At last a fish................

After a number of 1-2 hr sessions on canals & rivers near home and work i was getting somewhat dispondant especially after a session on the Basingstoke canal before work where i discovered the carcass of my target pike around 7lb - been filletted by someone.

I kept persevering and on a 1hr trotting session on the Kennet town centre stretch before work i managed to get a good bite on maggotts and low and behold....... a chub.

Its all about finding the fish in winter - something i have not managed to do too well of late

Hopefully things will pick up from here

Bad Venue choice hampers results

We have all done it - gone against our instincts - but me - i did it twice.

first time on 17th -after the initial thaw - i went to the river irwell - didnt want to get to the lake and find it still iced-over.

what a mistake - it was chocolate brown and racing through - looked up a few foot as well.

one deadbait and one spinning rod didnt bring anything - i was even trying monster sized jigs is bright colours - as in the pic

then on the 24th my dad wanted to catch a few silvers - and wanted to be next to the car - as we were only going for 2hrs or so we went to the local canal.

normally good for a few skimmers and a decent 3lber or so especially on bread - but nothing - even the pike deadbait and spinning rod drew a blank.

it also felt colder than during the big freeze!!!

So lesson here is 1 hour in the right place better than 1 day in the wrong place oh and dont be lazy and take the easy option.

piking over Xmas

With the weather so bad over Xmas i like many others had to accept reduced hours on the bank - i probably wouldnt have gone at all if i hadnt promised my mate Geoff who is posted in Afghan a Xmas cracker of the pike kind.

The first venture out was on the 27th - got to Blackleach res only to find it iced over solid - there wasnt even a hole i could wet a line.

1st - decided to play safe and go to a local river - Irwell behind clifton marina - spent 1.5hrs in minus 4 with my dad - 1 rod spinning the other float fish deads - in this weather 1 rod each is enough if we are to try and hit a fish and go!!! alas nothing

3rd - Irwell behind Adelphi Weir - same tactics, same duration - thought it might be safe from being attacked as no-one but the foolhardy would be out in minus 2 degrees, within 10mins i had a hit on a rapala shad - a good fight led to this nice 7lb ish fish.

One for you Geoff.

BAD WEATHER MEANS BAD RESULTS

If its not torrential rain its now the start of the frosts, my piking challenge has taken quite a hit...

i have found it difficult to do more than the odd 2 hour session a week since my last posting,

i have seen 3 2hr blanks on a local canal

1 small jack spinning in two short sessions on the basingstoke canal

and a quick 2 hrs at Blackleach - my mate Geoff joined me and dad for a quick deadbait session.

Geoff is off to Afghan serving with the Army and wanted a last taste for a few months - right as the 2hr mark hit he got a run, struck into it but it dropped off - on inspection of the deadbait it looked more like a perch had grapped it with a couple of tiny lacerations near the tail,

It could have been a terrapin!!!! - i have had one the size of my hand out of there!!!

So over the Xmas period i will dedicate my pike challenge to geoff - i want to catch a few beasties and send him the piccies to spur him on until his return.

Canal Piking Part3

I have targeted the swim i took the 9lber from with a view of assessing the number of fish that may frequent this area.

First session was on Nov5th - i took my grandson and we did 2.5hrs - 2 rods with deads on fished close to the overhanding bushes on the far side and 1 spinning rod with a selection of plastic lures/spoons.

It rained like hell - blank.

Sat 7th - went to the same stretch but couldnt get the peg - someone else was in it spinning - tried 2 hrs in the rain same tactics and nothing....

Went back on the Sunday and put in about 20 bits of fish over two spots.

Sun 15th - went to the target spot again with same tactics - it was a clear and bright morning - expectation was high.

2.5hrs later - nothing

Conclusion

I read an article on PACGB website by a well known piker Dave Horton who wrote when it rained he didnt go out anymore - this was after years of evidence that results declined during hard rain.

Looking at my own results in this situation over the years i tend to agree.

In this stretch the results are not good - even with a bit of pre-baiting - which suggests there are pike but few and far between - there is a fair bit of pressure on the stretch so i think that has taken its toll - even my banker swim didnt come up with the goods.

I will now try the same exercise on the the river and a local pit - see if the results are any better.

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,