What a difference a day makes

Friday saw me on the long middle beat of the Syndicate stretch. I fished hard along the straight below King's Beck, the Church reach and the big Bungalow bend. Not even a flicker of interest. Laughed off the river by the yaffling green woodpeckers. Roving spoon angler had several fish which showed me. Probably the best time to lure fish before the weed gets a hold again. Next I see this bend will be with a #6 weight and  a box of nymphs and dry flies.

Saturday saw me offered a chance to get out once more so off to the lowest beat on the stretch with a good 5 hour pass out and freshly frozen bait. Looks lovely in the early spring light on those poplars..

but believe me, the biting Easterly was freezing, especially down and across this long straight.

I hunkered down to get as much shelter as possible, and at such close quarters the savage upstream jerk on this poly ball, in marked contrast to the wind induced chop was striking.

I disengaged the anti-reverse as the float made off briskly into the cover and as the bait runner flicked over the 11 foot 2 and a quarter North Western slammed over into a healthy curve. The fish made use of the deeper under bank cut-in and the hooped rod and poly ball would have looked great with the flexibility of a one hand point and shot as oppose to a two hander DSLR, the  green flanks and primrose markings showing clearly in the clear, cold water. Nice fish and last day pressure off. A shade under doubles, with a large fleshy pink tumour in it's jaw.

Move down below the bush and the downstream feature again proving kind to me with a real bait runner/bite alarm screamer. this fish proved even fitter than the last, with several surging runs
and head shakes at the net

Here she is, slightly overexposed against the lurid winter colours of the big dogwood anyone who has fished the stretch would instantly recognise. Certainly has featured in a few back-end photos for me.

Surprised this one didn't go bigger than just under 12 but a lovely clean fish anyway. Took a while to decide to move off from the marginal cover on release, perhaps it felt safe with it's head in the weed?

That really is almost where you want your bait to be.  I am quite confident to quietly lower a bait on a pike's head, or likely lie,  and expect an instant take, as opposed to a chub which would bolt at a foot step, even on a well walked stretch. Sometimes piking really isn't rocket science, which is probably why my ineptness is not always a hindrance. Got you some guest days for next year on the river by the way Essex Scribbler for yourself and TT if he fancies it.  I can provide the tea and of course get my net wet and ripped so you can leave yours nice and dry in the car. Had to hand land a carp on Tuesday by the way after you took unmbridge at getting yours wet on a score sheet shitter of mine...

I am also keen to  twitch a bait a little while after casting, which often provokes a response as with this, the last fish of the afternoon and river season 2014/15. Two views, has a very long and big tail. If it grew into it's tail it could be a big fish.