Chilled out chucking

Having bagged a couple of twenties over the last couple of weeks, plus a few other decent fish including a seventeen so far this year, I've been able to relax and just enjoy the odd hour of fishing. The weather has been kind with no floods for a while so the river has been at least approachable, however a bit of a chill for a while has made it often tough to get a fish. As I said though, I'm fishing on the back of some success and for someone who wants to just enjoy my fishing, those couple of lumps have made it so much easier and I can just go fishing.

I can't believe how easy it is to fish when results have been so good. On one session, I lost four fish off the hook and ended up blanking. Each one nailed the lure, each one I was battling and each one somehow shook the hooks. Two were jacks but two were mid doubles easy with one of those pushing for a touch higher too. So what! How can I still be smiling after losing four fish in an hour where I only expected one take at the most? I'm just enjoying fishing, simple as that.

I've managed to land a few fish too. No extraordinary sessions, no more river twenties but I'm a very happy fisherman right now. Every fish I catch gives me massive amounts of enjoyment. The battles are being appreciated and the misses and follows are all greeted with a smile. I'm so glad I'm not chasing monsters, fishing big reservoirs or sitting behind six rods all day waiting for one chance. I'm picking and choosing my short session, throwing lures I enjoy using and catching the odd fish. I hope I can carry on this way of fishing for the rest of the year. I've a few plans to get out and try a few new things and a few new places and I want to just enjoy the whole thing. If I can add a few fish in, I know that will be a big way towards it so fingers crossed the rest of the year provides even just a fraction of my early 2013 successes.


Here's a few of my favourite captures from recent trips. This first pike was one for a mate, Jim. I'd bought some lure gear, rod, reel and lures off of him and I promised him a fish or two on his lures just so he would regret selling them. First session out I had this nice low double and another jack which was pleasing in itself, but it could have been a fairytale story had the very high double which hit first stayed on the hooks!

I love using Matt Holmes lures. I have three of his large jerk baits and if the conditions are right they are often the first lure I use. I like how I can work them up near the surface which keeps me away from snags now the river is a little shallower again, and also sometimes you get an explosive take as a pike launches itself up from the depths. Often the pike have leeches on them this time of the year as they're laying on the bottom half asleep, and a lure is the answer to wake them up and encourage them to get up and feed. Also check out the fins on the back end of this fish. Wow what a little beauty this one was. An absolute perfect predator with a tail and fin to launch it at near supersonic speed.

Finally one from today. A nice fat jack that actually went over fifteen pounds. It had a belly on it, but it was also a solid as hell and was all muscle. It put up a great scrap and the speed it went first up and then down stream was something to be amazed at. Being able to see all this in crystal clear water was brilliant. I love fishing, I love lure fishing and I love pike!