Go Pro's

I don't know what I've let myself in for here. As if fishing isn't hard enough when you're struggling and there's other lads pulling out fish left right and centre, and a new English record to make you jealous, I make an attempt at knocking up a video and while it's uploading I scan a few fishing channels. Holly crap I'm miles behind this Youtube lot. There's young whipper snappers knocking out all sorts of fantastic videos. These lads know how to edit, chat to the camera and can catch a few fish too. I'm struggling to catch fish, got a face like a smacked up Polish immigrant and I sound like a right knob on camera. Anyone want to buy a GoPro?

I finished work today and noticed I had about half an hour of light left. A quick phone call to the missus to see if she had my tea on the go, and she did, got her trained haven't I? Sausage, mash, veg, Yorkshires and gravy if you were wondering. She said she's keep it warm for me and so off I went. Rivers are in flood, had you noticed? So I had to find a spot where I could hope a fish might be laying up in a slack. I knew just the ticket but with still a good four feet of water in it my river doesn't always produce, but there were no leaves, logs and such like drifting down so I fancied my chance. I stuck the GoPro on my new head mount as I wanted to give it a bash. Not much point putting the camera underwater as it was far too murky and with the light fading it would have made worse viewing than Big Brother, Britain's Got Talent and the rest combined. First cast I lobbed my SG low rider in front of me and just pretty much tested everything. Made sure my rod and line were right and made sure I had everything in shot, checking the picture on my iPod thanks to the app that you can download. I could see there was still a bit of a pull to my swim so figured something might be tucked in the edge and so made a cast up current (down stream) and worked the lure back along the edge.

Link to video

Waheey, fish on a GoPro and a fancy video I thought, until I saw all the other creations out there that was. It looks like Spielberg is helping everyone else and I've got Stevie Wonder. Ha ha, I know I'm being a bit hard on myself there. I wanted to have a play with the GoPro studio and see how to chop and edit footage, zooming in, slowing down and what not. I'm quite happy with the outcome but know that more planning and more clips are needed to make a better video.

So there you are readers, have a gander and throw any thoughts and suggestions you have my way, i'll be happy of the help, criticism and the rest. 

Brief round up time

I've not got too much to write about, though as I start to type I'm already thinking that knowing me this could be another whacking great big blog entry. I don't know what it is with me, i've been the same since I was a kid, I always wrote the longest stories ever. I remember once at around nine years old we were all asked to write a story. Everyone managed a few words, half an A4 sheet or if they were one of the better story tellers they might even fill a sheet. However I managed to fill a full school  jotter (remember those) with just the start of my story in rough. I then decided to type all that up on to the school computer where I managed to take up all the hard drive space. It was some time ago so it probably only had about 1mb capacity. I printed my work out, together with some pictures and the book sat in the school library for at least ten years as I saw it when I went back there later. I wonder if it's still being read by the pupils now? See, what the hell has that got to do with my brief week of fishing?

We've had a bit of rain, whoopee! I was waiting for it as I knew the rivers wanted a flush through. They are desperately low and needed some water and oxygen which I was hoping would get the fish feeding. I'd had a few chats with my mate Neil and we were ready to fish the river just as it was running off. I figured that after so much hot weather, some cool oxygenated water would spark them in to a feeding frenzy. Neil and I were there and it looked spot on. In fact i had ten minutes after work when I went for a reckie and managed a pike second cast. I went home and text Neil to say we were on for some fish. The water was running off and it was actually quite clear, though I do prefer just a touch of murkiness to help make the pike react more to noises and something flashing past them rather than watching it come from a mile off and then having second thoughts on the rather strange object passing by. Well the session didn't quite go to plan and we didn't bag up. The fish were there though, we must have had twelve follows, including two following Neils lure at one time, but all except one fish which Neil caught just followed and did not take. It was a strange evening, I wish I knew what made a fish take one day and just follow the next. Maybe it was the clear water?

The next day we were going to try and get out again but over night there was a bit more rain and by evening time the river was up and back down again, though this time it was really murky in colour. I didn't think it was worth an evening raid so just had half an hour and guess what? Two hits and two fish. Was it the murky water that made them hit this time? One of the fish was knocking on ten pounds so it was a good half hour, though I called off the session after that fish as the sun came out and I realised just how warm it was. Not good for pike so I went home. That was it for my week day fishing. A bit of rain should have made for some good fun but it didn't quite go as planned though the river is much better for it.

Very late on Friday I got a call from Woody to say he wanted to get out on the boat. However I was to be working a twelve hour night shift on Friday night as the lads were going to an engagement do and it left just me to cover for them. You can't turn down a double time shift plus your own shift ( I should have been on days) paid too so that was me struggling to make the day on the boat. It took me about three seconds to decide I was still going to make one in. We couldn't start as early as normal as I didn't finish until 6am and was an hour away from our river, but Woody had done some more tinkering to his outboard and wanted to give it a run. There had also been a spot more rain and we expected it to be up a little and maybe even a touch of colour, we went for it anyway. At least we would get to see how the engine was running and if we could winkle out a fish or two that would be a bonus. On arrival we were met with a very murky river and our chances didn't look too good, but we gave it a go anyway. It was about 8am before we got out on to the river so we were already behind but eventually we picked up the odd fish and it gave us some confidence that we could still catch in these conditions.

Superb looking perch

In the end we managed about 35 fish between us. Normally it's been mainly perch  at around 80% of the fish but this time it was probably a 50/50 split. Maybe the cooler water, a good ten degrees on last week. I think the pike were up to about 7lb so we had a couple that gave us a good scrap and we also managed a couple of decent perch to about a pound and three quarters. I grabbed one and Woody grabbed the other, though in revenge for last week when Woody knocked mine off before a photo opportunity I gained revenge buy losing his. It was a funny incident looking back but also a bit of a plonker moment. We had found a spot to jig the kopytos and as Woody hooked in to his good perch I grabbed the net really quickly and scooped it up first chance I got. There was to be no misses this time, or that was the plan. I tried to unhook the perch in the net but the hook was tangled in the net and so I didn't quite manage it. Woody then realised that the boat had drifted close to the trees and my other rod was now tangled in the trees. With the current now pulling us along my rod was in danger of breaking and Woody shouted, "quick your rod" to which I sharply turned to grab it as Woody tried to get some control of the boat. I secured the rod to then realise I'd dropped the net and the fish. The hook was still caught in the net so we pulled it up only to find the perch had gone. I felt bad but at least it wasn't a massive perch. Still, it's revenge for me and we're even!

Sunday was to be a day of rest. Having not had any sleep from Friday morning at about 8am until Saturday night at 9pm when I finally gave in to the heaviest eye lids on earth I figured Sunday would be chill out, go to rugby and then chill out some more. However while sat bored in the evening, everyone in the house had asked me if I was going fishing, and so on that note I did. If I could grab a fish in a steady last hour or so of the evening that would be good and I could still get back for Top Gear. The river was back to normal level but today it was still a little murky, spot on I felt. I picked up a jack of about four pound in no time then managed to miss a fish three times! My god how bad am I? I reckon it was down to the fact I was using a large jerkbait and it was at distance. With a jerkbait you need to be in control of slack line so that you can feel a hit and at distance any slack is multiplied. I switched to a SG lip lure and got the fish the very next cast, a nice pike of eight or nine pounds. Since this lure is a straight retrieve you feel the hit straight away and the hooks set in much easier. I then bagged another pike of about four pound  and then hooked and lost off another after seeing it crash out of the water chasing something else and then casting at it. Another small pike so no major loss. I knew by now with all the action I'd missed Top Gear and so I gave it another half an hour and was rewarded with a lovely fish which came up and took my SG lowrider as I worked it fast just under the surface. This fish went fourteen and a half pounds on the scales and made for a great finish to the week. So there you go, a brief round up of my week. You don't know how hard it is for me to keep it short and sweet!

First comes the rain, then come the fish

I too thought that was an old wire trace, but happily it wasn't.

I'd not made any plans to go piking any time soon. The weather has been hot and not ideal for pike for a start. The few times I've been out I've taken the light gear just for an excuse to get out. Today I had plans...wait a minute, our lass had plans for me, which meant I wasn't going to be fishing. I should have had all the time in the world finishing work at 2pm but her indoors made a right mess of that. I probably had an hour or two spare from 3pm but it would be scorching hot and not my cup of tea to be out when it's like that.

Well that was the thoughts late last night. However I woke to see it had been raining, (apparently thundering all night but I never heard a sound as I slept like a new born royal baby). My first thoughts after realising shorts and a t-shirt were the wrong thing to be wearing in this weather at 5am on the way to work, were that there might be a bit of water in the river soon, and that might just get something feeding.

Too busy to think about fishing while at work I noticed it thundering again at 07:15 but then never really saw what happened the rest of the day. Walking to the car it was apparent I should have stuck to the t-shirt and shorts as by now the sun had won the battle and was making me sweat like a trooper. On arriving home I fed my fish and then plonked myself next to the PC and fired it up. I ignored the usual crap on Facebook, scanned the sport and the fishing forums and then suddenly I remembered the river. I quickly clicked on the river levels website to see my river hadn't budged, up to three hours ago anyway. I checked further up river and to my joy there was a few feet of water coming down. That would flush out a bit of weed, get the silvers and the rest feeding and maybe spark a bit of life in to the sunbathing pike. Right now might be the right time to get out and have a bash, if only I wasn't too late and if only I could find a bit of time. The missus got home from work and was met by me, a smile and wave and a "I'll be back before five and it won't spoil your plans". I just needed to get out on this tiny window of opportunity.

The river has been very low, lacking water, oxygen and anything else to make it worth a visit. I love to fish the river as it is running off after a flood. I've dropped on some good fishing when this is the case. I have had mixed success when the river is rising however. Though I wasn't fishing right now because the river was rising, it was because there was a massive change in conditions. I've also had good success when conditions have drastically changed. If I could get a bit of luck, the river on its way up, not too much colour, a little cooler water running in and also a little cooler weather (the thunder clouds were coming back now) I might drop on a feeding window.

I came for pike though still I tried a few small lures on the light outfit with no success. It was half hearted I'll admit as I was thinking "pike!" Since I wasn't out long I turned to pike lures and chucked a few around. There was no instant success, no apparent feeding spell and even though I hadn't fished the spot for a long time, the overgrown weeds on the bank confirmed that, no pike where here. The water was a foot up but still clear and it was still rising too. In fact it came up another foot in that hour I was there.

When the water comes up the river changes. Flows change, slack pools become not so slack, the current has a different course, there's lots of different things. An area of the river that has been low and shallow and pretty calm now was a foot or more higher and it had been cut in half, kind of like when your mum used to cut your sandwich in to triangles for you as a kid. Half of the space now had a decent tow on it with the other triangle a much calmer corner. If there are pike about, they're in this calm corner. I'll bet you a Squirrelly Burt I'm right too.


Five pike later and I'm over the moon. Not only did my quick thinking at home come good, once I got on the river a bit of water craft got me on to the fish. It was a mental hour of fishing, some great takes and all the fish were in good condition too. Two were about 8lb with the other three just over ten with one at twelve and a half pound. The last fish too was a bit striking in colour as the picture below shows. I didn't quite get the skin tones to show but the tail was a crazy orange colour. All the pike fell to the good old Burt, fished shallow and slow along the edge of the current and in to the slack water. If I can give you some advice, you should have been fishing today.

right place, right time.....and the right ghillie to put you on it

I got a chance today to get out with my mate, Mr Woodchucker. With the constant floods on the rivers we're all having (are we still talking about floods?) just getting on one has been tough. Working all week and then come weekend it's a wash out. Well it was snow melt that was still running through the river systems this time and it was touch and go whether to stick to the river as planned or jack it in totally and go somewhere completely different. After some lengthy phone calls, texts and the rest, Woody just took the plunge and opted for a day afloat. There's always a chance of a fish anyway but I reckon Woody simply wanted to get out on the river for a day.

We had to have a change of plan, at least on my part anyway. Being mainly a lure-a-holic meant I don't often change things but the river was no where near ready for results on lures so I had to sort myself some dead bait gear out. Saturday was spent sorting it all out and trying to think of what I might need and ended up with me twisting up some new traces ready for Sundays assault. We'd planned to meet early but I was awake even earlier and at 4am I was sat in the living room finishing off setting up the rod which I'd forgot to do the night before. That's why I couldn't sleep then, I must have known something was missing.

I met up with Woody, his mascot dog Tike, got the boat hitched up and all the gear in his car. We were hoping to be on the river for around 7am as with the days finally starting to start and finish earlier/later we wanted to make the most of it. The drive to the river was a spectacular one in itself, mist rolling across fields as the sun began to rise on the horizon. We were both excited at the thought of a day that was to be pleasing on the eye. It's great catching fish but when you can do it in surroundings that look the part too it makes a day even more memorable. We arrived at the boat launch to find a slippery, icy, mud ramp. It looked quite dicey but we got the boat in and were away. There was a bit of colour to the water still and there was also a good bit of pull to it. Today we'd have to find some slacks to drop the baits in. Luckily my ghillie for the day was already expecting this and had a good few spots ready to drop in on. We set off for the first slack hole and as we made the way up river already it was promising something special.

As we pulled up towards our first spot the signs were good. Plenty of fish in the area showing up on the fish finder and a grebe busily working away diving down for a mouth full of silvers. Our slack bit of water had gathered a bit of ice, so we knew this bit of water would be somewhere the fish would be hanging out. We tested the depth and set up our stop nots so that the baits would be sat just right, stuck a dead fish on and cast out. Lamprey, herring and mackerel tail were the weapons of choice for starters.

Owning a boat is something I have found myself thinking more and more about, though funds aren't anywhere near enough and I know from speaking with other boat owners that you need more than you think you need, so I'm a long way off captaining my own vessel. I'm relatively new anyway to serious pike fishing so I've lots to learn and catch up on and in any case, a boat doesn't guarantee you any more or bigger fish. You still have to know you are doing and probably even more so from what little i've seen of boat fishing. The captains job is much more complicated than that of passenger, who apart from the odd job now and again just has to sit there and be guided all day. It's all right for some innit! I just had to sit there and be taken to the fish. I was with a man who knew where to look and how to tackle these places and I was going to be parked right on these spots and even told how to go about wangling one out.

"We'll put a bait there, one there and you should chuck yours there mate," explained Woody. He already had his rods in before I'd finished faffing with my own, then realising it wasn't quite rigged up correctly so quickly having to change it, cut my macky tail and then finally lob it out. We also fancied this spot might hold a perch or two so set about jigging about the area to see if any where around. We were busy breaking up lose bits of ice and scouring the area with the ultra light gear when suddenly my float just vanished. I quickly put the light lure rod down and picked up the bait rod, winding in the bit of slack line ready to set the hooks. The float had come back up but was bobbing about a bit and so I asked Woody what he thought. "You think I should go for it now mate" to which he gave me the nod. Fish on!

This was a good start, the bait hadn't been in the water no more than ten minutes and already I was in to a fish. There was a decent bend in the rod but when quizzed I couldn't say for sure how big the fish was because it was the first fish on my bait rod, and this bait rod felt like a big long bendy thing compared to my small jerk bait rod. There was a bit of solid resistance but I wasn't too sure. We were generally chatting as I leisurely played the fish, Woody sorting the net out then I got a glimpse. "Fuck's sake Woody get the net!" I'd seen the fish and knew it was a nice fish, mid double at a quick guess, though may be deep down I knew it was to be something else. The fish gave a couple of lunges, I faffed with a long bendy rod and fancy new baitrunner reel before finally lifting the fishes head up and sliding it towards the net where Woody scooped it up.

I'd not really seen the fish that much, and to be honest I also tried to ignore the fact it was a lump, telling myself It's "just" a nice high double. Now I don't mean that to sound big headed, in fact I mean it to be quite the opposite. I've not long since had a nice lump out of the rivers and so now I was feeling that it wasn't going to be happening again. I just came out for a steady fishing session, good company and to learn off someone far more experienced than me. Despite me suggesting the fish was just a nice fish, maybe even hoping it was "just" a high double, Woody was having none of it. "It's a twenty is this mate" to which I told him to "Fuck off, it can't be".

Woody unhooked the fish in the net for me while I sorted the camera. I then held the net while my guide for the day set about zeroing the scales with the weigh sling on. As Woody lifted the fish I told myself this fish might be 19lb 6oz, no idea where I got that figure from. If I'm honest it wasn't a guess at the fish more me trying hard to believe I hadn't gone and caught another twenty.

"Twenty two pound, bang on mate" I was told.

I still haven't got a clue how I felt. One of the weirdest feelings ever. Absolutely over the moon to catch a fish as big and as beautiful as this beast. Yet I couldn't help thinking I'd had more than my fair share of good fish recently. I know that for top pike anglers this is nothing but for someone like me who isn't chasing twenties to get two in my last three sessions is ridiculous. Add to that we'd been here ten minutes, and add to that I'd been picked up and dropped on the spot by my mate who had planned the trip, planned the style of attack, planned the peg we'd be in and had even spoke of the chance of a lump despite conditions not being so good. Shit, I hope he doesn't bill me for this, those pro' ghillies charge a right lump.

Hat's off to Mr Woodchucker for that one anyway, a very big thank you from me!


So we obviously stayed here a while longer. I think we picked up a jack and a missed run next and were weighing up the options. You can sit it out in the hope more fish are here or you can move. If you sit it out you might not get anything where a move might see you drop on a fish again in ten minutes, but then again you might be moving away from a good spot only to drop on a blank spot. You just have to go for it and make a call and live with it. We sat it out a bit longer and were rewarded when another float was bobbing away, Woody was in.

It took a while before we got a glimpse of the fish so that gave us hope that it had some weight about it and when it finally showed it's head we were pleasantly surprised as it was another fat fish. I wished it had been another twenty to the boat but that wasn't to be. I want to be there when someone else catches one and I want to share their joy as that's not happened to me yet. Getting out with mates is about enjoying each others moments and that's something I'm enjoying. A quick photo or two and a quick weigh and the fish went back, though we'd need not bothered weighing the fish as Woody predicted 15lb 7oz and it was bang on that. I doubt we'd been fishing an hour by now so the results meant there was no way we were going to move.

We picked up another couple of fish, nothing major just the usual jacks and I also managed to get a good bend in the rod only for the hooks to fling out/not set properly. We finally decided it was time to move on and set about searching for a new slack spot. Again, bait finder and grebe were a good indicator as to where the fish were. This spot was much deeper and so we had to quickly adjust the set ups but it wasn't too long before we were happy and confident of our chances of a fish or two. however it was hard going though this time. We would be verging on moving when one of us would finally get a take, only for it to be a jack. We stuck it out a while longer only for the same result. We bagged a few fish before moving off again and eventually planning on dropping on our first peg on the way back.

However our fishing was interrupted when we had to come to the aid of a pleasure boat drifting aimlessly along the river, and three people looking slightly puzzled, embarrassed and cold. It seems they were new to boats and were having engine trouble. We pulled up along side and Woody proceeded to give them some basic tuition, re routed some pipe work and then set them off on their way with a now working engine.

Time was knocking on now but we still had time to drop on our last swim for the day but that proved not so successful this time round with just one jack and a dropped run to show. Last light and the witching hour only saw to stir thoughts in our mind of big fish on the feed but this wasn't to be and we headed off back home.

For me, an absolutely belting day. Words can't describe it (wait, I think words did just describe it as I've just wrote a blog). Again another big thanks to Woody for taking me out and dropping me on a right lump If only it was so easy to repay with a lump in return.

Ghillie dog Tike

River wash out

What a shame this last week has been another river wash out as far as my pike lure fishing has been concerned. Rain, rain, rain and the river has been up and down and then back up again before you can even cast a line out. So my fishing this last week has been limited and I haven't got a great deal to write about. I did feel the need to put something here though which I'm hoping is a post to draw a line under the recent bad weather. I did manage to catch a few fish, one small perch and three pike which actually brings my pike tally for the year so far to two hundred. I've no idea if that is good or bad since I've never counted them before but it gives me something to think about of the next few years at least.

I somehow forgot to photograph the 200th fish, but it was only a tiddler of not even two pounds but at least I did get a trophy shot of a fish I caught from the river in between crazy levels.The river had been really high and then subsided, and I got out first chance. The bank was covered in debris, logs, bottles you name it. I couldn't even get a good spot to stand up on where I normally go. To make it even worse the bank was covered in two inch of silty mud which added to my troubles trying to stay stood up. Not a great deal happened but I did get a fish follow my firetiger real eel. I couldn't persuade it to take so left the spot half an hour or so and then cast into the same spot with my trusty rainbow lip lure. I figured the action of the lip lure might this time do the business and the pike took first cast. It put up one hell of a titanic battle and gave me great pleasure but the battle wasn't even over on the bank and I struggled for a picture as the fish just kept on fighting. A muddy and bloody fight for me in the end but I'm glad I at least got something to keep from this encounter with a truly fantastic brute of a fish.

Fourteen pound brute

I'm hopeful of a trip or two this week for the odd hour. I actually resisted the urge to get out today and gave the river a rest. It wasn't too far off a fishable level, the colour was getting better and I probably could have wangled at least a fish out as I'm sure the pike are ready for a feed. Instead I did something I don't normally do and I know it will give me the urge to get out next week. I had a lazy, boring Sunday doing nothing. I know what I'm doing tomorrow now.

2012 pike tally
Doubles 31
Total 200

Largest 22.5lb
Twenties - 2
Bonus Perch 49
Largest 3lb 12oz
Bonus chub - 1

A hard earned fish

I managed to nip out Tuesday for an evening session of about two hours. I managed to blank. If you want the details, the rivers were in flood and full of colour, the ponds were full of summer weed and the canal didn't produce. I first of all tried to fish a pond but the weed was just too much. I had a few small tiny pike charge at the lures which were as big as them. I gave it up. I then had a chuck in a canal I'd not fished before. It looked the part but I couldn't manage to wangle anything out in the half hour I was there. I did see signs of promise though as I had one jack follow and then strike the lure as I lifted out of the water. A combination of failing light and murky water meant I never even saw it, that could have been a blank saver had I had visibility a little more in my favour. Finally I tested my luck in a bit of river I've never fished. It was murky as hell, carrying water and I saw nothing. A chat with an old fellow walking his dog told me that there were some good perch coming out and a 22lb pike had been banked recently. Nothing I didn't already know even though I've never fished here, but it's the same river I've fished higher up and lower down with same results so stands to be the same here.

Wednesday I watched as the rain came down all day long. I awoke at 6am, checked out the curtains and then got back in bed. I sat bored all day until I managed to catch up on a stack of fishing programs. The Fishing Adventurer, Cyril Chauquet lives a lure anglers dream fishing all over the world for all kinds of predators. It passed my rainy afternoon on but it also fuelled the fire inside me and made me want to fish even more. It was still raining, very very fast.

I was in my lads bedroom looking for an advantage. He's in the loft conversion and has a window on the north and south side of the house from which I can see for some distance. I spotted in the far, far distance a break in the clouds and one that looked like the calm after the storm. I went down and got my waterproofs on and set off, wife and kids looking at me as if I was some kind of lunatic. I think fishing is turning me in to some kind of lunatic to be honest.

As I got out of the car the sun came out and it was like being somewhere other than England. I went back to the canal I'd tried yesterday but after 45 minutes I'd not seen a sign of a fish. I then moved up to the river but before I could manage a cast I was greeted by an old chap asking for my permit. I didn't even realise this bit of water had a club running it and after a brief chat with the nice old lad off I went. I'd passed a small cut thousands of times and often figured it would hold a fish or two, because when the river comes up the whole area is flooded and then when it subsides the cut is all that's left. It was surrounded by a jungle of nettles and thorny bushes. I managed to have about a dozen casts in two very awkward spots but I gave it up. The water was crystal clear and I never saw anything follow. A pike laying wait in this water would have spotted my lure the moment it hit the water.

I trundled back to the car with my tail between my legs. My car was pointing home and there wasn't much water in my way. There was no where to cast a line except for the flooded river. Only problem being this bit of river has never produced for me in the half dozen times i've tried it. I quoted my only rule in fishing, and that is you won't catch if you don't fish. I parked up and grabbed the bare minimum and trundled down to the waters edge to find the bit I was expecting to fish from under about a foot of water. I managed to hop, skip and jump across a few boulders and grass sods to within fish landing distance. This was one final shot at a fish, a small slack pool right after some fast water.

I cast in and started to retrieve the rainbow. I've hooked fish here before but lost every single one of them, so as I was winding in that thought was in my head. I then saw a swirl right behind my lure. A pike had had a lunge at my lure but I can only assume that with the dark, murky water and low light the pike had got it's bearings wrong. I gave the lure a sharp flick to make as much vibration as possible and kept the retrieve going and then "Fish on" said Cyril. It gave a good fight but I always had the upper hand and quickly got it in to the flooded shallows, weaving through the grass and then safely chinned out. The hook up was a complicated one but I managed to get them out only later to realise I'd had a close scrape as the pike had flipped. A flying treble had nicked my wrist, it was a small cut but was so close to being a nightmare scenario. The fish was still attached to the hook at that time so a treble in my wrist would have been fun. A quick blog photo and back it went. I had a few more casts and then decided to leg it home and get a brew down my neck.

2012 pike tally 
Doubles 28
Total 171

Largest 22.5lb
Twenties - 2
Bonus Perch 8

Turn off the soaps

Since my last blog i've been sulking. I managed to hook and lose a twenty pounder. What more can I say on it? I'm nearly over it now, but it was a bit gutting having played the fish for a while and then the hook just coming free. Just one of those things and all part of fishing. I wasn't chasing a monster, but when you have one and lose it it hurts.

The fishing Gods then dealt me a further blow. The river had not long been open and had just settled down to a good level with the fish responding and me having plenty of action. Until that is the heavens opened again and it lashed it down all over the country, causing my river to reach it's highest level for five years and bursting it's banks in plenty of places. The river came up lightening fast with a tremendous amount of water it really was a sight. Not so good for the homes flooded or for the farmers who's crops were now underwater.

Picture doesn't show the true extent of the floods

I turned to my back up canal where I proceeded to pass on some time having fun catching two or three pike per couple hour session. I've not had anything substantial yet and I'm still working out what makes it tick. Sometimes you can get a couple of fish lightening fast in a peg other times nothing, everywhere is dead. It's my chill out spot though, away from everyone, away from all the noise of life.

Awesome sunset (no photo enhancing this was real)

The river became fish able again a few days ago and I've managed to get in an hour or two either before or after work. I seem to have found out where the pike are coming to feed and when they are there I can pick up five or six pike in an hour from one spot, with everywhere else not producing anything. I think I've worked it out and the pike are feeding just off the main flow. I'm not sure if they're feeding on the smaller fish who are feeding off the millions of tiny fry in the edge, or if they are just waiting off the main current for fish in the fast water coming out. Whatever, this is the bit of river that needs to be fished. I've not managed to pull out anything of note, but had some great fun. The fish are hitting the lures hard and fighting even harder. I had a fish of just over five pound tonight which just wouldn't come in. One fish thrashed out of the water shaking it's head and wouldn't stop, defying gravity for an age. I've had a fish chase the lure right in to the shallows and practically beach itself, I had to look closely to make sure it wasn't a killer whale chasing seal pups. I've also had a good helping of lost fish, missed takes and fish following and giving my nerves a nudge. I've notched up around twenty pike from one spot in less than eight hours fishing. I haven't really taken many photos though so not much to show off. Most fish have been around the seven to nine pound mark, largest fish was twelve pound but it was absolutely chucking it down when that one came in so I just popped it straight back before we both got caked in mud. Similarly many fish have been put back sharpish, often unhooked in the water because when it hasn't been raining it's been quite hot at times.

I love a good action shot. Not always easy to get when you're on your own and sometimes they turn out rubbish when you get home and have a look. I'm happy with this one though so thought I'd share. For the curious, that's a chunky titanium trace made by Chicoslures who you can't beat for quality and service and of course that's the ever reliable Savage Gear rainbow lip lure.

Another reason I haven't taken too many photos or messed about with the fish is that many of them are suffering a few bumps and bruises. Many have decent gashes on them. One nine pound pike looked like it had been held by a much larger pike and others seem to have teeth marks while other times I look at the gashes and wonder if they are from spawning or even other predators such as otters. Anyone who can add anything similar or definite answer give me a nudge. The photo below gives you an idea but some of them have been far worse than this example.

11.5lb showing damage

Apart from the fishing, which has been fabulous when I've been able to get out the wildlife hasn't been bad either so whenever I was quick enough I snapped at anything that moved. Three times these swans nearly took my head off trying to take off before I finally managed to get the camera out just in time to get a shot of them going over my head. I felt like I was stood by the fence watching the planes take off at the airport. I managed to miss a barn owl come within twenty feet of me, twice. It came in low and silent and it was gone before I could picture it. That really would have made a fantastic photo had I caught it.

This giant was much easier to capture. I've no idea what particular type of arachnid it is, but it's pretty stunning close up.

Dragons flies are always great to photo if you can find one willing to chill out for a minute or two. This beast was about six inches long and I'm sure it actually had to have had an engine to power those wings.

Most of my fishing has been while the majority of the country are sat watching Emmerdale, Eastenders and Coronation Street. Those people don't know what they are missing.

2012 pike tally

 Doubles 17

Total 93

Largest 22.5lb
Bonus Perch 2

Back with a bang.

Driving in to the yard at 5:30am for work, I could see the river level had dropped quite a bit, but was still very very chocolatey and still had lots of flow to it. If I was lucky the level and flow may both drop a bit and give me a chance to fish a little bit after work, the colour didn't worry me too much. As long as the water wasn't raging through I knew I had a chance. Luckily I was pretty busy at work so didn't have time to clock watch and 2pm came very quickly, and off I scampered to the car for my gear and then to see how my peg had held up after the floods. Those who read the last blog will know what I'm talking about, but that wasn't quite the full story. I nipped back Saturday afternoon, river still raging through but had subsided a little, enough for me to repair my newly built peg and unhooking spot. I'd made a decent effort and was a little more confident it would hold up this time, and you would never believe it, the river came up again Saturday night. Oh my god, not again. But on inspecting my peg today everything was virtually how I had left it and had held up well this time. Finally I could make a start on this new river season.

I sorted my gear out and got ready for a river fish, all that was left was to chose my weapon, the ever reliable rainbow lip lure. It's got a decent bit of reflection to it despite not having much paint left on, and quite a bit of water movement and vibration when you jerk it, so in my opinion was a good choice for today's murky, chocolate water. Some people, I have read, don't bother with lures when the water is like this and prefer to stick out a smelly bait and wait for the fish. It doesn't bother me though one bit, I know that if the fish are hungry and feeding, they can still find a lure. Despite the fact there is the noise from the weir a hundred metres up stream, despite the current rushing past ten to fifteen metres away and despite the fact visibility is probably only around a foot or two at most. The pike is a predator, and this is her environment. She is tuned to work in this environment and she'll spot the flash of a lure, she'll pick up on the splashes and vibrations of the lure and she can find it easy, as easy as during a bright sunny day in crystal clear water. I do believe though, in my opinion, this cloudy chocolatey water actually works in my favour. I believe the pike are more inclined to follow a lure in the murky water than crystal clear water, and I also believe that they are less prone to following and turning away last minute and more likely to smash the lure. We all have our own theories.

Fifteen minutes gone and nothing smashed yet. Theory out of the window? Change lures? Move swims? Go home before you've wasted your day? Nope, stick at it. This peg looks like it'll produce to me. The water is rushing past further out, but this near bank is pretty relaxed, has a slight upstream pull to it and I would expect all sorts of fish to be chilling out here. I retrieve my lure again, and as it reaches virtually rod tip, still out of sight in the murk I feel a tug. A quick strike and I feel the fish but don't hook into it, and as I do so I see the midriff or a fish break surface. It's one of those heart in mouth moments, as this fish rolls and then disappears into the depths, me stood there saying "oh shit, oh shit, oh shit". That was a high double easy and possibly, very possibly a twenty. I probably saw two foot of fish and never even saw it's head or tail and it had some girth to it. Not fisherman's tales girth, but that of a definite good fish. What a start to the river season that would have been, but alas it wasn't to be.

Forget it, keep fishing. I cast plenty of times in the area in the hope it'll hit again but no joy. I have it in the back of my head that it might show up again at some point, but try not to dwell on it. When the next tug on the rod comes though, I can't help but think that it could be that fish again. Wow, this fish has some fight, though one minute I'm thinking maybe it is, the next maybe not. It does fight well and it does stay low, so I'm confident that it is a decent fish, not just a little jack but as the fight goes on I start to think it's possibly a low double, and on weighing it is eleven pound. Not a bad start and I'm happy. All my closed season fishing has produced 42 pike and not one double among them, yet my first on the river and I'm already in to one. No wonder I was looking forward to getting back to this place.

I managed to miss a hit, lose two jacks of around 6lb, and land another two at 8lb before finally hooking in to another stockier fish of 13lb. She had a decent sized head, and on the mat clearly empty of eggs having a bit of a saggy belly. She was a gorgeous colour, much brighter and more orange and her fin colours were awesome. A perfectly healthy fish who hopefully will put on afew pounds over the next few years. Would you believe me if I told you I decided to come home not long after that, having only had a couple hours on the river? Believe it or not I wanted to come home before I'd had the session of sessions, had I hooked that twenty it might just have been. Even so this first session back was a belter but I didn't want to make it much more special and then have every other session feeling dull in comparison. I wanted to come home from fishing still craving more and still wondering what could have been, still thinking of that twenty and how it slipped my grasp. I've got another full season to go on the rivers, i've got no targets, no monster hunting just looking forward to some enjoyable fishing sessions made up of near misses, pike smashing at the lure and every now and a again landing a nice one, that'll do me.

2012 pike tally

 Doubles 14

Total 68

Largest 22.5lb
Bonus Perch 2

Ready....steady.....where'd it go?

Well it's finally here, one more sleep (or no sleep if you're that keen) to go and we're back on the rivers. I've been looking forward to it and counting down the days but to be honest, now it's actually here I'm not as fussed. Don't get me wrong, I'll be on there as soon as possible and as often as possible, but now it's actually here I feel more relaxed and less anxious about it. I guess because now I know I can go whenever I want to. Thursday evening I had a quick look and the river looked perfect and apart from my spot being overgrown it looked good. I could have done it earlier, I'd planned to, but I still hadn't got around to sorting the peg properly. I wanted to level off the bank to make it easier for fishing and unhooking and add to the fact now I needed to cut down the three feet high weeds, thistles and stinging nettles.




Working afternoons it gave me time to do just that on Friday morning and this is the scene that greeted me. Nice and over grown with plenty to do, but I was confident it would be done and dusted in an hour or two at most. I first set about getting everything cut down so I could see where to level off. I found a couple of lengthy logs and placed them so I had a decent fishing peg and then a little back up the bank a nice level spot for unhooking the fish. Digging away and then backfilling as I went, the soft soil was easy to work with and I had it done in no time. I also hammered in as many stakes as I could to try and hold the logs in place. I could do with a better way of securing the logs for now and I'll get around to that soon, and eventually when the grass grows around them the roots will also help hold everything in place.

Not a bad effort and it should do just nicely. I trampled down as much of the soil and tried to compact it as much as possible. The soil is really soft, in fact it would be spot on for my back garden, it's cracking garden soil and my geraniums and the rest would love it. Hopefully a few sessions on the bank, me walking up and down and it would be fine. I do however need to get some more soil on the logs with maybe some rubble to help compact and maybe even get some decent stakes knocked in and nailed to the logs to secure them. Rome wasn't built in a day though and I needed to hack away at more nettles to make a way to a couple other pegs, and sort out the bank side where I get down to my peg, maybe dig in some steps or something. I managed to get all that done and it's time to go grab a quick shower and a pot of tea before work, all happy with what I've achieved. However, having kept one eye on the river all the time I was working, I noticed that it was on it's way up.

Fishing Gods, what have I done to anger you? By the time I'd finished, roughly an hour and a half, I noticed that the river level had risen by around twelve inches. That's a real twelve inches by the way, not the twelve inches our lass sees. While I'm talking about our lass, I'm wondering if she's been praying to the decorating Gods. I have loads to do at home, recently installing a partition wall so there's a new corridor upstairs and so that corridor, the staircase and bedroom needs lots of man time on it. Well by the looks of things that's exactly what I will be doing this weekend. With more rain forecast it's not looking good and even worse, the river level kept on rising. I kept swinging the security camera around to my peg to see what was happening every hour or so and each time I did the water was higher and higher until finally at 7pm and me finishing, I went for a look to see for myself. 

Yes, that rather large log in the top centre of the picture is one of the two I'd dug in today. Who knows if the other one is stuck solid to the river bank or if it's already been washed down stream. The river is up at least five feet I'd guess and any plans I had of being up at the crack of dawn are now shelved. Luckily I've taken it all with a bit of humour and not let it get to me. It's a shame possibly all that work I did has gone to waste and it's a shame I won't be out at first light on my favourite spot but not to worry as finally that date we've all been waiting for is upon us.Good luck to anyone who gets out and I hope you have an enjoyable day with a few fish thrown in for good measure.

Friggin' decorating, I hate it.

2012 pike tally

 Doubles 12

Total 63

Largest 22.5lb
Bonus Perch 2

Scalm Park carp

Having not been out with my pike gear for a while I had a chance to get out with a rod for a relaxing session on a carp puddle, in what turned out to be a pleasantly warm sunny day. Wait, what!? Yes sunny, but I thought our summer came and went in early April? Well my face is actually a little rosier tonight and I have a feeling tomorrow will have me showing off my panda eyes again. Why do I always leave my sunglasses on all day, even when the missus reminded me to take them off? Weather wise it was as much a contrast to recent weeks, as the style of fishing I would be doing was to my usual lure chucking. I think we're all aware of the recent drought we've been having across the country, you know the drought that has left every river swollen and bulging and even bursting the banks in many places. 

 
Not that I'm fishing it of course, but my bit of river was no exception and reached it's limit recently. The flood was bringing all sorts down stream and watching it surge I had to wonder where on earth the fish could hide. The middle picture was taken from the top of the bank behind where I usually fish, hard to tell but even if I was stood up straight in my peg I'd still be under 5 feet of water easy. The right picture shows where there should be a weir, the water level clearly above it. Watching the water surge through is a bit hypnotic and you just seem to stare at it, then a beer barrel floats by, or a huge tree. Who knows what new snags will be in my swim come June 16th.

But we're far from that date and I've been promising myself I'd have to get out and do something different. I've been fancying a bit of pond fishing for tench, but the ponds I wanted to fish are part of the flood relief for my river so even that was out of the question. Couple that with the shoddy weather and my enthusiasm for getting a rod out has been dampened some what. Then this weekend the sun promised to shine and so I tagged along with my old man and his old man for a steady session on a small carp lake on a caravan site they'd unhitched on for the season. I turned up with a bucket full of different baits expecting a few carp and a nice relaxing day. It's not normally my scene, I've had a bash at it in the past, enjoyed it but moved on seeming to settle only for the adrenaline fuelled action of Esox hunting this past year.

Now I've fished these types of ponds before and have a decent idea what to expect. Go for the maggot approach and you'll end up with a bag full of silvers but I didn't fancy that. In the past I've had lots of fun with floating bread in carp puddles, but it probably isn't warm enough for that right now plus add to that often it can get frustrating while all the small roach etc nibble away at your hook bait and the only feeding carp seem to only take every other bit of bread except yours. They take the piss don't they! I didn't want to go down that route and so decided upon using a method feeder, sitting it out until one of the carp came along to suck up my offering. It all seemed like a decent plan but after a while of not catching I started getting restless. Chopping and changing baits didn't seem to help one bit either. Now I'd already seen my dad catching the day before as I'd nipped out for a quick look to see what tactic was working, but decided against float fished garlic sausage in the margins even though it was seemingly working. Chucking my mixture of goodies out 20 yards with a popped up bait seemed to me at least like it should get a few fish through the day. If only I could find the Savage Gear rainbow lip lure of the carping world I'd bag up.

I was joined by my grandfather. He picked the nearest peg to the caravan because he's not as nifty on his feet as he used to be, but at 79 he's still not lost his appetite for fishing. In days gone by he liked a bit of fly fishing and nothing better than trotting a few maggots down the river in search of anything silvery. He also loved to fish using a center pin reel and the keen eyed reader will notice he's testing out his new toy in the picture. Not the typical set up for a carp puddle in todays modern high tech world but you try telling someone who has fished over 70 years that his method isn't correct. for a start, for him it's not about holding out a pole and then bagging up, it's about fishing and fishing is about enjoyment and part of that enjoyment is using his center pin reels. First thing he did when I got there today was show me how long the reel would continually spin, with the minimal amount of force used. As a kid I used to help him time them with his old stopwatch and if they weren't up to speed, help him clean, polish and lubricate them to make them spin for an eternity. He's probably still got those reels somewhere, all still in perfect working order too. He flicked out a flake of bread and a tiny float and proceeded to catch a few small silvers and eventually bagging a decent roach of around a pound. Not too long later and he's shouting me to help him net a very strong mirror carp. His new reel is now getting a good workout but I think the reel would fair much better after the fight then he would. Having weighed the fish at 10.5lbs, a light shower was welcomed and he used it as an opportunity to get a breather and some lunch back in the caravan.

10.5lb mirror carp -center pin reel with 5lb line

After lunch it was time for my old man to come out and play. Bringing his garlic sausage (wait, that sounds just wrong doesn't it) and nothing else he stuck on a float and cast in the margins. Not too long later he bagged a small common of around four or five pound while I managed to miss a run and leave myself in a tangle instead. Not too long later and my dad is in again but this time it's a mirror and much bigger. It seems, from viewing experience only of course and not catching experience, that any of the carp hooked want to head straight at your feet and into the margins. With only 6lb line on it was a little hairy watching the carp cut through the reeds, debris flying everywhere. My dads net wasn't big enough so I flicked the switch on the rear of my baitrunner and headed to help out with my net. The fish wasn't giving up yet and while I waited I then heard my reel scream as line flew out. But the hook didn't set on it's own and I'd missed my second run of the day. Never mind, may be the fish are starting to feed now anyway another will come along soon. I netted the carp, quickly photographed and weighed it and put it back. The 12.5lb mirror was the largest fish out so far and gave hope that more like that would follow.

12.5lb garlic sausage eater

Full of renewed hope I got back to fishing. Sticking with my method mix, switching baits occasionally and persevered.I wasn't desperate for a fish and was enjoying being sat out in the sun, helping net their fish and waiting for mine to come along. My dad continued to catch, half a dozen or so, nothing quite as big but all gave a good scrap as they headed for the bank right under his feet and all falling to garlic sausage. They were all carp except one fish which was a chub of around 3lb, and in perfect condition too. That one though wasn't quite as big as the one he had the night before which was over 4lb. Meanwhile I continued to sit there catching nothing. How long do you stick at something? How long before you change tactics or even swims. Five minutes in the right place is better than five hours in the wrong one. Wow, thanks for that bit of wisdom inner concious, aren't you the clever one! Yes i knew this already, and use this rule lots when chucking my lures. Today though I just stuck at it and hoped in the end it would pay off. Hindsight is, well it's really annoying to be honest and no it isn't wonderful at all. Yes I know I should have drove off to the nearest supermarket and bought myself some garlic sausage. I should have then chucked it in the margin sprinkling a few tit bits every now and then. I could have then added a picture of me with a carp just like my dad and my granddad. Oh well, so long as I learn from it right!


Well yes I did learn something. As I drove home tonight, tail firmly between my legs having been well and truly whipped by my elders, I realised that I can't wait for the rivers to open again. I enjoyed my day on the puddle despite the fact I caught naff all. Actually, I tell a lie I did manage to catch a single solitary roach for my efforts. But I realised that this kind of fishing is pretty much no longer in my interests at all. I've blanked on carp puddles before and I've also bagged up on them same as any other fishing and my feelings aren't based on one poor session. I have fished them plenty and always had the urge to go back after a blank or a red letter day and always wanted to try and get one bigger or catch more of them than last time. Yet this time, this day on the puddle comes on the back of a solid nine months of nothing but lure fishing and it felt pretty dull in comparison. I didn't get enjoyment faffing around with rigs, trying to critically balance my bait so as to present it in the perfect manner. I didn't feel any tension as I sat waiting for my reel to scream off and neither did I find myself wondering what the carp would be thinking, where they would be hiding or how they would be reacting to everything around them and every little thing I did. I imagine any decent carp puddle angler would however be the opposite. They would enjoy the tinkering and faffing, they'd enjoy the waiting around and they would sit for hours before, during and after a session trying to get inside the mind of a carp so that they could understand and then better their fishing by doing so. For me, it just didn't happen and that above all else is the reason I had a stinker of a session. It wasn't just because I didn't fish the margins when that was clearly where the fish were taking baits, it wasn't because I didn't switch to garlic sausage when it was clearly working as a bait. The simple fact in my opinion on why I didn't catch was because my heart wasn't in it. Yes I did learn something from today, Esox rules ok!

2012 pike tally

 Doubles 11

Total 23

Largest 22.5lb

Houdini pike

Last week Fisky predicted when my fishing on the river would be best, he said they'd be feeding like mad and that evening I managed an hour and got three fish including the seventeen pounder. So when early this week he told me that Thursday would be the day I was already looking forward to it. From Monday I was tracking everything such as weather and moon fazes, even trying to get the seagulls to shit on me for luck, and as the week progressed it looked more and more like the man could be spot on with his predictions. I decided against a crack of dawn start and leisurely got up, nipped to the shop for some bread and milk etc before getting back in the house and having a nice pot of tea and some toast while I had a quick catch up on the internet. I flicked through my usual sites and did the mandatory weather check which while was a little gloomy, would be pleasantly warm and the rain would luckily stay away.

I clicked the river levels link just to check and see how my river was. We've not had much rain round my end but then that doesn't matter, it's what's been happening elsewhere that counts, up in them hills. The river has been up a foot or two and back down again this week already which has put a damper on my fishing but when I clicked this morning to my dismay the river was up around a meter on it's normal level. Well for me and my lure fishing that is a disaster because my peg, which is about 60 meters from the weir, turns in to raging monster. I have caught before using baits tucked right in the edge, but the constant battle against the flow back and forth and the tree branches, beer barrels and everything else makes it not worth the hassle.

Time for a different approach. With the river closed season fast upon us I've already been wondering where I should go when that time comes. There's some ponds local to me that don't get too much attention and I have had some decent fish out including my pb. But I don't fish it much and when I have recently it has been full of weed. It's so shallow the weed seems to get more and more each year to the point that sometimes I wonder if there is actually any water left in the pond. I was hoping the recent lid the ponds have had would have knocked the weed back a bit and I could get to fish but after the first few casts I found out this wasn't the case at all. Any diving lure was a waste of time, spinner baits dug in to the weed and even shallow baits wouldn't really work. I was pretty gutted I couldn't get to use my rainbow lip lure here and realised why as a kid I only ever used surface poppers. I figured on one last try with my larger lures and decided to put on a 12cm floating Salmo Slider. It's a new lure to me and I've not caught with it yet on the river but then since it's more of a surface lure I didn't really expect I would except maybe in the summer. If I could keep the lure up in the water away from the weed I might have a chance of catching something. Another good thing about the slider is you can cast it quite far, much further than the SG lip lures. First cast I managed to get it out about 60m virtually to the middle of the pond and within ten seconds of retrieving, the lure darting one way then the other, there was an all mighty commotion as a pike broke the surface and smashed my lure. It wasn't much of a battle since it turned out to be around 5lb but the take was fantastic.

 I netted the fish out because it was easier then me trying to reach down for it. I don't like using the net for jacks because you often get in to a tangle and that's exactly what happened. I quickly freed the pike leaving my hooks tangled in the net, that reminds me I keep meaning to get a new one, and decided I'd take a photo of the fish even though it was only a little one. Since I was in a tangle I thought the easiest thing to do was to sack the pike while I sorted my mess out. The fish seemed fine and I securely tied off the cord. I took a couple of minutes to get my gear sorted while the jack had a little splash and a wriggle and then got the mat and camera ready. Returning to the sack I untied the cord and lifted up the sack. Where the chuffing hell has the pike gone? All I had in my hand was a wet sack, still with the draw strings tight but no fish inside. I thought it must have somehow managed to bite through my sack and quickly checked for the hole. I couldn't see one at first so looked again, and again. How the chuffing hell did the pike get out? I still couldn't see a hole. The only thing I can think of is that when I sacked the fish I didn't even get it in the sack and instead just wrapped it up somehow, what a cock! Either that or this pike was the long lost relation to Harry Houdini. I chuckled to myself and got back to fishing glad that I hadn't just managed to lose a massive pike. If nothing else, at least from now on whenever I sack a fish I'll be that little bit more careful.

The next two hours passed without so much as a sniff which was a bit of a shame but at least I managed to get out for a few hours before work. The bird life is fantastic and I'm surprised there weren't any of the twitchers about. They missed the heron, kingfisher and all manner of ducks, some geese, the annoying swans and constant battles of the water hens. While at work I watched the river level slowly  drop as the day went on. It still didn't really look fishable but If I'm lucky and that graph above continues to drop then I might be in with a chance of an hours lure fishing on the river tomorrow. I really don't fancy watching Jeremy Kyle and the rest so if there's a glimmer of hope I'll be out even if it's just for half an hour.

2012 pike tally

Total 10

Largest 17lb