My New Blog

Well, the winter is finally over and with it so is the pike fishing. We weren't lucky enough to connect with any really big fish this year, but the snow did make for some nice photos.

I have started a new blog called Oli's Angle which I hope you will enjoy. This blog will include all of the fishing that I do, plus anything that I feel the need to moan about!

Thank you for all your support with Pro Pike Fishing UK and I hope you will follow me on my new blog.

Tight lines

Oli

A Grand Day Out

Reconnaissance was the main priority today. With the river taking a well earned rest in a few weeks, it was time for Mick and I to start thinking about where to fish during the interlude.

Canals have been producing predators of quite a reasonable standard recently, probably due to the fact that pike anglers seldom bother with such waters. However, fish as we all know, thrive on neglect and canals it would seem, can offer some very good sport away from the madding crowd.

Our club has 3.2 miles of the Grand Union Canal in its portfolio and, if I'm honest, is a stretch of water that I have never even considered fishing before. I've always, perhaps unfairly, thought of canals as muddy streams full of unhealthy fish. That coupled with joggers and bank sides peppered with empty stella cans, has always put me off. A bit.

So, I wasn't expecting a lot when we arrived at the Grand Union Canal, but I'm glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The first thing that struck me was the serenity of the place. Almost as if time had stood still. A blissful silence that we seldom get to experience on this crowded island of ours. The trees that lined the water were full of birds, the fields on either side were as wild as could be. Yes there were moored boats, but the occupants were friendly enough (even if their dogs weren't!) and the boats actually give you a feature to cast to. Dare I say it, the canal was quite splendid.

Right then, fishing! Due to the fact that we had a fair amount of water to 'look at', we opted for just the spinning tackle today. Now, as you may of gathered, I am not exactly an ambassador for lure fishing. It is probably because I have never really given it a real go, but I've always viewed it in much the same way that I did canals. Before today, that is, as not only do I now love canal fishing, but lure fishing too!

Mick was taking his lure fishing very seriously and was working his way through his, small but adequate, collection of lures like a pro. Starting with a spinner, to pick up anything willing to hang its self, and then changing to other patterns periodically. Casting to a different spot in a fan-like pattern each time, anybody would think that he had been doing this for years.

I, on the other hand, had my tongue in my cheek at the start of this exercise. I plumped for the most outrageous shad that I had in my my tackle box. This wasn't entirely for comic effect, not entirely, no. Canal water is similar in colour to muddy carp pools. Visibility was going to be low so bright and vibrant patterns were what the text book suggested we should use. Shame the text book went in the drink back at the start of the season.

Anyway, I only went and caught one! We didn't really expect to catch today, it was a little warmer than its been recently but we were still on unfamiliar water without any bait! Working the shad slow and deep, I had the take after about 25 mins of fishing at only the second swim I'd tried. I couldn't believe that I'd actually had a take. Even when my lure decided to move rapidly to the right, come to the surface and frantically shake its head in the form of a perfectly conditioned pike, I still couldn't quite believe it.

There was no doubt about it. This fish had never never been caught before and I've never had a pike put up such a dogged fight. Fantastic.

That fish was very important for Mick and I. It proved that there are fish here waiting to be caught and that we are not completely wasting our time fishing with bits of metal and plastic - instead of bait.

I'm actually looking forward to the close season now.

Happy Birthday Mick

'Spring is defiantly in the air' I foolishly suggested in my last post. What I meant to say is that winter is here to stay. Forever. Well, that's how it felt at 6am this morning as I struggled along an untreated road on the way to pick up my wing-man. Funny, if I'd looked out of the window and seen snow like that a few months ago I'd have been on the phone to Mick to cancel our trip straight away. Tenacity, it would seem, is one of our better human qualities.

Arriving at our destination nice and early was quite a nice feeling, even if the blizzard falling on our heads wasn't. We established camp at one of our favorite spots and set about offering the pike our deadbaits. Little did they know, but we had booby trapped them with size 6 trebles! How cunning.

The river was in fair condition considering the weather. It was a little coloured but the level wasn't too bad. All in all, and considering the time of day, we felt confident of some action. Now is the time of year that the pike start to put on weight, ready for spawning, so a fish that was 17lb 8oz a few weeks ago might be... bigger now.

The snow lasted all morning and it was quite cold to go with it. The river was obviously asleep as hardly anything stirred. Despite this, Mick did have a couple of runs that unfortunatly came to nothing. Small jacks again me thinks.

The weather cheered up by lunch time and, almost as soon as the sun began to break through the ever-present clouds, Micks float began to indicate some real interest. This time the float bobbed properly and moved off steadily to the right. This fish meant business.

Micks strike instantly forced his 2.5lb test curve rod into a healthy bend. The fish held on and stayed deep. For a moment we wondered what could be, niether of us having the nerve to suggest what we hoped might be on the end. The fish finally came to the surface. Clearly not a high double, but a double all the same!

I did the honours with the net and soon Micks personal best of exactly 10lb was posing for the camera.

A cup of tea was in order to celebrate Mick's triumph. It was one of those moments for me where it didn't matter which one of us had caught the fish. I was as happy for Mick with his PB as I would have been with my own. This is what fishing is all about - moments like these.

Spring had finally won its battle with the snow as the weather changed dramatically from snowy and cold to... well, er, not so cold and sunny. The contrast between the weather in the morning and the afternoon could not be more stark.

With this warmer weather came the spinning rods. But after thrashing the water to a foam for an hour or so, we gave in to the fact that it was probably too cold for the fish to be chasing bits of metal about. It kept Mick quiet for a bit though (hehe!) We bought the spinning outfits a while ago now and we've been itching for a chance to take the celophane off of them!

A well earned pint on the way home was a fitting end to the day. Happy Birthday Mick and well done with that PB.

Perfect Conditions

The only problem that I seem to encounter when fishing in 'perfect' conditions is that I don't really have an excuse for not catching! A bit like the matchman who has drawn a bum peg, he's not expected to catch so the pressure's off. When you faced with a high river, coloured water and rubbish weather, you know that you've got to fish hard in order to catch. This keeps you on your toes and makes any catch a result to be proud of.

When you are greeted with a river that's fining down, with a slight green tinge and overcast skies however, you know that the only reason you won't catch today is if you fish like a complete wally. As you can probably tell from this string of excuses - I didn't do very well on this trip.

Mick, on the other hand, did do ok on this trip. He wasted no time at all in putting the first fish on the bank. A very lively 7lb fish taken on a sprat on size 8 trebles.

Tom had joined us on this trip and after trying his luck on the other side of the bridge for an hour or so, he decided to fish to the left of where we were. The swim had gone quiet so the three of us had engaged in a little idle banter. As we did this my float began to move, i lifted into a fish only for it to come off after a few seconds. We got a good look at it, just a small jack. That doesn't mean i wasn't as sick as a dog. I recast to the same spot and almost instantly got straight into a fish again - only for it to fall off again!

Now i'm climbing the walls, metaphorically of course, much to Mick and Tom's amusement. I bet you can't guess what happened next - Yep, Tom went and caught a pike that looked suspiciously like the one that had been teasing me. It turned out to be the 6lb8oz fish that Mick and myself have encountered 4 times now. If this fish is caught anymore i fear it may become the Nene's first vegetarian pike.

We all continued to have aborted runs and nudges on our floats as the water bubbled like a cauldron. The river, very noticeably today, has started to come to life as the temperatures start to creep up. Spring is definitely in the air now.

It was time for Tom to go and after he had, Mick and I both commented on how professionally he had chinned his fish out of the water and unhooked it. His handling of the fish was very confident and the fish was back in the water in no time at all.

Soon it was time for us to leave to, but not before i had hooked another fish just for it to fall off again. That made it a hat-trick for me. Its times like this you have to draw on other captures and hold the memory of them firmly in your mind. Either that or snap your rod over your knee and take up golf.

"You're the fella from that blog, aren't you?"

Wow, I didn't think anybody actually read this thing! It was nice to be recognised though. It's been a couple of weeks since i was able to go fishing, and this trip was a little opportunistic. Mick had promised his dad that they would go and watch the football today, so i grabbed my kit and thought "why not?"

I hadn't intended on doing anything for the blog today, instead quite the opposite. I intended on doing what fishing is supposed to be about - relaxing! Hah - have you ever had a relaxing fishing trip in your life? I know i haven't! But relaxing, none the less, was what today was supposed to be about. Besides, who would take the pictures anyway?

Well the chap who did end up taking my picture, with a 9lb fish, was a smashing gentleman called Tom. It genuinely was a pleasure to meet him, a proper fisherman, humble but full of knowledge and passion for the sport.

We got stuck in to every angling issue that has ever, or might ever, effect our beloved sport. Swapped story's of personal bests and funny anecdotes of situations we've found ourselves in. Put right every wrong within the sport and even found time to catch a fish or two!

It's meeting like this, with like minded fishermen, that make you realise just how good we are at our sport...no seriously! As Tom and I were stood talking, each of us was watching each others float so that we could be facing each other without missing any bites. Neither of us suggested we should do this, we just automatically did it. When it was time to reel in a fish, Tom was there with the net to land the fish and offered assistance when the fish was on the mat. All of this whilst being courteous enough to leave me to my fish, but close enough in case i should need this assistance. You can't really teach that sort of etiquette, it just develops naturally as you progress through your angling career.

Soon my time on the bank was up, back to the real world for me. It was as i was packing up that Tom got around to telling me his name. Then it occurred to me - how often does that happen? You'll know their personal best, where they fished as a child, their favorite bait and even what used to be on this land before they dug these quarries for the gravel to build the M1 motorway - but do you ever get their name? We're a funny lot us fishermen!

Wish you were there Mick!

Frustration

We all have this sort of trip from time to time. You know -  where everything seems to go wrong! Well, that's how you tell the story to others, that 'everything went wrong'. Truth is, you got to fishing but you just didn't do as well as you'd liked. Unless you fell in or something, that is!

After a set back with my childcare arrangements we arrived at the lakes a couple of hours later than planned. We'd missed the 'golden hour' that is nearly always productive for us. That set the mood for the day really.

The rain was falling quite steadily. Not the heavy 'chucking-it-down' stuff, but the sort of constant drizzle that gets you just as wet, only on the sly. Not that we were unhappy that it was raining, quite the opposite. The thaw had finally kicked in and with this precipitation also came milder temperatures.

At first glance the lakes looked to be clear of ice. Our soggy mood lifted momentarily as we dragged our kit to the bank side. It wasn't a mobile approach today. It was all guns blazing, from situ. The plan was to fish float ledgered baits on one rod each, and leave them be, whilst having a cast around with our standard float fished deadbaits. We could cover enough water from one peg with this approach, so all the home comforts came with us today.

However, all of that went out the window when we got to the lakeside. The layer of rain on top of the ice had given the illusion of an ice free lake, but it was far from thawed out. Quite a sight actually, you could see the reflection of the sky on the ice - which was submerged under a centimeter or so of rain. Incredible.

So, plan B. I know we said that we would fish some where else today but, once again, the elements were in the driving seat. To be honest, the lock-cut did not look that promising either. You could fish it, because it wasn't covered in ice like the lakes, but it was running deep and coloured. We knew that it would be, with the thaw, and we hadn't banked on fishing it today.

With all this messing about we were soaked by now. We had on the right kit but we'd been out in rain for so long now that my coat had given up repeling water and was now soaking it up like a chamois. We didn't feel confident, but we set up by the bridge anyway. Just to get a brolly up! The weather tested Micks commitment to his new hobby to the full. Being out in the snow was fun, it genuinely was, but being wet and cold is no fun. Mick, i'm glad to say, passed his test with flying colours as he struggled on regardless.

We spread our 4 deadbaits out over the area evenly. If anything was down there it wouldn't be able to miss us. Bit of a blunderbuss approach i'll grant you. We'd normally only have one rod each here and expect action. Even though we had double that amount today, it didn't feel right.

The despondency had begun to creep in as i sat hunched under my umbrella, cursing everything from the weather to the hole in my canopy. Mick did his best to keep my chin up by lassoing the bridge a couple of times with his trebles, but it was fish we needed now to lift the spirits.

The rain eased off after a couple of hours so we moved swim to try the other side of the bridge. It felt a bit more like it now, but still there was no action. We fished as hard as we could. Changed baits, moved swims, altered depths, recited ritualistic chants - but all to no avail.

It was getting on now and the 'witching hour' was upon us. Our rigs were collecting all of the floating debris drifting down the river quite nicely. It wasn't happening. Time to go. Suddenly, something  happened. My float bobbed! Had we imagined it. It did it again. I frantically grabbed my rod and prepared to strike. The run was less than convincing. I never like to wait too long before lifting into a fish, but this one didn't seem to be doing much. Never the less, i tightened down and swept the rod towards my right shoulder. A small pike came straight to the surface and thrashed its tail in disgruntlement. The line was tight for a few seconds, before going slack as the only fish of the day returned to the murky depths of the Nene.

We probed around until it was dark and returned to the car by headtourch. It had been a tough day in tough conditions.

Next time we ARE fishing one of the lakes!

Mad Men?

"You're mad you are!" exclaimed the lady walking her dog - in the blizzard.
"We Know!" I polity shouted back.
It always brings a smile to my face when other people, who are out in the same conditions as me, comment on the my level of sanity. After all, we're out in this weather with a purpose. We're prepared. We have warm clothes, hot flasks and emergency equipment in the car. We are on the bank as part of a well laid plan to catch fish - without compromising our safety. Dogs walkers, on the other hand, have chosen to go out in this weather to... exercise the dog! Often equipped with nothing more than hunched shoulders and a walking stick, they drag their poor animals out into the freezing conditions - for the dog's benefit! Whose mad?

Well, maybe we're all a little eccentric at the moment. The snow does seem to bring out the quirky side in people. I can only speak for myself, but i feel compelled to go out in conditions like this, as if it proves your commitment to your sport. As if, maybe, the fishing gods are watching and taking notes. These notes, of course, are what the gods refer to when dishing out your angling fortunes over the coming season. Actually the lady walking her dog was right!

Our mid-week outings are only short and sweet as both of us have family commitments. None the less, these short trips can prove very successful if you've done your home work. On trips like these, it pays to go somewhere where you know you have a good chance of action. So, no prizes for guessing where we headed! Not that we had much choice otherwise, this sort of weather pretty much dictates where you can fish. We had hoped we'd be able to fish one of the lakes on the Ringstead complex, but the ice on these was about 3 inches thick in places. As soon as they thaw, we're on them!

The robins greeted us with the usual acrobatic display, and the pike were obliging as usual. Mick played one all the way to the net before everything went slack (what a horrible feeling that is!) and the air temperature momentarily raised as steam blew out of the sides of Micks face. Not happy. To try and make him feel better I set about catching the fish for him just 5 minutes later. Well, anything for a mate.

Just a jack of about 7lb. This piece of water is really starting to become something special. Although the size of the fish isn't huge, with the exception of Kris's fish, we catch every time we come. I don't think I've ever fished any other natural venue that i can say that about. This creates a conflict in your mind. Pastures new? Or where you know you'll catch? I can hear you all shouting "Pastures new, please!" so for the sake of this blog - we will.

As i said before, we propose to fish one of the lakes at the weekend. There are some big fish in the lakes so be sure to read how we get on.

Don't forget that you can subscribe to this blog by using the link in the side bar on the left. The forum and chat facilities are now up and running also so please join in. Remember, Mick and I are just normal 'real' fishermen and would love to hear advice and stories from other like minded anglers.

I look forward to speaking to you soon.

"Excuse me, Mr Fisherman, do you have any maggots?"

A couple of weeks of snow is fair enough, but this is getting silly now! Councils have ran out of grit, people have had enough and the Met office are predicting more snow. Mick and I were almost at our destination when the blizzard started, OTHERWISE we would not have ventured out. It is too dangerous.

I have a lot of respect for anglers who do not let the weather deter them from this wonderful past-time. After all, its normally just a case of dressing appropriately. However, when the roads are slippy and untreated it is a different issue altogether. You do not want to pay for your HOBBY with your LIFE.

I know that it sounds patronising, but do not go out in the snow and ice if the roads are untreated. And if you do, drive slowly, in a high gear and brake carefully. Don't worry about the people sat up your arse, if the truth be told they are very likely grateful that they have someone to follow in the snow.

Now, how did we get on? We weren't greeted by the winter wonderland like back in December. This was more like a bad day in Alaska (a slight exaggeration there!). It didn't feel like a scene from a Christmas card anymore, more like a reason to be indoors with a hot drink. "At least we'll have the place to ourselves" i suggested as we left the car outside the main gates and finished the journey to the bank by foot. As the words came out of my mouth i had a feeling that i would be eating them.

Sure enough, as we turned the last corner we were greeted by two fishermen. "More mad men!" exclaimed one of them upon seeing us. The gents were very friendly and kindly suggested a couple of swims that we could try. They asked how long we were staying and we explained only for a few  hours. This was a 'mid-week' trip and time was restricted. These nutters were here all week! Five days fishing in the snow. Now that's commitment. Or insanity. Not sure!

We moved on only to find our swim 90% covered in ice. Our hearts sank. What did we expect? It is flowing water at the lock-cut but, obviously, not fast moving enough to prevent freezing over. Still, we still had a bit of water to go at so in went the baits.

I went for a float fished half herring, while mick plumped for a sprat. The blizzard did its best to dampen our spirits and to some extent, it did! The importance of dressing properly had never been so apparent. Hot tea and snacks kept us warm and the friendly winter robins did their best to keep us amused. They really did put on quite a show, flying between the rods and landing nets and helping them selves to escaped bits of monster-munch!

Suddenly Mick through his tea and lunch to one side, which i felt was a touch rash considering the conditions. He grabbed his rod and shouted "Did you see that!". I hadn't, and quite frankly i'd have bet my last pound that it was just the wind moving his float (I was a little despondent by now, you see). Just to prove me wrong, mick deftly struck into a fish. Nice one. The fish tried to get under the ice, but it was no match for mick and his stout tackle. It was soon in the net and posing for the camera, well posing isn't exactly right. Once on the bank the fish came to life and refused to keep still! We eventually got a snap and then held the fish upstream until he strongly swam away. Just a Jack of about 5lb, but very welcome.

That really gave us a shot in the arm. To catch in these conditions was remarkable. With renewed faith i recast my bait. Now it was my turn, the float bucking and then moving slowly to the left. I struck and the fish was on. As it came to the top we could see that it was only just hooked, but the momentum that i had developed during the scrap saw the fish going straight into the awaiting mesh. Didn't need the forceps for this one, the treble came out in the net. We've had this one before - it weighs 6lb 8oz.

The snow stopped falling and time caught up with us. It was time for a very steady drive home. Luckily the roads were now a little clearer which made for an uneventful journey home.

Mixed feelings about this trip. Great to catch in the cold, but was it worth the risk? Think i need a 4x4!

TAKE CARE EVERYBODY, STAY SAFE IN THE SNOW!

Big Pike!

Hows this for a monster pike! Caught by 2 lucky anglers on the Kennet. Note how carefully the fish was released.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NObnVfS-Ef4&feature=related

A Rat, Pigeon Shi* and the A509

Seems like a strange title for a post i grant you, but all will become clear. Our trip this week was a little different from what we have become used to. We'd been lucky over the last few sessions not just to catch some fish, but also to have spent time amongst splendid scenery. All of that was about to change.

Upon renewing our annual memberships to WDNAC, Mick and i were very excited to learn that we now had a new complex (consisting of 5 lakes and a stream) to fish. Fearing that we might be slow to exploit this new water, Mick and myself were up early on Sunday and racing (well, driving sensibly within the speed limit!) over to 'Spinney Lakes'.

Now, fishing a water for the first time is always exciting. The anticipation, the expectation. What will it look like? What swims in there? Will THIS be my new favorite venue? However, this venue was a little different. The write up in the membership book suggested that these lakes were an unknown quantity and that they had not been fished for a long time. Virgin water? Possibly! We couldn't wait to get started.

Our excitement soon turned to frustration however when we arrived to find a locked security gate. We scratched our heads for a while and reread the 'access' points in the membership book as we tried to fathom where we had gone wrong. As we were doing that, a white van pulled up with a small work party on board. It turns out that we had been a bit too eager to fish this venue, as work was still being carried out by club officials to make it accessible.

After speaking with these fine gents, who had kindly offered us a cup of tea by the way, we understood a little more about the complex. It had indeed not been fished for some time but unfortunately land, unlike water, does not thrive on neglect. The area had been used as a dumping ground by the 'general public' for some time now and it was clear that a lot of work was, and is, involved in clearing it up.

Never the less, it was 'virgin' water and we were to be amongst the first to fish it! This was a first for me and just goes to show - its not what you know, its who you know! We hurried back to the car, opened the boot and then looked at each other. Where do we start? We had know idea what was in these waters! Do we go for silvers? Have a bash at some carp that have never seen a bait? What to do?

The weather, in the end, made our minds up for us. It was still freezing cold. Only two species, if any, would be feeding today - Pike and Chub. The later of these species was unlikely to be widely present in these lakes so we grabbed the pike gear and made our way to the first lake.

Regardless of the fact that there was half of an unwanted motor vehicle behind it, this lake was beautiful. Only half of it was fish-able due to the ice, but we gave it our best shot with half-makeral baits (fished over depth on float rigs). The usual approach of moving on and recasting every 20mins was adopted, however i have to be honest and say that we probably trimmed that down to about 10mins in most swims. We had such a lot of water to cover and in, what felt like, so little time. You see, the works party was only staying until 12noon - and they were locking the gate after them!

We needn't have worried about time, there was only the one lake on the complex that was thawed out enough to fish. Our excitement started to wain a little. The further into to complex we ventured, the more of the task before the club became clear. There was rubbish everywhere, everything from empty beer cans to stray shopping trolleys. I began to doubt just how virgin these waters were. This place had no business wearing white. My doubts were confirmed when 3 men armed with crude spinning tackle and backpacks casually waltzed past and let them selves out them entrance marked 'WDNAC MEMBERS ONLY'. They obviously couldn't read English.

With our excitement reserves thoroughly depleted we returned to where the work party was. We were pleased to learn just how much work had been done already, including the substantial security fence and gate. This in place, obviously, to prevent further misuse by the 'general public'. The main road and path into the complex had also been made from scratch by the club. All in all, a lot of time and money has been spent on the project by the club, and there is a lot more to come. If the Ringstead Complex is anything to go by, Spinney Lakes will be a great place to fish in the future.

Another day on these lakes is due, after the thaw. For the rest of the day though we had to find somewhere else to fish. The lock-cut was calling us but, on this occasion it was too far away and too late in the day to venture over there. Instead we went into the town centre and fished the water available to us there. I needn't say too much about how we got on, other than this - A Rat, pigeon shit and the A509. All in the same eye-full!

No fish on this trip, but two important lessons learned. Firstly, if you find a water that fishes well in the freeze - stick with it! Secondly, and most importantly, with the amount of illegal fishing that takes place in this country these days - don't get your hopes up too much about virgin waters. Chances are, somebody's already had her cherry!

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!

Dear 'Steve'

Just a quick note to thank steve for his comments. Unfortunately your back-link doesn't seem to direct me to you. Feel free to email me at oliver.chef@hotmail.co.uk and i'll do my best to help you out.
Thanks

Oli

Piking in a Winter Wonderland

To say that the weather had deteriorated was an understatement. Here in the east of england, we had experienced 2 days of heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures. Many of the main roads were closed, albeit temporarily, and driving everywhere was dangerous. Just finding the car under the 6 inches of snow was a challenge, as was getting out of the street. However, determination is a very powerful thing as is the primal desire to hunt!

Our venue this time was the river Nene at Hardwater Mill on the WDNAC. Freeing the car and negociating the tretuious roads had meant a bit of a late start, but that didn't matter. The snow had not yet started to melt so the river looked in good condition as we crossed the double bridges near the venue. Now, clear blue skies and snow are not conducive to good fishing, but they do make for breath-taking scenery.

As before, simple float-fished deadbaits, the best rig for a roving approach. Sitting down and slowly letting the cold creep into your bones was not an option today, so the chairs stayed at home. Being cold is likely to distract you from your fishing as you become preoccupied with keeping warm. We decided to start at the lock-cut section of the water as, just like Ringstead, the water here is of a slower pace and a good area for the fish to hold up while it is cold. Our baits were cast, so it was time to take a few pictures of the scenery for the blog, oh and er.... untangle Micks first birds nest of the day!!(sorry Mick!) Moving and recasting every twenty minutes or so saw us covering all of the water in a methodical manner, but after a couple of hours neither of us had had any action. This didn't really bother us as the snow and scenery had combined in an awe inspiring way to keep us both quite content, for the moment!
However, circumstances were about to take a big run up and hoof us quite squarely in the plums! A phone call from the better half saw us packing up and heading home. I'd cleared off in the morning with something of the missus's in my pocket (I'll leave it to your imagination to work out what!). Oops, these things happen! We reluctantly dragged ourselves back to the car wondering if there would be any point in coming back after our errand. The answer was "hell yes!" from Mick. Ringstead's not that far, we can be there in 20 minutes!"
Thats the spirit, and in 20 minutes we were in the Ringstead complex. Not the venue that we'd hoped to give a good going over today, but sometimes you've got to take the rough with the smooth.
Daylight was burning fast now, so there was only one thing for it. The lock-cut. It had been good to us on the last trip and we needed it to be good to us again today, to save the day in fact. We moved so fast to get our lines in the water that we nearly failed to notice how beautiful the scenery was here as well. The snow barely disturbed apart from the hoof prints of a large deer. The trees naked but for their newly aquired snowy over-coats and birds hurrying about knocking the white powder off of the branches as they darted from tree to tree.
While Mick and I stood taking all of this in the river started to produce its goods. Micks float began to indicate that something was showing an interest in his herring deadbait. He waited a moment and then, on my instruction, wound down and struck into the fish. Unfortunatly, he missed it. However, better to strike early and miss than wait too long and deep hook the fish. Believe me the journey home after accidentally causing a fish harm is no fun. The float went back to the same spot and, sure enough the float started to bob again. After a strike the fish was on, but only momentarily. By this point we concluded that the fish was only small so we scaled down to half a herring each. Closer inspction of micks bait however, showed that the pike's bite had luckily (for the pike) missed the trebles. Leaving Mick to his battle of whits with a small pike, i moved to his left and tried the other side of the bridge. As if Mick wasn't frustrated enough i then proceeded to get a take on my bait. The float rising up and lying flat on the surface before moving steadily off to the left. A firm strike connected with resistance. Fish on! The small jack put up a good fight but was soon in the net. Now, time for my first ever 'fish in the snow' picture.
Not a big fish, but my first in the snow and i was happy with it. The lock-cut had come up with the goods again! We moved on to try and tempt another fish and i did get into another small jack, only for it to fall off as it came to the surface. Unfortunately, nothing for Mick on this occasion but we both agreed that the pike that i caught was very likely the one that he had nearly caught as it was from the same area.

Light was fading and we could no longer feel our toes, so it was time to head home. Again no monsters, but on a day when most anglers wouldn't have bothered, we went out in the snow and we caught pike.

The next time a non-angler asks if your 'mad' for fishing when its freezing, point them to this blog! It is never too cold for the pike to feed.

Dead Baits

Herring seemed to do the trick on our last outing. Doesn't seem to be a particularly oily fish which should lend its self better to colder temperatures (2 points raised there, both open to your criticism!). Stays on the trebles quite well, especially when hooked in the wrist of the tail, in my experience.

I tend to buy mine, from the fish monger at the supermarket, in bulk and then freeze them in packs of 4. It is considerably cheaper this way and you always have some to hand if you can't get to the tackle shop or are lucky enough to grab a few opportunistic hours on the bank (the later happening to me very rarely these days!)

We must always, though, do our best to support our tackle shops and besides - the fish monger doesn't sell roach deadbaits!- not yet anyway. Seriously though, try to spend a couple of quid in there every week, we'll miss them if they have to close.

Its a Start!

I wouldn't say that we were off to a flying start, but, we're both off the mark with this winters campaign on the first outing.

We arrived early at the Ringstead complex to find conditions quite favourable. The rain that had been forecast earlier in the week for all day wasn't now due until 3 o'clock this afternoon and, other than a moderate SW breeze, the weather was perfect.

The river was running a little higher and faster than usual, if we were fishing anywhere else that might have presented us with a problem, but, there is always the lock-cut at Ringstead. Regardless of what the main river and back brook are doing, this always maintains the same pace. With this in mind, we headed there. A simple roving approach, with float-fished deadbaits, was the order of the day. Nothing complicated required, fish in pikey looking areas and hope that they were hungry!

The lock-cut didn't let us down and it wasn't long before my float started doing the lambada. A group of ramblers were there to witness the net being slipped under a fantastically marked jack pike of about 5lb took on a herring. Not a monster, but we were off to a good start.
We left the swim to settle and went for a bit of a wonder. It was now time to concentrate on catching Mick his first pike! We tried every other water on the complex, the river, brook and the 2 lakes, giving each swim a good twenty minutes before reeling in and moving on. Might not seem very long, but in my experience, if they are there you tend to get them within that time. This seems to especially true on rivers.
A couple of hours passed and we hadn't had a sniff. Other people on the complex were struggling too, only one other jack coming out from one of the lakes. We decided that a cup of tea and a spot of lunch was in order.
Back to the lock-cut we went to set up temporary camp. As the kettle boiled, Micks float finally started to dip, bob and then vanish from site. Narrowly missing the kettle, i jumped to my feet (just how many years to you have to fish for before you develop a little composure in these situations!) to grab the net. Micks first ever Pike lay there in the net. Again not a monster, but
he was more than pleased with this 7 or 8lber. This one fell to a roach deadbait.
On a serious note here, I'm holding the fish for photo because Mick did not want to cause the fish any harm as he is, at the moment, not as confident as he'd like to be with them. If you are not sure what to do you should ask someone to help. This is why fishing with a mate is such a good idea. Pike safety has to come first.
Eventually the rain that had been promised finally caught up with us, as did the news that somebody had finally caught a double from one of the lakes. Reluctantly we headed back to the car to take stock of what had been a good day. There are some places where you know you are going to catch pike. The lock-cut at Ringstead is one of them.

Catch or blank, a day spent fishing, is a day well spent!

Not Long Now!

If you're an angler you'll understand the compulsion to get hold of your kit out and spread it all out on the living room floor occasionally. Well this is where i'm up to at the moment. It tends to happen every time i am altering my approach or about to target a different species. I'm not entirely sure what the point of spreading it out is, especially as i just tend to look at it and then put it all away again! I think that its maybe psychological, a good clear out ready for the next assult, putting unneeded methods to one side and routing out the ones i need. Getting ready to battle with mother nature once again. The kits ready, we've got the bait, the weathers turned...its time for Pike....

....not long now!

Pike Biology - Nutrition By Harald Hoel

Immediately after the pike fry is hatched, it attaches itself to underwater vegetation with help of sticky threads. After 9-10 days, the nutrition in the yolk-sack is consumed. The fry, which now is about 0.4 inches long, begins hunting on swimming plankton crayfish. Already from the beginning the pike uses its special hunting technique - hiding in the vegetation to wait for suitable prey to pass by.

Later on, the pike fry begins to catch insect larvae, and when it is 0.8 -1.2 inches long, it also begins to eat other fish fry. When it reaches 1.2 inches in length, the fry spread out along the shore. During the late summer when the pike fry has become 4 inches long or greater it lives nearly exclusively on fish.

The pike's nutrition varies from watercourse to watercourse, and also with the fish's size. In lakes pike eat small fish in addition to large, so when fishing in waters where one knows that there are large pike, it can pay off to use large lures - likely 20-25 grams.

Among the many features which demonstrates the pike is an effective predator, is the fact it has an extremely elastic stomach. It can be stretched out to nearly twice its normal size, while the circumference can increase to more than the double. A full pike stomach can be stretched until the skin is transparent, so one can see what it has eaten without cutting it open.

According to English experiments, an 8 -12 inch long pike needs a nutrition amount (fish) of 3.4 grams to gain 1 gram of weight. That means the food coefficient is 3.4. Food coefficient is the number of weight units that must be eaten for the fish to put on one corresponding weight unit. It has been concluded that pike under 2.2 lbs have a food coefficient of 10, while pike weighing more (depending on what kind of prey fish is available) it likely eats different kinds of roach fish and any other edible fish.

No matter what body of water a pike lives, they can also eat other pike. Studies that have examined a pike's stomach have found that 5-6% of its nutrition could be from other pike. It also happens that a pike may snatch a duckling or other swimming young birds, as well as water-rats and frogs.

In some cases it is proven that a pike will eat crayfish, possibly because there is a shortage of other suitable fish. One common denominator which seems to be the case in the bodies of water a pike would live, is that the pike will mainly eat whichever fish species is most plentiful.

The fish which pike prey on can vary in size. Small pike likely catch fish which are in proportion to the pike's own size.

It's a fact that big than 11 lbs have a food coefficient of 30. It is clear that the food coefficient must be higher in cold water than warmer water. Therefore there has to be a certain difference when it comes to pike's need for food in Canada vs. England. On the other hand, there are studies that indicate a pike's food coefficient never exceeds 30.

It reasons to believe that small pike under Canadian conditions need 4-7 grams of food to gain 1 gram of weight, while larger pike need 8-12 grams. Small pike transform the food they consume to pike meat significantly more efficiently than large pike.

With small pike, approx. 70% of the nutrition goes to growth, but with large pike, it's only approx. 20%. Small pike, therefore, use less energy for movement, breathing and other functions that are necessary to live.

Spawning and the preparations for spawning also demands a lot of energy.

In relation to other fish it shows that the pike make use of nutrition rather effectively. Something that contributes to this is that pike move relatively little amounts and one can see that demonstrated by the pike's hunting technique, which consumes very little energy.

In many places the pike is a very valuable fish because it transforms a lot of less edible fish to first class fish meat.

The food coefficient also shows that it is uneconomic to feed large pike if one wants to have the greatest possible return in fish meat. If pike are caught when they are 1.1 -2.2 lbs even when larger pike live in the water, one will have significantly larger return in pounds of fish than if the pike get the opportunity to grow a lot bigger.

When it comes to inland fishing, however, it's not just a question of how many pounds one gets in return. The watercourse's value has to be measured for what significance it has for sport fishing. If the possibility to catch really big fish is something that matters it increases the value of a body of water.

Harald Hoel, expert of pike fishing.

Why Target Monster Pike? By Mark Jenner

Back in the Sixteenth Century famous angling author Izaak Walton was describing the pike as a fresh-water wolf! The predator has been blamed for many stories of lost dogs, lost livestock and even lost people! It adds to the mystery of this fearsome predator and provides the attraction to the hunter.

It is Britain's biggest native freshwater fish and ranks also as one of North America's leading quarry. Catching the big one needs stronger rods, larger nets and clever tactics. Holding up this heavy beast for the camera makes the hunt worthwhile. Taking the hooks from the pike's mouth require strong equipment and a stronger nerve. A slip of the hand can result in deep and painful wounds that are easily infected. Many pike fisherman use a steel gauntlet of the type worn by knights of old, such is the danger when unhooking this fearsome beast.

But it is this fear and respect that attracts us to angling for pike. I think back to my last visit to the canal, where it joins the river not far from where I live. It was close to dawn when I left my house, cold and very still. There was no frost but the mist was thick. When I got to the water I found a good spot that would allow me to cast upstream almost to the canal lock where there was a deep pool and also downstream to the far bank around thirty yards away.

I wandered along the bank peering through the gloom hoping to see signs of active pike. The surface of the canal was like a glassy mirror, broken only by the sporadic splash or ripple as a bait fish darted here and there. Something was feeding! Seeing the water like this urges you on, you want to make haste and present your baits to the unseen foe. This desire to challenge and best the majestic fish is what makes us want to seek out bigger and stronger pike.

I quickly tackled up, attaching a still frozen half herring dead-bait to my treble hooked trace. Casting upstream about twenty five yards to the spot where I was walking just minutes earlier, I could just see the splash as the bait hit the water. I thought the line would follow the bait as it sank but something seemed odd. Puzzled, I lifted the rod to take in the slack, only the feel the line go taught. I struck quickly and sure enough, a fish was on and I realized that it did not want to be simply drawn towards the net. After three strong runs including a worrying spell downstream I drew the monster pike over the lip of my oversized landing net. This was my best pike, at just over twenty pounds. Not really a monster maybe, but a success for me. There are reports of thirty pound plus fish at the same venue, and it is this that will lure me back for more!

Mark Jenner is an angling writer who lives in the North of England. He writes blogs that look at detailed aspects of sport fishing including pike fishing tackle and carp tackle

Winter Pike Fishing Begins

Here we go, the weather has finally turned and its time to start pike fishing. Met up with my old mate Mick for a trip to the tackle shop. A couple of new semi-barbless traces later, and we're off to the fish monger; 5 herring, 5 sardines and a handful of spratts (just encase we need to scale down). These, along with the roach deadbaits from the tackle shop, should be plenty for a days pike fishing.
The venue is the Ringstead Complex in Northants on the WDNAC. The complex gives us plenty of options as it comprises of a backbrook, main river Nene, a lock cut and 2 large lakes. What ever conditions your faced with on arrival, there is always somewhere suitable to fish.

Well, thats all for now, weather doesn't look great for Saturday(wet and windy, 12-14*C)

We'll let you know how we get on.........