Drawing a line under it

I've not been out much at all. In fact since my early November foggy morning i've only been out once. A combination of a few things, the recent rainfall being one and the river being out of bounds because of this. I had a spare couple of hours before work one day so went for a walk down the river to have a look at a new bit but I spent most of my time chatting to an old chap who turned out to be a decent all round angler, and had done a fair bit of pike fishing too in his time. It was good to chat to someone knowledgeable and we shared stories and thoughts. Neither of us caught though which was a shame.

He stayed in one peg with dead baits and I ventured down the river with the lures. At least we knew that between us we'd covered everything and maybe the fish just weren't on the feed. My only other bit of fishing never even happened. I woke up one morning with the intention of going off to some place new for a wonder along a new river, only to find my shed had been broken in to and that put a dampener on my day and I didn't get out. However you have to take the positives out of these things. I lost a drill and a few more power tools, nothing too expensive though so no big loss. However my fishing tackle is kept safely in the house though, so since I can't do any DIY for a while I can still get out and fish! Glass half full.

I'm now sat having a pot of tea and a bacon sarnie before heading out to the shops for some crimbo shopping. But I knew this would happen, that we wouldn't get out early because the mother in law would be around for a chat and cuppa, as is the norm. So I was up early and on the bank for first light. I knew I could get a couple of hours in before anyone at home had even stirred in their cot.

I found the river still running off and still up a foot or so, with visibility only about a foot too. I tried a few lures and nothing happened so I knew the pike weren't here and feeding in numbers yet and that it would be hard. Eventually I got around to the rainbow lip lure which i've not really used that much recently. Second cast and I feel a knock and then there's a bend in the rod. I'm finally back in to a fish and it feels good. The pike rips line off the reel but I manage to turn it's head and gain the upper hand before realising the fish isn't anything enormous, just another 6lb jack fighting way above it's weight. I'm very happy with the result though and a fish on the bank is very welcome.

So after the last few weeks of little to no fishing, floods, burglaries and probably me not having that urge to get out I normally have I now have that fire again inside me and that's when i fish best. If i find myself just going through the motions my head isn't in it and I feel like i'm fishing because i think i should be fishing. I prefer to be fishing because I want to fish, because all I think about is fishing. So the last few weeks are now forgotten about and I'm ready to get out when and where i can and have some fun again.

Tomorrow I've got an invite to fish a new place to me. It's a trout lake that is open to pike anglers for just a few days a year. It's bank fishing and lure fishing only and apparently it is very hard too. But there are hidden monsters in this place and who knows what could show up. I'm out with a few of the mates and a few more very experienced pike anglers. Between us, if there's a big fish feeding one of us has a right good chance of catching it. So with my bad few weeks behind me i'm now ready for a long hard slog, fire in my belly burning again. I don't think i'll sleep tonight.

2012 pike tally

Doubles 34

Total 213

Largest 22.5lb
Twenties - 2
Bonus Perch 54
Largest 3lb 12oz
Bonus chub - 1