Andy Webster's Pike Fishing Blog

Saturday 13th March 2010

Imagine my delight on Friday night when the missus asks if I am planning to go fishing this weekend. "I am now" thinks I. So I set out for first light on Saturday morning full of hope for a pike before the rivers close.

I had stripped the rods at the end of the last session, the fish-in at Brandesburton, which I thought would my last of the season. For this reason, getting the rods in took a little longer than usual.

The first bait, a float ledgered Sardine, was cast up the margin to my right. I was just loading the second with a Lamprey when a friendly Alsation bounded up for a sniff around my tackle. When his owner shouted him back the obediant dog turned and raced to his side... and unfortunately for me he ran straight through my line.

The line snapped straight away and, like a perfect bolt rig, the treble hook transferred itself from Lamprey to the tip of the wedding finger in the blink of an eye.

I could understand it if either of the other barbless points had hooked me, but how did the barbed point get out of the bait and into me?

This was a first for me and I was surprised to find that there was no pain, which was a bloody relief because it needed a pair of forceps and hell of a lot of force to get it out. Well it was a size six, and "right up to the bend".

Removing the treble triggered a heap of blood and I then realised that the point had sliced a small tear in my little finger which bled like mad.

The guy with the dog nipped home for a first aid kit and, after a cup of coffee, we patched things up and I decided to carry on fishing.

It was a mixed morning as I had forgotten my camera, although, as my last 6 sessions were all blank, this wasn't too concerning. Of course, sod's law says that when you forget your camera...

I wonder how often the same pike will be caught twice by the same angler on the same morning. It's certainly a first for me. The 14lb 15oz fish had a growth in its mouth which made it easy to identify second time around.

When I return to this water the leaves will be falling and winter fast approaching. I hope it won't be as cold as this one which seemed to go on and on.

Sunday 24th January 2010

After an early start I was full of optimism for the day's fishing. Mackeral is the bait of the moment and at 8am it once again proved irresistable to a pike. My delight turned to regret in the time it took to strike when the bait came flying back to me. Still, at least there were pike feeding.

What happened next turned a promising day into a foolish early bath. If you've ever snagged a pike bait then you'll know how I felt when I cast a whole mackeral down the reedy margins and into the edge of the reeds. I tried the usual methods for getting it ot but it was all to no avail. I was faced with a choice of leaving a bait with a pair of trebles in the margins or, wading through the reeds to retrieve the situation and, possibly, save a pike. I chose the latter.

The water was too deep for my wellies and they quickly filled. Once your wet you might as well carry on, or so I thought. By the time I had retrieved the mackeral I was soaked to my thighs, and I realised my foolishness immediately.

I learnt a few things about wading into freezing cold water in full winter gear. Pain and breathlessness gave rise to panic and an urgency to get out of the water and remove my icy clothes.

Please don't be so foolish if the same situation presents itself to you.

Sunday 17th January 2010

This fifteen pounder was the second of a brace of doubles to fall in a short session. The big freeze of 2009/10 was starting to thaw so I waited until midday before getting to the venue. The drain was completely covered in ice when I arrived but, with a little persuasion from my landing net pole I managed to drop two mackeral baits into the margins.

A twelve and a half pounder snaffled a whole mackeral within ten minutes. An hour later the fifteen pounder took a mackeral head.