Saturday 5 January 2019

Gloom. Cold. Pike. Leeches.

Despite the Solstice the days have been dark and frankly cold so far this this year. Today was no exception and  the stinky and battered old wax coat was donned over the thermals and fleece. I  headed off down below a favourite bridge to where an old drainage ditch, a stile and the start of a long stretch of reed cover on the far bank caught my eye. Two joeys were placed to near and far margins.


I'd just sent this phone shot of the swim on Instagram when the far bank joey was away.  Even through the chop the fish was plain to see in the clear water, darting  and twisting down in the deepish margin. Heavily leached (only on the other flank) and a plump pike indeed. 


Despite several leapfrogs  that was  my lot and by 4 I was off the river and longing for the charabanc heater to start pumping out hot air.

5 comments:

  1. Lovely Pike, you reckon that's otter damage on the back end?

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    1. I wasn't sure James. it had healed over. Quite possibly as we have a lot on the river and they do grab from the tail end. Other pike seem to go for the belly before they turn to swallow.

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  2. Very nice matey, your doing better with the pike than i am blankety blank down here

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  3. Congratulations on a nice sought out Pike, just reward for heading out in miserable conditions! Pike are definitely on my list to pursue more of in 2019!

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    1. Thanks Tim. Something about those big old shovel heads and the power they have. And you never know when a really big old girl might turn up.

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