I have managed to get off work early today and with the pike kit still in the car, I popped into my local tackle shop to go and grab some dead baits. And it was back down the river, with the levels still high, I was limited to the wooded area as before. I was all set up by 1400hrs which was not bad going.
Well, with no joy by 5pm, the temperature was down to -3, it was time to go home and have a re-think and hope the water levels go down some more, as it 50m into the fields and I am unable to fish anywhere else. My have to try winter chub fishing.
As the whole family has had the flu since before New Year’s, this is my first trip out in 2013.
As the floods are still going strong and the lake temperatures are still low. I decided to go back onto the Hampshire Avon and have a go for some more pike. I still needed my waders to get to the swim. I only set up one rod with a nice half mackerel on the end and flicked it out in a nice bit of slack water.
I will get it about an hour here and if no joy, will move on.
Below is a picture of my very simple Pike rig, made up of five components – float stop, float, ball lead, rubber bead and a snap link to attach the wire trace to.
Time to move swim soon.
After a quick walk down stream, I set up again in a large area of slack water below a big raft of weed created by a tree that had fallen in, over the winter.
I have put a nice fresh bait on as well, hopefully that will do the trick. Well after no joy, it was time to head back to my banker swim by the old boathouse and with the light fading fast, I hope my luck is in today, Unfortunately no Joy today.
I am back out pike fishing again, as the lakes were still frozen this week. I have come back to the same area as I had done so well the last time. However, I have more time this weekend so hopefully, will cover a greater area with better success on the size front. My first stop was the boathouse swim, as I had two fish from there before.
After an hour no joy. It was time to move down river, with still no joy after another hour ,I was off down river again and found a very large area of slack water that looked very promising.
Well after moving up and down the river with no joy, it was time to go back to where I started. Only to loose a nice fish at the net. Oh well, with the light fading they was no point in moving, just crossing my fingers that as the fish did not get the bait, it may come back if i am very lucky. Unfortunately not, and it’s time for home.
As the weather has been so poor and with my failed carp trip in the week, due to a frozen lake and only 4 hours free. I though it was time to get the Pike rod’s out. So off down the river for a bit of roving with a dead bait. The river was still in flood, it was a bit hard to find a swim. However, I found a nice bit of slack water by a bridge, that will do for a start.
I stayed here for about an hour ,before I moved up river to an old boathouse. This was under water due to the flooding, but it is a great area for Pike. I had to put my waders on, as the path was under water.
Once though the water, I set up and cast out. Within a few minutes, the Pike float had given a big knock and not long after that, a nice 10lb Pike was in the net. Time to move again, I will stop there on the way back and hope it’s big brother is there.
I found some more slack water up stream and after about 30 minutes, the float was under water again and after a bit of a battle another 10lb + pike was in the net.
Off to find another spot
I had been using mackerel up to this point, but I only had one more, so time to change over to smelt.
Well, after about an hour with no joy on the smelt and the sun going down I was time to use my last mackerel back at the boathouse swim. After an hour, when the sun was just going down, the float did a quick knock and then straight and I hit into a nice 12lb pike.,
That was not bad for a 4 hours session, 3 pike over the 10 Ibs mark.
Unfortunately, I forgot my camera and was only able to use my phone which is no good for self take pictures.
