Middles for diddles

Haven't had a pike for ages now, and as I couldn't face Cyanide Straight today I headed down  a mile or so to the lower beat of the syndicate. River is low and clear and I wasn't surprised to see no roach or dace on the exposed gravels. Being a creature of habit the hapless victim being drowned was a halved sardine, tail up and head down.

The head rod soon developed a twitch, but this petered out so I recast (the bait not really marked) and in quite short order the taps on the tip became quite vicious and as I picked up the rod the float began to head to the tree roots  so I wound into the fish which looked a decent pike but  it wasn't on long so I gave it 15 minutes more then moved down  below the willow and a gap in the long dogwood tangle in its winter redness. Another 20 minutes for a one short tap tap, again to the down stream head section. I'd moved the tail section below the dogwood and I heard the buzzer sound and could see the red topped float heading briskly down the straight. A decent tussle twice out of the net and rapped knuckles  I don't use the clutch, having grown up on Mitchell  300s.  It had looked lean in the water but heavy to lift up the steep bank and I upped my 11 or 12 pound estimate which was confirmed on the Korum Digitals as being a solid 15.01   Quite a pale fish with leeches on it's head.

Happy days?

I'd put a whole sardine back where the tail had been taken as I rested the first fish and thought I'd be getting a brace shot but a jack of 4 or 5lbs spat out the hooks and I took that as a sign to quit..