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A few photos from the season about to pass...

What have the Romans ever done for us?

Today for the first time in almost a year, I bank fished for Pike, with deadbaits. As the temperatures gradually climb, My 9 year old - Isaac, finds it comfortable enough to venture out with me and this is my main motivation. Isaac has dipped in and out of fishing since he was about 3 but lately he’s shown more of an interest which I hope to encourage. This coming spring I hope to immerse him (and the rest of the family if willing!) in enough angling to find out if he’ll share my passion, ultimately the decision will be his. To be honest, in the past I‘ve always made the kids fishing second priority to my own, it had to fit around what I was doing. This coming season priorities will be reversed, hopefully this blog will be as much about Isaac’s progress as my own failure to catch Tench I’d love to include Madison in this too and maybe I will but at the moment fishing doesn’t enter the sphere of this twelve year old girl.

Madi, aged 6 with her first Pike

Anyway, back to today. We left the house at the crack of 0835 and half an hour later we were soaking a couple of deadbaits at a local stillwater. I legered a sardine to the left and Isaac, after a refresher course in casting, plopped a bluey out to the right. Both baits were popped up to sit clear of silt and our set ups differed only with the addition of a float on Isaac’s rod, give him something to look at. The morning was chilly with light rain being carried on a fresh south easterly so we immediately took shelter under my little pop up bivvy. And there we pretty much stayed while the rain got heavier and more unpleasant. We endured because Isaac is determined to christen his very own Pike rod, which he has owned over a year but only used once. Isaac has caught a handful of Pike over the years and has a current PB of nine pounds, all have been on trolled lures so his next Pike will be a whole different experience. Unfortunately the rod christening didn’t happen today but it was nice to spend a little one on one time with my son, even though the theorising on what would have happened if the Jedi had not won got a little wearing. After a couple of hours we were back home, drying off and drinking the tea we were unable to enjoy whilst fishing. Isaac’s muppet of a father packed the flask of boiling water, mugs, milk and sugar but forgot the tea bags.

But spring isn’t quite here yet and before I make too many plans there’s still just time for a couple more trips in the boat before the river season ends of 14^th March. On final, big effort and then it’ll be time for a rest.

and Isaac aged 4 with his first

At work we have started selling fishing magazines which means I get to read them all in down times. Sadly the standard hasn’t improved since I was a regular reader. I hate the way the weeklies assume their readers are fuckwitts. Angling times is tolerable but the Anglers Mail is excruciating from beginning to end. Carp talk is worse. I’ve been reading the Carp mags in an attempt to understand a little better what the customers want, as these make up the majority of the tackle trade nowadays. Some of the writing is very good and some isn’t. Something I’ve never understood is the use of military metaphors in angling writing. Why do anglers “plan a campaign”? and why do they have “lines of attack”? I cringe every time I read those or any other hideous military cliché. I guess anglers write that way because they’ve read others in the past that have written in the same way, a style handed down through generations. That must mean, that somebody somewhere is or maybe was, responsible for the whole lot. Whoever was the originator of all this military jargon has a lot to answer for.

As well as having probably the most comprehensive Pike fishing website in the world, (set up by Dave Lumb and currently managed by Mike Skipper, see link on the right), the PAC of GB also has a Facebook presence and it was here that the activities of a certain Mr Stuart Campbell Wilson were brought to light- to me at least. Mr Wilson has been “harvesting” Pike from waters in Scotland and it is unclear if this is being done for reasons of Science, fishery management or finance. Whatever the reason, Mr Wilson has been using gill nets and long lines to randomly destroy the Pike populations on fisheries with obvious knock on effects to the rest of the environment. He has also promoted Pike as a food for sale to restaurants but I’m not sure where the science comes into the picture. He was then daft enough to post the photographic evidence on Facebook. Much of this has subsequently been deleted but some images still remain here

http://www.facebook.com/groups/133564416678990/

and here.

http://eatscotland.visitscotland.com/who-who/profiles/fish-fisheries/trossachs-country-foods-fish.html

And here

http://www.the-pikers-pit.com/t4945-not-only-the-ee-s-then

Subsequently the PAC and PAAS have become involved together with furious local anglers prompting the removal of the offending photographs and a promise from visitscotland.com that their article will be removed. Fish ins and socials are great but this is PAC at its best and big credit goes to the guys fighting the good fight. Micky Jones, Graham Slater, Brian Marshall, Scott Davidson & the Ayrshire branch, Pike Anglers Alliance Scotland, Sean Allan, Alan Daly, Dave Mcinllaly and apologies to anyone I’ve left off.

And still people ask “What have the the PAC/PAAS ever done for me?”

Pikin' Tunes

Every autumn Mr Rob would post on the P&P forum, selecting his travelling music for the coming winter and inviting brother Pikers to do the same. Now this music is important, it sets the scene for the day ahead and determines what frame of mind you arrive at the water in. This season I think I’ve got my selection right, more on that later, but in seasons past I’ve got it badly wrong.

I love Happy Mondays but the ‘Uncle Dysfunctional’ album didn’t work at all. Likewise, I’m a massive fan of the Prodigy but they haven’t got me in a Pikey frame of mind so far, “Invaders must die” or “Smack my bitch up” don’t really accompany a day on the water. I’m quite partial to a bit of hip-hop but playing N.W.A. was a disaster, the fucking boat sank! Rich’s best season came with Led Zep in his motor and I love them but copying other peoples choices won’t work either. I struggled to get the right combination, you can’t force it – can’t think about it too hard, it just has to happen.

This Autumn I got it right, the sounds are personal to me, had me singing along and in the zone when I got on the water.

My first choice was brand new, the latest Red Hot Chilli Peppers album “I’m with you”. An internationally renowned band, which will need no introduction to anybody. If you like the peppers you’ll love this, everything you’d expect from them and more. Stand out tracks are “Brendan’s death song” and “Police station”. Both will go down as chilli peppers classics.

The next was “The essential Eels”. This band played the best gig I saw all of last year, a blinding set played by brilliant musicians. The main man is Mark Everett AKA Mr E, a superb songwriter. Some of his music is very dark, some has moments of euphoria and all of it has humour. "Novocaine for the Soul" brilliant!

Next was a classic, “Leftism” by Leftfield. A mid 90’s dance classic, real steering wheel thumping music, particularly the cameo by John Lydon on “Open up”. This was the soundtrack to a week in Ireland with Giles a few years ago...that is another story!

There is always a bit of reggae in the motor and this season it was “Talkin’ blues” by Bob Marley and the Wailers. Old, raw versions of familiar Marley classics, with some ‘Scratch Perry’ remixes thrown in. "Cold ground was my bed last night, and rock was my pillow too..."

I changed the music selection for the mid-winter period but fishing results were not as good although the Ministry of Sound XX collection really hit the mark. Now spring has arrived and I’ve reverted to my autumn selection again coincidently I’m back amongst the fish!!

Attention to detail. That’s one of the things I’ve managed to get right this season, doing the simple things right. Tackle, line, hooks and traces all razor sharp and top notch. Bait has been the best I can lay my hands on and a couple of brother Pikers have been kind there too. I’ve gone out onto the water in the right frame of mind, confident and relaxed. OK the music might not have put fish in the boat but it certainly hasn’t hurt.

Thanks to Rob for supplying the title

Sneaking around

2012 has finally seen some ‘proper’ winter weather and as I sit here tonight the countryside is blanketed in snow. All very nice for a day of fun with the family but tedious when it stretches into a second day. If the current cold weather continues I may even give the fishing a miss this week, we’ll see. The trouble is, at this time of year someone speeds up the calendar and all of a sudden the season ends. Anyway, a few weeks ago I had a day on the water…

My third move of the day saw me row into a bay, one I like fishing and one I’ve caught Pike from at this time of year in the past and also one that fishes well in a North westerly wind. Why? I have a theory about that but… It may just be because this wind allows me to position the boat in such a way I cover water more effectively. It may be because I’m able to get really comfortable here in these conditions or it could be because….

Three float legered deadbaits; Mackerel, Bluey and Herring, were carefully positioned in open water downwind of the boat. On my fourth rod I used a leger rig and cast this upwind towards a snaggy area. Four baits that have caught me plenty of fish and in which I have loads of confidence. However, today I wouldn’t have minded a livebait wriggling away out there…

Legering from a boat is frowned upon by many Pike anglers as apparently it can lead to deep hooking. I suppose this could be true if the angler is fishing badly, not paying attention or even asleep. How many anglers, fishing in a cuddied boat and facing downwind, actually look at a float cast upwind? Many don’t seem to look at floats cast downwind for that matter and lets face it it can be difficult to scan three or four floats some times, unless you have the neck of an owl. Anyway, done properly there is nothing wrong with legering in a boat. Heavy lead and tight line, position the rod so you can see the tip and treat it as a stepped up quiver tip. Keep an eye on the tip and the line and if you have any doubt what so ever, wind down and check it out! Legering from a boat does not cause Pike any harm, bad angling does.

After forty minutes the line on the leger rod fell surprisingly slack so I picked the rod up, wound down and…felt nothing. I wound in and inspected the bait, were there teeth marks in the Lamprey? I couldn’t see any so recast to the same spot. Another hour past and I was considering my next move having written off the bay as a bad move when the rod tip tapped and the line tightened sharply on the leger rod. No doubt this time so I quickly wound down and bent into what felt a decent weight. The Pike did little, well actually the Pike did absolutely nothing bar wave a decent size head on the surface before being led into the landing net. A decent fish but when I lifted the Pike into the sladle I had a very pleasant surprise, not only was she my first Pike of 2012 she was considerably bigger than I had thought! A long fish with flawless flanks and a big head but loads of leeches tucking in.

The hooks came out easily and I snapped a couple of quick photos off before hoisting the weigh bag onto the scales which confirmed she was heavier than I’d dared think when I drew her over the net. I definitely wanted a proper trophy shot of this one but as I began to sort things out I heard the very unwelcome sound of an outboard entering the bay. I looked over my shoulder in time to see a boat approaching so quickly lowered the sladle back over the side of the boat. I hoped the boat would see me then veer off somewhere else but no. The occupants, all three of them were loudly disappointed that I was already fishing but instead of heading off elsewhere they dropped their weights a little way away. What should I do? I wanted a photo but didn’t want the new arrivals to see what I was doing. Should I just slip her back? No bugger that! I quickly got the camera ready and while the three noisy young lads were still setting up I discretely drained the sladle, hoisted the fish back aboard, clicked off one quick photo then slipped her back. She swam down strongly while my ears strained to hear evidence that I’d been caught in the act, none came. I glanced up to see the lads still busy tackling up and taking the piss out of each other. I’d got away with it and what’s more the single, rushed self-take photo came out well.

Having just boated a good fish I obviously wanted to stay in the area a while longer but I didn’t really want the other boat to gain too many clues from what I was doing. Maybe it was fortuitous that no more Pike put in an appearance that afternoon. After a while I grew tired of the “three men chavs in a boat” buggering about and making a racket. Luckily there was little wind today, as this boat definitely wasn’t big enough to cope with three people on a windy day. I hope they don’t learn that lesson the hard way.

That was the first and last action of the day and a happy angler made his way back to the slip.

Tribute to the greatest

Muhammad Ali, the greatest sportsman of all time was 70 earlier this week. As a child growing up in the seventies, Ali was part of our lives, he was everywhere, even TV adverts for milk! I loved the man then and now, thirty years later, I love the man still. TV is quite rightly celebrating Ali's birthday by showing re-runs of some of his greatest fights. 'Rose tinted specs' do not come into it, watching these fights again only reinforces the FACTS that Ali was without a doubt the greatest heavyweight that ever entered a ring. The men he fought in a golden era; George Foreman, Sonny Liston, Floyd Paterson, Kenny Norton and the late, great Smokin' Joe Frazier would all crush any heavyweight currently fighting but Ali was better than all of them. Outside the ring Ali was equally brave, firstly when white America tried to dismantle him and later in his fight against illness. He has always stood up for his beliefs and has been an ambassador for his faith.

I have many heroes; musical, political, personal and sporting but one man stands head and shoulders above them all. Happy birthday Muhammad Ali, you really are the greatest of all time.

A walk by the water

Christmas was just manic this year, it sneaked up on me then pounced and then wrestled me for a couple of days. A healthy lay in was required then after bacon sarnies I poked my nose out of the back door to find a pleasant, mild afternoon. The good lady suggested a walk by the water, she'd take her camera and I'd take a fishing rod. Could I be bothered to rummage through the shed to sort out the necessary tackle? It's been dry around these parts for weeks. We had a bit of rain a few days ago but I figured that would have dropped out by now and the river would be low and clear. Pretty crap really but I'd have a chance on a lure. That would make a change as I rarely use lures these days. Lets do it then.

I braved the shed, and managed to drag a landing net and my lighter lure rod out. Grabbing a pair of pliers was easy next to find some lures. The second marg tub I looked in contained some spinnerbaits and a couple of rubber lures, that would do. I also picked up a bait trace and found a couple of Roach in the freezer, just in case. We left home around 1400 taking a short drive to the stretch of river I taught myself to fish on as a kid. I still hold a sentimental attachment to the Pike in this place, which I've fished for, off and on since the late seventies. In all that time the largest I have managed was 18 ½ pounds and doubles are not common but it's a place you can usually move a fish in all but the grimmest conditions. Every now and then I visit these places then rant on about how much they've changed, so I'll try not to do that this time.

Through the old houses and then to the river which looked pretty much as I'd guessed it would, only with more weed. I clipped on the lightest Zoota Wagtail in full confidence. Strange as I rarely cast lures these days and rarely fish my local river. Memories of what works where stick, almost instinct. We walked upstream through narrow, streamy stretches that really should have been stripped clear of weed by a winter flood by now. Not really good Pike water but I managed a cast or two and there were photo opportunities for Shelley. Further along the river was green and choked with duckweed, this is December? Past some bridges and on to a deeper, wider stretch of water from which I've caught many Pike in the past. There was a large sign but I had something in my eye...

A couple of swims into the stretch a cast upstream produced an unexpected thump on the rod tip and some instinct made me strike. Would you believe it, I'd hooked a Pike! After a bit of thrashing around I netted a nice little fish in perfect condition which had engulfed the wagtail. Hooks out easily and a quick pose for the photographer before I slipped a nice clean little Pike back. The first I've managed to pull out of my little local river since...? We walked further upstream past loads of fishing memories along a very nice, largely familiar stretch of river. At the top end of the stretch was another angler, I decided that as I hadn't been able to read the sign downstream I'd better make a discrete departure. A shame as I fancied my chances of another Pike or two along this part of the river.

After retracing our steps in the fading light we detour to a mill pool close to the car. Still a picturesque spot despite the encroachment of houses, if they want to live on the flood plain then good luck. Loads of memories along this stretch too but little sign of any aquatic life. It had been an enjoyable afternoon so why don't I do it more often? A decade ago lures were accounting for around 75% of the Pike I caught but after a few seasons of chucking big baits tennis elbow gave me grief. After becoming a boat owner I was captivated by trolling lures and caught literally hundreds of Pike but I grew tired of this too. T the moment my favourite fishing places don't respond well to lures and there just isn't enough time for all the fishing I'd like to do. However it was nice to remind myself that there is a time and place for the lure rod. When I sat back in the driving seat the clock said 16:09, a little over two hours out in the fresh air but enough to clear the dregs of Xmas from my mind, and a Pike!

And that will almost certainly be the last Pike I catch in 2011, a year that has gone very nicely on that front, ta very much. Then there was the Tench, Carp, Barbel or anything else I tried to catch this year. None of that went the slightest bit to plan and varied from funny to farcical although highly enjoyable. This time last year we were enjoying England thrashing Australia and retaining the ashes (more about that elsewhere) and a dominant summer followed. For the first time in my memory we have the best cricket team in the world. In fact this past year has been pretty bloody good on all fronts, concerts, festivals, parties....just those bloody Tench.

Apart from faffing around with the layout again, I've added yet another blog to the links on the right, 'Norfolk n good' is “one of them pike fishing blogs” in the words of the author, who is apparently anonymous. However I know who it is but I won't embarrass Chris by naming him. That's it for 2011, happy new year.

It's winter...

Out of bed at 5am. Outside it's freezing and conditions seem crap. I have two options, I can go back to bed for an hour, fish close to home and have a good chance of a half decent fish, or drive for an hour and have a slim chance of a whacker even though the conditions are all wrong. The whacker it is then. Out of the house quickly, after clearing ice from the windscreen I'm on the road. The Wailers throbbing from the speakers, the car feels funny, is something wrong with it? After a while it dawns on me it might be ice so drop the speed, lucky I did so as the wheels definitely went whilst braking for a roundabout. Further along the roads get worse, sleet has fallen over night and then frozen, this isn't good. Another dodgy moment on a bend, “why am I doing this?” Mostly because it's probably safer to continue than turn back. The roads will be much better tonight. Eventually I make the last turn with Peter singing “You can't blame the youth...”. After listening to music from the hot bosom (easy now) of tropical Jamaica I step out into a freezing cold English morning.

Next I get to work on the boat, which is nicely full of water and more ice. So full in fact the bunks on the trailer have shifted so that has to be sorted out too. After nearly an hour of bailing, grunting and swearing the boat is loaded, launched and I'm ready to go, three hours after my alarm woke me. Why am I doing this? Splashing myself with cold, icy water on a cold icy morning? Surely these are symptoms of madness? How could we ever explain this compulsion to a non angler?

I dropped the weights in the swim I wanted to be in. Deadbaits positioned nicely, I'm feeling confident and as comfortable as I could be. Options for later, stay in general area or move off to another favourite area?

All four rods were kept on move all day, twitches & recasts, cold water Pike will be close to the bottom and moving very little. Just how cold is it? Thermometer shows a water temperature of just 1.5*C! Oh shit, I didn't expect it to be that cold! With that news the confidence I'd had over night started to ebb away. I realised that I'd spent all week thinking about where to fish and had hardly noticed the temperature had been sliding. Madness! On the other hand I'm out on the water in a beautiful place with a chance, no matter how remote of.... What the??? Great, it's snowing just what I need...

After seventy minutes a bait runner ticked a couple of times. Fish? Probably not, that's the Herring I'd just twitched so almost certainly the line tightening against the swing of the boat. Hang on a minute...the float zipped along the surface and we're away! Gloves off, heart pounding, pick up the rod and wind down and 'Yes' fish on! A nice fight in the cold water then she's in the landing net. There she rested while I got the forceps camera and scales ready before collapsing the net and lowering her into the sladle. I don't usually wear an unhooking glove but in this temperature I decided it was well worth doing so. The top double hook was nicked in behind the scissors and came out with a twist. Normally I would have used both the scales and camera on this fish but in this weather it seemed easier to just lower her over the side of the boat and say goodbye. No weight, no photo...madness? A nice fish against the odds, a nice moment that justified my insanity, to me at least.

Twenty four hours later, who put the world on fast forward? Wrapped up tight against the cold braving the elements and the onslaught of humanity. Hell on earth or as some people call it, Christmas shopping. Wishing I was sitting in a damp boat, at the mercy of the elements in a wild and beautiful place. And they call me insane?

Added to the side bar are two new links, both to online magazines dedicated to Predator angling. The 'Pike Pool' is a blog made entirely from voluntary contributions from members of 'The Pikers pit' forum which is by far the liveliest place to talk about Pike fishing in the UK & Ireland. Initially created by Chris Hammond with a bit of help from Dave Lumb, now Rob Shallcroft is editor. The writers vary from experienced veterans to first timers. All have something to say and so far all have said it very well. Top work fellas!

Then there's 'Esox World' the creation of top Piker Steve Rowley. An online mag in the truest sense. Issue one featured Pike fishing in the UK, Ireland and Europe as well as Musky fishing in North America. The writing line up is quite literally, the best known names in the game. The result is first class. If the next issue is half as good it will be a 'must read'.

Two new online places to enjoy a really good piece of writing about predator fishing and both are totally free. Each done in a different way but both done well by passionate Pikers and are highly recommended, there is time and a place for both.