Local Canal Piking part2

After telling my dad that a 2 hr attempt would be futile after a few previous failed attempt i decided to give it a try.

the stretch was busy with about 10 anglers mainly pikers over a half a mile stretch - dad and i took a unfashionable peg which i new had produced pike close to an overhanging tree in the past.

I remember pulling a pike out of the favoured peg last winter to be told by a guy on this peg he had 3!!!

The only run of the 2hrs - a great fight and a 9lber - felt great to be proved wrong - thanks dad.

The WYE adds sparkle

Because i felt stale with the results of the two quests I was undertaking on very hard stretches of river, Kennet town centre and Irwell I decided to orgainise the annual day out to the Wye with my dad and two mates.

One,Geoff lives near Hereford so he arranged the day tickets for the Hereford AA stretch - we just had to leave at stupid o'clock to meet him for first light for a days piking & barbel bashing.
With only a few decent pegs on the stretch we decided that 2 would do the barbelling and 2 would be on the move for pike.

The Start
My dad and Chris put together the barbel rods with Geoff and I helping with the rigs, 8lb mainline, 8lb braid hooklink and the usual hair rig halibut pellet with scaleded pellets / groundbait/pellet in the feeder.
When I came to put my pike rod together I noticed that the handle on the brand new Prologic XLNT baitfeeder had dropped off while I was carrying it in the quiver - damn… I searched to no avail ruined a reel and lost 1 hr trying to find it.
PIKING
Chris and Dad were getting touches from the off - but Geoff and I left them for a good pike spot some 250 metres upstream - It was my turn to start the "sink and draw" approach (on my second rod/real) using sardine as bait - second cast and we both could see this 10lber follow the bait right up to the bank. I slowed the retrieve to a stop 2 yards in front of me and twitched the bait. The Pike amazingley lay next to the bait and wouldn’t take it - every twitch and change of direction was met by the same move from the pike - but no take. Then right behind the small double we saw a big old girl - it was huge - at least a "20" it dwarfed the other pike - it too moved in formation with the bait and first pike - but at no time for over 15 mins of the pike moving away me re-casting did it take the bait - even Geoff could induce it to take onhis turn - we finally scared them off and on my last cast of the hour I hit into a small jack which fell off after a few seconds - typical!!!.
Then Geoff's wife and kids arrived - and when I told them about my real - they said they had come across the handle back near the opening - 30mins later - £1 each they had found it - best catch of the day by a mile.
BARBELLING
Chris & Dad had missed a few bites so Chris decided to swap with me and went Piking with Geoff.
I changed the approach on the rods and added more scaleded pellets - it seems to work
First dad was in on a tentative bite - it was a beauty - he played for 20 mins and finally got in a barb at 8.6 - then it was my turn - a barb of over 4lb.

I let Chris have the rod and i converted the pike rod and moved downstream - first cast and whack - I was in again - this time it was a better stamp and weighed in at 7.6 (a new PB only just),

I then moved downstream again and first cast - I had to catch my rod - it didn’t feel a monster until I saw it was a chub - got it in - my 4lb was in the balance - at 4.2lb - a new pb by 2oz
3 pbs I long day and I found my handle

Chris was gutted - the first time he has been off the fish on the annaul barbel trek,