I've been out a few times this year but things have been a little scarce to blog about, I could blog about how mild it is and how the Carp are still being caught at Ryton, normally unheard of for this time of year but I haven't spent much time there. We did fish the pool last weekend but both blanked and I earned the duck back two weeks previous after a session after Zander, Barry caught one Pike and handed the duck over!
Last Sundays session was another for Pike and when we arrived at our chosen venue there was one other person there dead baiting and a couple of people spinning, no one had caught so things didn't look too clever but we set up on the far bank and tossed out the sea baits. The sun was warming but we still had to wrap up in the bitter wind, the sun glasses were a must in the bright sunshine. A couple of swans seemed to have made this pool their home and I watched them as they moved around feeding, some spots they were only sticking their necks beneath the surface and in others they were up ending to reach the bottom, a mental note was made of these spots for later in the year!! Whilst watching one Swan we both noticed it rear up quickly after dipping under for a quick snack, something down there had spooked this bird and I could only think it would be one thing.
Rods were quickly recast into the new area and withing fifteen minutes the float slid away as something made off with my sardine. I lifted into a very good and heavy weight that plodded around, the Pike showed it's head once before making a B line for my other float, to try and avoid a tangle I put a little too much side pressure on the Pike and pulled the hook, I was understandably not very happy with my performance!
I carried on and after only a short time I managed to loose another small Pike at the net, it was only a jack but it would have been a good consolation. Things took a turn for the worse as I lost a third Pike when it tail walked in front of me throwing the hook out at the same time.
Three lost fish, I was at a loss.
I tied a new trace and just to ensure that the hooks were sharp I gave them a quick lick with the sharpening stone. I didn't think I was going to get a fourth chance at catching a pike on this session but fate dealt me the best hand I could hope for as I watched my float bob a few times before sliding off. I lifted into another heavy fish that proceeded to plod around in front of me with the odd charging run, the net was ready and as soon as it hit the surface and made sure it was in the mesh first time, this was a good fish.
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| Down on what it should be. |
The scales confirmed this at eighteen pounds and two ounces, not bad for my first fish this year, bloody hard work catching it and what a session it could have been if I'd landed all of them!
