Fishermans Friends

After a phone call from Kris, a good mate and fellow fisherman, we were on for our post christmas trip. Mick too was keen to wet a line after a Christmas spent with the family. Its not very often that i am lucky enough to spend a day angling with two good mates, so to say i was excited was an understatement.

Despite my excitement at seeing my pals, i didn't feel particularly confident about the fishing its self. The thaw had kicked in big style, which meant high and fast water. That coupled with bright blue skies didn't bode well for a productive day. However, if you have the opportunity to go fishing, especially with your friends, the wrong conditions are not going to put you off!

We set off early to what has become our favorite venue, the lock-cut.(please read older posts for more info) Upon arrival i had one of those horrible moments when you realise that you've forgotten something - the camera! Bugger. If ever you want to guarantee catching the fish of your dreams, just leave your camera at home. Fate will do the rest! Luckily, cameras on mobile phones take pretty decent pictures these days, so all was not lost if we were to catch some fish.

On a more positive note, the 'big thaw' had been quite a slow one. As a result, the river level was not as high as i had anticipated. In fact, it was about a foot lower than usual for the time of year. With this unexpected bonus we hot-stepped it back to the van to get set up. Mick and myself were already set up with float-fishing rigs from our last trip. With this in mind Kris opted for a ledgering approach, but with a twist. Instead of the usual bomb, Kris instead fitted a green plastic cage and loaded it with a pike bomb. These are made of fish and guts and will slowly brake down in the water leaving the area with a very attractive smell.

While Kris and i discussed the mechanics of his rig, Mick had lost patience and proceeded to the river without us! We followed shortly after to find Mick in the best swim! Fair enough, we thought, as he greeted us with a rye smile. Micks keen arrival didn't, unfortunately, bring him the first action of the day. that privilege fell to me. I had cast underneath the foot bridge and within minutes my float was indicating some interest. After watching the float bob up and down, rather unconvincingly, for a few seconds, i wound down and lifted into... nothing! A small fish, no bigger than my herring hook-bait, i suspected. We'll never know. A sigh, shortly followed by unsympathetic banter from the lads ensued.

Whilst i was busy scratching my head over the lack of Pike on the end of my line, the cry 'I'm in!' came from one of the lads. I scrambled over to where Mick was waiting with the net and Kris was hanging on to his rod, which had developed a very healthy bend. A big fish came up near the net, only to catch sight of three ugly buggers staring back at it. It mustn't have liked the look of us (and who can blame it!) because with a splash of the tail it was back down in the depths. The clutch on Kris's Stratos clicked franticly as the fish peeled line off the reel. What a scrap! After coming to the net a couple more times, Mick finally had the opportunity to scoop the fish up. Kris ran back to the van to fetch the scales while i slipped the barbless trebles out of her mouth. Even without weighing her it was clear that she was a high double, and a well fed one at that. Infact it is worth mentioning that all the Pike that come out of this stretch of water seem to have a 'fat' belly. The scales confirmed that she was just over 17lb.A big fish from a small river. Kris was over the moon with his new personal best, and we were all surprised at a fish that size coming from this venue. Just how big are they in there? Is this the biggest? Are there bigger fish in there? Is it time for breakfast? It was.
After a bit of food we composed ourselves, a little. As we stood there talking about the possibilities of this stretch of water, it came up with the goods again. This time it was my bait that that had taken the fancy of Esox lucius. A short and frantic fight saw a fish of about 8lb nearly in the net. The fish, however, decided that it would be easier if it unhooked its self in the water to save us any bother. I'd now lost 2 out of 2, and on any other day i think that i would have been a little upset about it, but one look at Kris's beaming smile was enough cheer anyone up at the moment. Looking to put an end to my unfortunate streak, i enquired as to what bait had caught the big girl. "A sprat!" came the answer. Smallest bait for the biggest fish. It was worth a go. On went a sprat and under went my float almost straight away. This time i was the victor and a fish of 6lb 8oz was my reward.
The morning had been very productive, but as the day went on the action seemed to dry up. We moved on and fished other areas of the river. The complex was uncharacteristically busy, every body keen to escape the family after the festive period i suspected. Despite the numbers on the bank there weren't any fish coming out, other than the fish that we had caught. After a couple of hours it became clear that we had the right spot when we arrived, so back we went in anticipation of the witching hour.
By now it was dusk and it wasn't looking good for Mick. Despite fishing hard all day, he just couldn't tempt any fish.
We toasted the setting sun on what had been a great day days fishing and decided to call it a day. Just as we were consoling Mick on his tough luck, his float began to move. Talk about last knockings! We held our breath as Mick struck into firm resistance. Fish on, finally. Kris returned the honour by engulfing the fish with the net in an effort nearly as worthy as Micks fish playing. I unhooked the fish and three other anglers, on there way home after a fruitless day, were there to witness Micks trophy shots. The fish weighed 6lb 8oz, and on closer inspection was the same fish that i had caught earlier!On a personal note, i had a cracking day out with 2 of my best mates. Something that i don't get to do very often. Kris catching a PB made the day even more special. Well in mate!