I've been quite busy and have a bit of catching up to do with a few blog posts I wanted to write up. But today I received my eagerly awaited Savage Gear Real eels through the post. Unfortunately I'm working afternoons this week so by the time the postman had been I was already at work, but a bit of forward planning meant the parcel was delivered to my place of work. At least I could get out for half an hour or so before sunset and then get home for some food.
To cut a long story short, I chucked the 20cm real eel out a few times and then managed to catch two pike of no notable size. At least the lure works. I also had the tail bitten off the end of one so I need a repair at some point. Job done, lure works a treat!
It was nearly time to pack up but I decided on trying one last spot, (don't I always) a bit of river I've left alone for a some time now while I've been getting the jacks elsewhere. I tip toed up, and cast my eel up along the bank about 16 feet. No need to cast any further just yet as often there's a fish here and casting 30 feet for example might mean I catch a fish up there and scare the other closer fish away. Some days you can get a few out of here, others nothing., but I'm not going to risk scaring anything away by being lazy. The lure hits the water and I start to retrieve, keeping the lure high to avoid the snags, and then between me and the lure I see a large swirl as a pike heads towards my new toy.
Boom, fish on! Wow it's off like a rocket and I immediately know its a good fish. I can see a large branch and I'm powerless to stop the pike charge under it. Fearing the worst at first until the pike smashes the branch out of the way lifting it clean out of the water. Major scare over, at least the line didn't break on the branch and now the fish is in open water and fighting like a demon. I finally get the brute in and know she's a good fish. I get a few photos, unhook her and then give her a good breather in the shallows where the current was bringing plenty of oxygen for her. At twenty one pound she's my second river twenty this year (ever in fact) and I'm happy as a pig in shit. :)
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| Another river twenty |
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| Real eel does the trick |
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| Unhooked and ready to put back |
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| Plenty of time in the net first to get her breath back |
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| She's away...Brilliant! |
2012 pike tally
Doubles 28
Doubles 28
Total 157
Largest 22.5lb
Twenties - 2
Bonus Perch 7
Twenties - 2
Bonus Perch 7
Cracking pike! And it's going to get a lot bigger later in the year. And those reel eels are on my shopping list.
ReplyDeleteGreat fish Paul
ReplyDeleteThanks you two. The eels are good and will catch plenty of fish so worth having in your armoury. I don't doubt though that a big part of it all was "right place right time". I also agree it's got room to fill out a bit. I never measure length but thinking back I wish I did now, just to compare that with others. It seemed quite a long fish, if not wide, and it certainly had plenty of space to fill out it's beer belly in the future.
ReplyDelete