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.