Christmas wishes - a pike or two

Christmas wishes to you all,

you cant catch a pb from your bed - even blanking in my last two short sessions piking in the terrible rain can not dampen the spirits

even when the following day was perfect conditions!!!

ho ho ho.....

get out there and give it a go...

Men with Red Faces!!!!!

It was Mick Brown who penned this as a chapter title in his book the Practice and the Passion, describing the winter pike fisherman, obsessive or mad!!!

The lads who attended the Salford Friendly Anglers working party at Irlam Old course on Sunday were definately a bit of both, with red faces initially caused by all the hard work breaking down the masses of bushes to clear pegs,

then those that fished afterwards would have started to get the winter burn after a few hours on the bank, it was freezing!!!

For me i arrived with dad at 10.30am due to grandkids duties, helped make a swim fishable for one hour hard graft then it was time to think about fishing for a few hours

The water was iced over so first it was off to tesco to buy a tow rope where i attached my car jack and started to break the ice to make a swim for me and dad, the rope was only about 3m long to we had to fish near in....

dad had a few bites on pinky and got a couple of roach, me i had a prawn on one rod and a deadbait on the other,

it was about 1 hour in when dad got a me livebait, now i have no problem using lives... but i do hook them carefully, if i do not get a pike i aim to put the baitfish back alive,

So 10mins with the roach on and i was in, a nice 5lb+ graced the net, i retained the live bait so it went back out and within 15mins and other run and a 4lber was the culprit,

but i lost the baitfish, it didnt float so hopefully it had a lucky escape, so i put on a dead and waited only 10mins, and another run, i was into another jack but it must have had the roach side on and the hooks not held firm cos after 5 seconds of it showing it was off.

I would normally take a strike after 5-10 secs of seeing the float move in winter and no more the 5 in the summer, if /when i have pike fished,(but i dont usually fish for pike in the summer),

so with only 1metre from my float to the ice it really was strike straight away and hold on, then nothing for 2 hours on sardines, dad got me another roach so on it went then within 10mins a run which saw me catch a branch under the water and i could see it tangled and it aided the pike to throw the hooks.
Then for another 15minutes it was mental, 3 more runs, was it the same pike? i guess maybe, but each take was very shy, just moving off with the  baitfish and not turning it, cos each strike and the fish was on for 5 second or more where i could see it near the surface, if not the same fish they were jacks for sure,

So on the 7th run of the session i let it go the full 10 seconds right to the edge of the ice, then i hit it and this time a 4lber was in the net, and guess what it was so lightly hooked they came out in the net.

It definately was live outfishing the deads.............

A thoroughly enjoyable day!!!! no pics as the batteries were dead after a long period in my garage!!!

Winter Fishing - Bring it on!!!

For once I was really glad to miss this weekend fishing, although the virus was not welcome the time to reflect certainly was,  this got me to thinking of past captures and future targets, then a realisation set in  that over the past few years I really have wimped out in winter. 

“So what” I hear all the fair weather fisherman say, well for an angler that combines pleasure with a bit of specimen fishing albeit to catch the biggest of the type I am after on the water concerned. Indeed so what. 

In winter it all slows down and catches are worse right….. 

In reflection, no !!! 

So for Tench and bream ok.... I have always targeted them in May onwards thus not focusing on anything else, ok so hard waters have taken catch rates down but a 7lb tench and 7lb bream pb from Blackleach Res, not many can say that (cos not that many can catch there these days).

 

Carp are associated with summer, but I have rarely gone for these by design, there crucian cousins yes, and taking fish to 2.4lb from Fir Tree Flash which is more of a park type lake  this going back some 5 years ago was  great,  Many crucians and tench albeit smaller than the Blackleach variety. Note to self, i must find the crucian photos in the garage, time before digi cameras.

Barbel and chub, I have targeted far less than I would have liked, down to once a year, 7 years ago on a day ticket stretch in middlewich I would drop in once a week and then do a Sunday session, taking barbs to 7lb in late summer and autumn, and I have had a few good last hours dropping off the m6 on my way home from a meeting to target chub into the dark, best of 4lb. 

A big surprise for me was getting to the bank at 5am on the River Glaze in winter  with Dad to catch his favourite, 5am would get the last peg on the 100m stretch, pole to pole tempting roach to 1lb though I now they went bigger than 2lb and some say upto 3lb, it was a dream 2 years winter fishing, until the new bank work killed the annual route of the silvers. I would get 8-10 lb roach in 2 hours before work, and some locals would say that was bad fishing….. they haven’t been to Blackleach then, again i must find the photos....... 

The cold January day would see an annual trip to the River Ure, piking, where my biggest went to 15.5(main blog photo) In freezing temperatures, not massive and I am sure my local rivers hold a new pb for me this winter, but it was while I went to check on a friend that the Red Letter day thoughts sprang to mind. With me asking whats that in the water near the bushes and him saying, dunno not got my contacts in I thought it was twigs.. In fact they were rows of decent size perch in formation largest at the front, though it was near dark a couple of 2lbers were taken with freelined worm, on return saw my “last hour” fishing this to get a fish at the head of the shoal weighing 3.5oz(this blog opening pic), non were feeding, this was aggressive response to food dancing by.  A few months later that very tree was washed into the river in a storm, moving those perch on to find new habitat, damn...

that’s the only reason to stop me driving for 4 hours roundtrip each week during the winter.

While we all enjoy warm days at the bank dreams can come true in winter

So bring it on!!!

 

Old River Predator hunt

I think it was Martin Bowler who said he treats a blank as step closer to his next big catch and that he learns more blanking than he ever does when catching....

that said then i should be the most knowledgable angler in Salford.......... 2 more attempts predator fishing at my dads favourite water, and blank...

last weekend, weather ok but bright, peg 5th from the pub, tactics 1 deadbait  and 1 floatfish prawn, worm for the perch, dad was just maggot fishing, nothing between us in 2 hours,
the pole anger on the first peg had a few bits, assume it is getting peggy with the change in temperature,

today out at first light for 3 hours, we managed the first peg, same tactics as above but dad put in a deadbait rod too....

well dad had nothing on the mags, i mean i do not expect him to catch as much as a pole angler, for obvious presentation and catch effectiveness of the pole, but i would have expected a bit or two on the mags...... he was on 2.5lb bottom, so maybe he could go down to 1lb,

then at 10,30, i saw a good double size pike nose out of the water near dads float by some lillypads, "give it 20mins" i said, and sure enough, a take.... the float did not go under as he was fishing on the bottom and fish had maybe moved upwards.... for a few seconds the flost travelled then stop (which i took to be the point where the predator is turning the half of herring), then it moved off again, "go on dad strike" - he did and he was in, but five or six second later it was off..... dad blamed me for telling him to strike and not letting it swallow the bait.. but i would rather take it early and loose it than risk deep hooking.... anyway it could have been a mouth hook up and a good shake of the head could have pulled free from the front treble.

But in terms of general fishing, it was poor......maybe the cold nights have turned the fish off until they get used to the lower temperatures, maybe dads presentation and line diamater wasnt ideal to tease these silvers.... or maybe the fish were frequenting other pegs..... i do not know this water that well so do not know the winter shoaling behavior or if there are other influences like a hot water pipe or some other attractor.

Well Mr Bowler what would you have learnt from todays blank???

Predators - the Old River

Each water has its own stories, some will be true, others not so, i have done a number of short sessions on this water of late and heard stories of huge pike, 6lb eels and 3lb plus perch.

This water could hold a truly massive pike or two, but i would doubt there are too many due to the high number of jacks, usually if there are many 20+ fish they would regulate the numbers of small jacks, and this water is overun with them.

It certainly has potential for big eels, land locked to a degree, deep, plenty of food, i look forward to having a go next year,

Big perch, an immediate target of mine, i have had 2 fish over 3lb from rivers and i can tell you they are truly stunning.

But big perch normally thrive when they are top of the food chain, but with all these jacks i was surprised when i heard these stories until i banked 2 over 1,5lb, but that does not mean there are many of them.

So my next attempt piking and perching, weather was glorious for Oct, but on this water my experience tells me silvers switch off on bright days, and when they do so do the pike.

That and the other 8 anglers on the water of which 5 were piking so added to me and dad that was 7 using about 10 rods, had they heard the stories too??

I lost a jack about 5lb in a snag in the first hour, i had it on surface but bent down to get my net when it pulled me into a snag juts under the water which i couldnt see,

So while the 2 pole anglers near me did get a few roach and perch it was not a good day, dad managed 2silvers and 2 also dropped off as he was bringing them in , me well,  i got a another decent perch on prawn at 1.5lb, i had 3 great bites in a row, the third and i was into this fish in the pic.

Overall, pike did not come out, 2 jacks caught between all these rods on the water all day plus the one i had on and lost not a good return....especially with the number of rods nearly every swim was fished at somepoint.

FAS - taking the "young en" piking

After missing the weekend session, i could not wait to take my gandson for a quick hour and half on Irlam old course

this will probably be my last session here until the weather really gets cold and takes a grip, action was a bit slower for dad on mags tonight 4 bites and 2 fish banked one a decent roach and the other the pike livebait,

My second rod had worms and prawn, baited over dead mags, hoping for the large perch to switch on, espcially as dusk would be approaching, but alas no action,

Well on the pike rod, we started with a dead perch, nothing, then within 20min of putting the roach livebait on we had a run, a definate jack bite...... we struck into the fish and my grandson with my support got it to the net with a tail walk or two,

A nice 3lber was his first ever pike, he was a bit scared on the handling thus the not so good pic, for me i enjoyed getting the hooks out without incident, but it wasnt easy

due to the size of the roach i had to lip hook and flank, now the lip was hooked with the single, so the fish would be deeper down the throat than a tail hook up, again i was surprised to see the single did not have a hook hold and the single had reversed out of its mouth, strange eh the back hook is in but the front hook is not, unless it was taken tail first???

i will keep my eye on this, the other theory is the single hook does not get hold on strike at all?,

Small Jacks in my view are more difficult to unhook if it is lower down the mouth/throat - holding under the gills and moving the mouth towards you does not open the mouth automatically,

Now i have used gags and will not again now i understand the danger to the pike, but to keep the mouth open i used small pliers reversed,just the keep it open without pressure - the gag puts far too much pressure on the jaw it doesnt hold open it forces it open, that is dangerous,

so i snipped the single hook off so it wasnt flying around, with a little help from the reversed pliers  the treble was removed and fish went back safely,

so far so good.

FAS - Irlam Old Course....again.

Second session piking on this water, just 2 hours again on Sunday....

I have never been a regular pike angler, not because i prefer other types of fishing but because of a little bit of fear, of course i have taken a few pike before but i have always been wary of the big girls....

This is such an exhilarating type of fishing that i cant believe i do not do more fishing for them around this time of year....

Today was no different from last weeks session, same duration, 2hrs, same venue and swim, same tatics, even same number of silvers and bites....

But no pike, i had one quick drag and upon inspection the roach had scale redness as if something without sharp teeth had grabbed it, maybe a perch...

Then at 10am as i was just about to pack up after the swim had been dead for 30mins or so and then action!!!!    i had dropped the depth to be just touching bottom, so the float was cocking and weight on the bottom, the bait was a small perch which had only been in the water 20mins... drag drag and then under.   I struck early,

A great fight persued, the fish was very active, it even tried to tail walk but i kept it in the water and within a few mins it was in the net. I was shaking, first pike of the campaign and it looked 17lb plus....  my dad said a 20...... but after weighing on two sets of scales it was just a few onces short of 14lb, it was a big fish to those roach and perch but in pike terms i do not think it was as that long.

Just shows you how you can quite easily over eastimate a fishes size, especially if you do not see the size and type regurlarly.
I had been doing research on how to unhook pike and well while the pike did try its best to thrash on the mat i followed what the experts said..... put it on his back, kneel down and with my legs straddle it to stop it moving, left hand take hold of right hand side of pike under the gills, move head forward to open the mouth and there was the treble. just inside the middle of the mouth.

The strange thing was the single hook which was in the perch mouth did not take hold..... its was the back trable that had.The perch and single size 4 was outside the mouth of the pike.

Was this because the hook potential of the single is less, it would have gone down the pikes mouth first so you would have thought this hook would be the deeper one, that exactly why i set up the rig that way....

well i need to catch more to find out!!!

and maybe get a better camera so dad can get all of the fish....

Fishing Around Salford - Old River Irlam

Well after the good work SFA club did restoring pegs and clearing rubbish i thought that i would give it a go for 2 hours as part of my FAS quest.

Me and Dad took two of the first pegs, float fishing with maggots, i had a sleeper rod with a livebait which i had hoped would give me some action, because while i enjoy catching in general as do we all, small bits are not normally my thing.

The weather was colder and i knew it would not be "bite a chuck" but i was pleasently surprised as my last outing there in April also brought very cold weather which completley turned the fishing off.

Well we got bites from the start, the stamp of roach was 4-6oz which was very pleasing but what was more pleasing was the action on the pike rod, 3 runs and only 1 was from a pike,

I think you can tell the difference between a big perch and a jack pike run, the first within 5mins was a drag not a float under, the run was dropped so i sent the rig back in again which instantly bought a drag type run, big perch,

After a short battle a 2lb fish was in the net...... it was a great start.

I had a new rig in use, i decided that a single hook and a treble, would be more safe than a standard 2 trebles, i felt that the single would not only be easier to hook the lip of the bait fish but when a pike takes the bait it usually goes head first which would mean the single hook would go first, thus if deeper hooked, then its a single and not a treble which could be fatal for the fish,

Then within 10mins another run, on a 6oz roach, this time the bite was more deliverate and gave the usual float under signals, the strike took me straight into a nice fish and 2mins later the landing net was put in position but then, ahhh..... hook pull.

It was then 30mins before action again, just like the first run it was a drag , i had a tiny 2oz perch on as bait and well i did expect it to be a perch again, well i let the run develop when i struck it was a miss.
I havent worked out yet if the two missed runs were down to me or the rig or just the situation,

Well an enjoyable session all round and i will definate be back, i mean while piking you have a chance of hitting a 2lbplus perch..... bonus.

i like this place.......

Fishing around Salford Part1

Since the broads trip end of June i have only done one major session and that was a day trip to the Severn in Aug on Barbel alley which saw the river in flood and me with just one lost run, Dad found it so difficult he scaled down to nail the silvers and well at least he enjoyed it, catching nearly every species, including gudgeon,ruffe and dace as well as cublets, roach and perch and a good one at 1,12oz

Back to the Salford Fishing, well all short sessions, and not too many over the two and a half months, 2 sessions on the Duchy Ponds with my grandson and Dad, nothing special just what you would expect, silvers and perch.

So the main focus has been the Irwell, on the Agecroft stretch to the back of the Cemetary, we even pre baited this stretch but with all the extra water seen this year it was diffuclt to get the conditions just right... anyway just one fish to show for this, dad again nailing a trout  (pic below) on worms,

then we tried further down to the weir, again too much flow and coloured water.... nothing in two hours.

so whats next - well i really do want to try the back of the Racecourse but with september running out and only a short trip to Irlam old course planned this week then i will have to delay another visit...

in favour of a few bream sessions on the irwell ,MSC area near Salford Quay..... next stop pre-baiting and see what happens.

But all in all Dad is killing me this year on "fish caught"......

Pics from the Broads.............

Well better late than never................. Me and my brother Chris with a mornings catch

The best net we had in 4 hours of around 40odd lb - we did not take a photo....

 We caught some nice roach to 12oz

 Many bream between 4-5lb

 The boat was just the right size but still hard to handle

 even i caught some bream.... but no pike.... even live and deads in the water for over 24hours in total

Dad and brother Chris putting back the mornings catch

3 Men 2 Rivers 1 Boat

Me, dad and my brother embarked on a return journey to the broads some 30years since our last visit together back when we were kids.

Our target Rivers were the Yare and Waveney aboard a 20 odd foot boat our target bream and roach and of course the pike.

Now my research told me that the large shoals of bream did come into Oulton Broad around July so our plan was to moor up and bait up large quantities of vitalin,corn and pellet, fishing would be evenings and morning and very much whenever the fish obliged,

Tactics, feeder fishing with maggot and caster, corn , bread meat and pellet - all angles covered.

Now if you have never been in charge of a boat afloat then i recommend some lessons or practice on a smaller vessel - as we found out that mooring and waiting for bridges were the most challenging.

Look paid the most part - good or bad.

Once we moored at Oulton Dyke (lucky no one at the 100m mooring which still was a disaster to do), it was bait and bream time, expectations high usually means slow sport.

Well it wasnt slow - bites were regular enough, say every 15mins at good periods and every 30mins at other times.

Bream of 4lb were common, we also had perch to 14oz, roach to 12oz oh and many eels - i think the reports of low eel populations of 5 years ago are not as a hot topic for a fisherman now as it was - every other catch was an eel, even on double corn.

best catch in 3 hours was about 40lbs - we seemed to get a flurry of bream bites and then back to roach perch and eels.

30 balls of groundbait each night gave us a 11pm to 1am flurry of bites then it slowed and in the morning the same thing - it was as if we caught the few in the swim and then nothing - all bream within 6oz of each other - but one shoal all had damage, otters, propellers? who knows.

then on the final day we decided while action was good it was repetitive so we decide on a moor in Oulton Broad, nice quite area - yes it was quiet cos the weights went into 6ft of silt.........ahhh

then it was off to find a mooring, a failed attempt meant we had to go back to our starting point, but the mooring was full - so back up stream to where we picked up the boat - problem was the water was more tidal and salty - crap fishing...
We managed to avoid a problem at the bridge where we drifted far too close to the bridge waiting for it to open, then when we moored i was on securing the rope and our approach was a little to fast we overshot - well the rope went straight thru my hands - and you guessed it - severe rope burns, 5 hours in water with a change every 20mins cos the cold water was turning warm......

anyway fishing non existent - so we ended up with only a friday eve to sun morn fishing - but good banter on the sunday evening - even though the tv on the boat did not work and we missed the Euros final.

Verdict
I would defo get some boat handling training - maybe i should buy a smaller boat
Piking time was about 24 hours in the water, live and deads  - not a touch half a mile from Oulton Broad
Bream good but could have better - large shoals not there - but if i lived local i would defo be on the Broad from the bank (for pike also)
roach and perch - potential some good sizes
eels -good to see them back but would rather catch there land locked cousins

pics - to follow

Local Little Gems

After a so-so session 2weeks back on Drinkies in the heat, where Dad managed some bits on mags, i had to get the spinning rod out to see some action and i lost both a jack and an eel??

But i was definately looking forward to some good action over the weeks leading to the start of the river season  - alas the rain.......
I have been working in UK this week and had hoped for a few hours on a local water but this rain had dwindled away all my optimism but i had to get out for a few hours before going back to Germany - initially i was looking at Sainsburys pond but then i came across Duchy ponds on Manchesterfishinfiends blog.

This water is less than 1 miles from Dads house and because i am not able to fish the match this Sunday on there for SFA i decided i would venture down with Dad and wet a line for a few hours,

Well we fished the smaller pond on the left - it seemed to hold less weed, Dad on maggott had a bite a chuck from perch and rudd, while i missed two quick bites on corn it was difficult as no decent fish were showing.

After a far few fish dad was going onto caster to try and temp a better stamp but his did not happen - then i had 3 fish using 3 different baits of a type i just was not expecting - baby tench!!!!!

Now in all my time fishing for tench the tiddlers are rarely ever caught - i think its because they often do not leave their sanctuary like there older brothers or sisters do....they seem to stay in and around silt or other similar feeding ground where natural feed can be picked off.

So 3 baby tench less than 6ozs was a real shock - i think maybe the peg i was fishing is their patch of the lake - non in 25years of tench fishing natural venues and then like buses 3 in a row......

we did not get into any lumps - best fish of the session was a 12oz skimmer to me but dad caught the most

i predict that even in this poor weather someone will have to get over 10lb to win tomorrows match....

i will definately be taking my grandson to this place that is for sure..

6 Month blank is finally over

Well its been a while since i put a fish on the bank - nearly six months to be exect.

Ok i often fish hard waters and only for 2-3 hours a time and yes i target bigger fish with bigger baits but how long was this bad run going to last i thought!!!

2-3 piking session on the Quays in Nov - nothng for me but dad has some perch

3 sessions on Irwell saw me blanking and dad hit into a great Sea trout
3or 4 blanks on Drinkies in early march - but i did miss a couple of good bites, weather always terrible and dad had  nothing on mags also, but not all in vein seeing the youngsters learning how to spin....


2 sessions in poor weather on Rochdale canal saw me with nothing and dad with a few bits on mags
1 session on Irwell old course - worst fishing on there for a while saw dad with a few and ´me well, a blank

then finally....

a quick 2 hour session on Drinkies and dad was into perch from the off, he also lost a very good bream.... but me , well just as we were packing up.... my first bite, yesssssssss i am in on worm and corn cocktail, after a good little fight a 3lb tench was in the net - guess what for the first time i left my camera at home, so only got a pic from my phone which at the moment i cant send via mms or download,.,,,

but at least i caught..

My first Fishing Match in over 25 years

I am attending the Salford Friendly Anglers match on Sunday on the Rochdale canal and i am really looking forward to it

Not because i think i have any chance whatsoever of winning but because i am very competitive and while all my fishing with my dad is pleasure fishing - come wanna be Speci hunter -  we did do a few local matches when dad was a bus driver and his work had a fishing club.
I was 15 then and i recall even winning one on Leeds,Liverpool canal with a few bits and an eel / another bloke would have won but his big eel got through a hole in his net!!!

Anyway i was at the first SFA match on the canal 4weeks ago but couldnt do the match so pleasure fished for a few hours before all arrived and stayed to say hello - i could tell by my lack of action it would be a difficult match won with tiddlers on very small weights

so not owning a pole since a carp took it for a swim on a Reading lake and not liking it anyway . very efficient but just not my style - i know i will not win tiddler bashing on 22 hooks on squatts - so i have to look at bigger baits, more groundbait going in to give a carpet and the hope the tench and bream are on the feed,

Regardless of the outcome it will be a good laugh and will raise money for fish to stock the waters - and for me it will give me 5 hours of focus - something i never give when pleasure fishing / so being totally focused on not missing at bite. changing my feeding patterns, bait presentation etc etc is something a lazy pleasure angler sometimes do not do....

oh and a well done to the lads who got on the fish at Drinkies - i have fished it 3 times for 2 hrs a time and always had a few bites on bigger baits but again pleasure fishing i have missed them while doing something else.... but good tench a carp and pike - well testement to their hard work - i cant wait to get on it in mid week

until then..... i have to fish this match...                              

Fishing around Manchester

Well in the last 2 months i have only managed to get out for 2-3 hours every 2-3 weeks,

I have had a couple of session on the Irwell behind Granada, weather was bad, rain cold and no bites,

I have tried Drinkies for the first time and guess what - it rained and i went lite, no brolly, soaked to the skin and i missed the only bit on worm.... Dad on mags and not a bite - 2 days before in the sun he was watching hundreds of roach and minnows attach bread he threw in.... go figure

With the SalfordFriendlyAnglers Match on the Rochdale canal this week we gave it a go for 3 hours last weeked - great to see a fish........ took about 1 hour to get them going but dad had a few silvers on maggott. I was on bread or worm.....

when i went for my customary new water walk around guess what...... dad was into a decent perch on my rod, damn.... he lost it near the net.

Well at least we saw fish

The wife is away this weekend for her 50th so Dad and i will be giving the canal a go for 3 hrs then Drinkies or the quays from 4 till dark.

Then Sun we will be at the match early just to pleasure fish as i have to be back for my wife at 11am.

Looking forward to seeing some fish banked!!!!

And in local Manc waters.....

sea monsters in the Irwell

No this is not a new episode from Jeremy Wade.....

On the latest trip to the Irwell predator fishing all angles (deadbait, lure and worm) my Dad and i started off near Granada studios - just short of the Granada fishing club signs (i wasnt sure if they are still an active club so decided to abide and fish short of the sign.

12ft pike rod with a mackeral deadbait, a lure rod and a cage feeder rod filled with breadcrumb with worm on the hook.

Dad was marshalling this rod - same set up as many times before - this time a bit of luck for once - 10mins in and dads tip swung round - he was in on the worm.

The fish lepted from the water some four times and each time dad kept saying to me - i hope you tied this hook on right - a reference to the many grinner knots i tend to tie wrong-.......

10mins later and it graced the net - a lovel 3,5lb fish - bit what was it..... i am no expert on game fish but it wasnt a browny,nor a rainbow - i dont know - it was either a salmon or a sea trout!!!!

what do you think - please comment your help identifying this is appreciated

what else lives in the irwell???? hopefully the SalfordFriendlyAnglers fish in will tell....

another go at it

bad weather reduced a 4 to 5 2hr sessions to just 2, the first i have blogged, the last well what a disaster - picked my regular spot at the end of the canal as it goes into Huron.

First cast i needed to adjust my stop knot but i managed to bring my line into the side and snagged - it was locked solid - lost the rig and bait - gutted to leave it in there

lost 30mins of a 2 hr session

dad had nothing on the worm - it was quite clear the perch were shoaled up in the middle and thats were the pike could be,

i know the best peg was only 100 yards away but i had been putting bait in here - its clear there was no reason for pike to hang around, no shelter, no bait fish and only the odd half a fish left in by me a couple of times a week,

You can guess a blank

Walked round it everyday last week and never seen anyone fishing it - ok weather rubbish especially with the bad winds etc - but i am glad - it gives me more chance with the inhabitants