Six of the best

The arse end of Arwen had filled up my river so it was time to find some stillwater pike to go at. Somewhere not to far from the car as rain was forecast, and with some shelter from the wind. I 'd planed to take the stove for  fresh victuals but the forecast put me off. It was gone ten before I'd squelched down the sodden clay path to the last swim on the river bank of the pond and got the bank sticks in. I had  half a bluey and 4 pollan  and a back up lamprey pack (I'm too mean to use them) and planned to work them back to the first shelf, twitching the float ledgered baits every so often as the weed was minimal though the leaf debris not quite so much. 

I'd bought the big coat today but I've got too big for it and ALDI don't do 2 x's up so it wasn't that comfortable but required anyway what with the wind and later the rain. I'd even donned a thermal layer. I'd just bought the right hand rod in a nads when the float dipped and line began paying out from the baitrunner. A spirited tussle and  tail walk before it was in the onion bag, my first fished for pike from the pond for quite a while and conveniently it had shed the trebles in the skanky onion bag. It hadn't shed this tiny eyed hook though. Very nice fish to kick off with. Plump. Like me

 A recast and twitch later to the same area and the right hander was away again. But so was the left. Set the hooks in both and concentrated on the right hander which really ripped my knuckles a few tines before it was safely tucked up in the skank net whilst I made contact with the second fish which felt a bit bigger  and it proved to be once it was in my shiny carpy second net. Again both fish had dropped the hooks in the net, not so nice in my shiny carpy one! Three doubles and it was only 11 ish

I lost a smaller one in the next swim and set about eating my pack up and that lovely LIDL tomato and chorizo soup, piping hot from the flask. Cheese and pickle in the roll. Sorted. But hot from the pan bacon and sausage with fresh tea would have been even nicer.

Rain commenced and it was proper rain, and  before I could nip back to the charabanc for the umbrella so it was a case of covering things up and hunkering down. Which was rudely interrupted by a run in the 3rd swim of my leap frog. Not sure what number swim it was from and I couldn't possibly say even if I did know..

Probably not quite a double but a nice long fish either way

A brief break in the rain and into the 4th and last swim, and a recast saw an instant take to he left hand half pollan. This one really tore about, and though short it was very fat and was the first on the Korum digital scales and went 14.05. They do seem to be feeding well. 

Back on then spot and something must have taken it's place damn quick as the line was snatched from my fingers as I see the baitrunner. Deep surging runs and dogged resistance spelt a bigger prize and so it turned out as I really struggled to lift it out of out of the water. One of the units at a very satisfying 20.09. Would have loved  a self take but the rain and a knackered remote meant  mat shots all round. 

Lovely ole job