerel and herring, I do have some trout with me, I generaly save these for the river. However, its always worth a go.
The water is the colour of mud as we have had so much rain over the past week.
Kettle is on
I have had a dropped take already. These fish are so switched on. I was free lining and the line got hooked up a bit, enough for the rod tip to knock and that was that, the pike was off Scott free.
Anyway, can’t say a lot, but there are some real idiots out there. I thought it best to go home.
This is it, the last trip of 2014 and it was going to be an overnighter. However, the frost arrived and I fancied my chances at catching some pike, so it turned into a day session. I am trying very hard not to go carp fishing for the sake of it as I believe I got stuck in a bit of a rut once or twice before.
My first choice of swim today is where I had the pike from on my last pike trip and as my last carp trip I spotted a lot of fry down this end of the lake. Therefore, this was the best end to start at.
Within the hour my first fish was in the net. A nice 15lb-6oz fish.
Not long after that, I was moving to my next swim towards the dam end.
I had only just sat down and the rod was away again! With another hard fighting pike, it turned out to be the same 14lb that I had the other week.
I had my other rod by the monk and I was thinking this was my best option.
I will give it another 30minutes and then I will move up by the reeds I think.
I have moved to the swim next door, so I can keep one rod on the monk, as the right hand margin has produced a fish already. But by moving I can fish another spot. I will give it another hour or so. Heavy rain storms keep coming through, right pain, when I want to stay mobile.
This time, I have moved completely round to the other side of the lake and towards the shallow end near the reed’s.
My new friend, after sharing lunch!
I also had a friendly Robin too.
My third fish of the day was a stunning 20lb 6oz pike.
On the lake again and hoping for a winter carp, as I don’t have many more trips this year. I like to spend Christmas with the family.
Unfortunately, I did not get down here in time for last light today. There is way too much work on at the moment. With the wind picking up (there is a stormy front pushing across tonight) and the rain starting to get heavy, my swim choice has to be one of the swims I had been baiting up on the way home, after every trip. I have picked the one on the sheltered side of the lake, as I didn’t feel that the cold wind pushing onto the other bank would be very productive.
I dropped both baits in the margins. With small stick mix bags and a pop up on, there is still plenty of leaves around.
It was now time for some nice homemade stew that the wife had done (which has nicely kept warm in my Thermos food flask) and a cup of coffee. I settled down to watch a flim on my phone, I had only one ear plugged in and the sound down low.
Some will say this is not real fishing, I evrn did once. However, after some 34 years of Winter carp fishing, I have realised it helps to get me through the long winter nights. I have done my time as a harded Winter angler.
Maybe, it’s just modern carp fishing with all its other gadgets we have these days.
I did feel confident with the weather as it is, however, no joy again.
On the bank yet again, that’s twice this week! As Christmas is fast approaching, I have only got 2 more trips planned and that will be that for 2014.
For some reason or another, my fishing year runs the same as a normal year. I know some anglers who run their year from one season to the next. I have always done my year with the ‘normal’ one, even before the whole fishing year was opened up. I think it’s to do with me always writing things in a dairy and as I always got one for Christmas, my fishing year started in January.
Just made it down for last light and with a quick look round (to see if I could spot any fishy signs). There are no real signs, but for some reason I have settled on the reeds at the top of the lake. It just felt warmer up there sheltered from this bitter cold north wind, which has been blowing for the last couple of days.
Same set up as the past few weeks. One rod on the reeds and the other under a margin bush.
We will see what the night brings.
Unfortunately, this lake had got harder over the years I have fished winters on here. However, the fish have got bigger and as they say, more effort equals more rewards. Bring it on (a nice big fat common).
I haven’t tried pike fishing on this lake for a long time. I normally bring a bit of carp kit as I inevitably spot some carp. This time I thought I should just takepike tackle as I have taken notice of the reports, saying that there are large pike hiding in here.
Nice misty start to today. I am feeling on one rod and legering on the other, with a big plastic run ring to keep the resistance down. These fish will drop the bait if they feel a thing.
I forgot to bring smaller bank sticks, oh well, at least it saves my back as I don’t need to bend over to pick the rod’s up today.
Looks like I am back in the 80’s fishing!
It must be Winter as the Robins are out demanding food.
My aim is to move swim every 2-3 hours today and hopefully locate some fish.
Moved swim now, as I spotted a pike strike from the far side. I now have one rod under a lovely overhanging tree and the other along the margin, also by some snags.
Completely out of the blue my right had rod was off, not a slow take at all. I quickly ran to the rods and hit into a hard fighting fish. When this finally was in the net, it tipped the scales at 14-10. Do me.
I was not sure if I should move, as the pike I had spotted was where I had put the other rod.
After 30 minutes I knew it was time to move on again.
One rod was put along the front of the reeds and the other was dropped over the front of the swim, as this normally a good hide away spot for them. Each time I set up, I always put a couple of handfuls of pellets over the top, to help the small fry into the area I want.
I had an aborted take, which was frustrating and after another hour, I moved to my last swim of the day, in the hope of catching another pike. There are plenty if features in this swim, so we will see, what happens.
It’s 1600 and dispite my best tempt to tempt the pike (which was in the dying lily pads) to eat my half mackerel and herring
Well it’s now 1630, the sun has gone down and oh boy the temperature has dropped a lot. I had no more fish, just a dropped take. It was time for to be off.
