The flames are here

I'm still here. I guess a few of you might have be thinking I'd got lost in a six foot snow drift somewhere. Nothing as exciting as that, I just didn't have the urge to write mostly because I didn't have the urge to fish. I've still been out but I didn't have a burning passion deep inside and so I didn't bother. I think it was the cold that put out that fire If I'm honest. Usually it doesn't bother me so much but this time it did, maybe I'm getting old. Or maybe I'm just a bit wiser (not as stupid any more)?

I did catch some fish in a handful of small lure sessions. All jacks but all as welcome as the next fish. Many times I've just had the ultra lite set up just to see if anything else was out there feeding but I didn't catch anything other than jacks. It would have been nice to drop on a nice big fat perch but never mind. While most people this last month have been frantically scrambling to catch a nice fat pike before they spawn, I've actually resisted the urge and often tried to stay away from where I think the bigger fish will be. Those pike deserve a rest at this time of the year I feel.

Sods law though, even when you are chasing something completely different you still end up catching a pike. That nice fat eight pound odd fish fell to a 2 inch kopyto lure while trying to find perch in a canal next to the lock gates. Absolutely fantastic fun on a 3-15g rated rod, bent double and line ripping off the spool. Another pleasing part of it was I'd never fished the spot before and hadn't even planned on fishing that day either. The story goes that I was family taxi guy and was dropping my sister in law off at work. I often drive around with the sat nav on which also shows up bodies of water, canals and rivers and as I passed this canal something just made me go give it a go even though I had to be home within the hour. Forty five minutes later and I'd had two pike and found a new spot to drop in on through the year. I expect the perch will be there at some point this coming year.

I'm hoping to get out more this year with the lighter set ups. I enjoy the jerkbaits and large lures and I often need the heavy set up as when I'm on it, and the pike are on it, I need good strong gear that can cope with fish after fish. But it is fun to catch smaller fish, and perch, chub, trout and anything else that will take a lure will be on my list this year. Throw in the odd jack and it'll make for some good fun. I've also just dropped on a nice light pike lure set up. A local second hand shop had in a nice Savage Gear butch light XLNT 10-30g, a rod I've been meaning to get hold of for some time and I'm looking forward to giving it a whirl with the Shimano caenan reel that also caught my eye. I also picked up another ultr lite rod so that my lad can come out with me for some perch when the weather warms up a bit. He's much wiser than even I as he won't even think about going fishing until it's t-shirt weather.

This evening I spent some time sorting out all my smaller lures into boxes. Trying to make it easy to just pick up one or two to suit the rod I'll be using, rather than carting around everything like I normally do. I usually try to cover every eventuality like most anglers, which means carting around every lure in your collection. We all know there's no need but the majority of us still do it. I took three lure boxes out the other day, and just used one two inch kopyto lure the whole time. I know, I'm crazy, but I'm trying to at least get a bit of control of my problem. I doubt I'll ever beat it of course.

The weather is finally starting to improve and on the horizon are some nice spring temperatures. This should mean us anglers can get out in comfort and also stand a chance of catching a fish or two. I'm going to go and get out tomorrow morning first light for a few hours. My day is taken up with family duties, but no one is ever up and about at the crack of dawn and so I have at least got that bit of time to go and play.

I think I have that fire burning again.