I better get my gear together & get moving, I've got fish to catch & a windscreen to scrape, the former been the main reason I need to hurry up, of course.
It's a cold morning, but I'm full of optimism that the flood waters are receding now, ie the rivers are in a fishable state.
It's just a short 10 minute drive to a little Thames tributary that was probably one of the first rivers I ever fished.
It's a tiny river that used to throw up many surprises over the years but in the last 5 I've not really fished it much as the depth as been so low & clear you can see the bottom in most of the swims.
But with this extra water & colour, I've heard some lovely bags of roach have been caught, even some very close to the magical 2lb mark.
That's music to my ears as my Roach pb is 1lb 4oz I think but that was years ago, so I couldn't wait to run a stick float through the swim with the potential of a big lumpy Roach.
As I arrive to my chosen swim, many memories come back to me, I spent so many summer holidays down here & almost every swim here holds a story for me.
I'm fishing a deep glide with an eddy on the far side, it's the deepest swim on this small river & I suspect it should hold a few fish.
The water level is 2ft up & the flow is not too fast at all, the coloured water also looks good as it's quite deep very close in & if I creep about I could catch only a rod length out.
Simple stick & pin tactics & fine wire hooks are my first plan of action.
As I feed the swim little & often with maggots & casters the bites begin to come.
Many very small roach, bleak & perch are swung to hand but it's a good start, the keepnet is put out so the caught fish don't spook the small swim.
A few of my freebee casters float on the top & travel down river, only to be taken off the top with gusto !
I can't resist.... i take my float off & freeline a caster just to satisfy my curiosity, shortly followed by the capure of a small bleak. Who knew that these tiny fish could make such big tail patterns on the surface.
I still fed my original swim & first run though with double red maggot produced a lovely fat roach of 10oz, great start & I'm getting a bite a cast now.
The bites are now coming thick & fast but nothing really close to the 10oz-er
Then I hear in the next peg a big splash & I realize what's happening...
The bleak topping down stream have caught the attention of a pike & he's hungry by the looks of it.
Thankfully I had come prepared with a my Greys barbel rod, set up with a pike float & treble trace.
When there are plenty of roach about you know that the predators won't be far behind.
So the bleak are getting hammered every few minutes & I'm itching to get a livebait out there before this pike is no longer hungry.
A 3oz roach is caught on a maggot & lip hooked on a sharp treble & the cast is made with a splash.
It's been a while since I've fished for pike & my excitement builds as I see the roach pulling the float left & right but still nothing !
I put the baitrunner on & keep the rod very close to me while I carry on with the stick float. I barely make a second cast & I hear a large splash from the vicinity of my pike float, as I turn my head I catch a glimpse of a small duck scrambling away in fear, trying to get back on the bank asap, just as a large tail breaks the surface & my baitrunner spins into life.
Excuse my cheesy Americanism as I say to myself "FISH ON !!!"
Excuse my cheesy Americanism as I say to myself "FISH ON !!!"
I strike & set the hooks, the fish reacts with a powerful run downstream.....
"Relax Mark" I say to myself as my heart pounds away, easier said than done of course.
"Relax Mark" I say to myself as my heart pounds away, easier said than done of course.
After I turn the beast he comes back towards me & I get the first glimpse of this fish, it's a good'un alright for such a small river.
After a couple more strong runs he's safely in the net & I sigh, now I can relax 😉
It feels a good weight as I lift him out of the water I've got the forceps at the ready but the hook has fallen out in the net, lucky me.
I unfold the net & as I look at my prize, it's a good size & as I zero the scales & slip the fish into my weigh sling, this could be a pb !
It reads 12lb 9oz & the sling is 6oz
So a 12lb 3oz it is then & I'm chuffed to bits
Sadly not a pb but a great fish none the less. I try to jog my memory & I remember a Thames fish of 13lb 5oz, caught maybe 10 years ago & I'm not even sure if i have any pictures.
So i was close but no pb
I returned the fish way downstream & got back to my roach hunt.
Again a few nice fish were caught but nothing over 8oz, I shouldn't complain really but where are the 2lbers ???
Once again my head is turned by a commotion in the middle of my swim, bleak are jumping for freedom, surely my pike didn't come up to my swim again & start to feed, did it ???
Another small roach was cast out & this time there was no hesitation & he's taken that on the drop but was it my 12lb-er again ????
This fish feels stronger & keeps deep, I would say it's bigger than the first, my mind is well & truly boggled as I struggle to tame this lovely pike.
After a frantic 2 minutes it's in the net, it's defo not the same fish, it's the bigger brother of my first but not by much.
The scales read 14lb 7oz, withdrawing the sling weight it's a a new pb of 14lb 1oz & this is turning out to be a great few hours fishing.
After accosting a lady dog walker to take a picture.....
"I'll never forget the look on her face when she saw the fish for the first time, her mouth was open & her eyes were on stalks, it got even funnier when I showed her the large mouth & razor sharp teeth she even let out a scared little squeal, so very funny"
"I'll never forget the look on her face when she saw the fish for the first time, her mouth was open & her eyes were on stalks, it got even funnier when I showed her the large mouth & razor sharp teeth she even let out a scared little squeal, so very funny"
The fish went back fine after being held in the shallows for a bit, In my now called " pike release swim" haha
Again back to the roach swim but after 30 minutes & a few more small fish, the light fading fast I decided to empty the keepnet & put another roach out while I packed up, why not when it's your lucky day & I have the possibly of a hatrick of double figure pike.
Well "Stone the Crows" after 10 minutes the float shot under again & Im battling another good sized pike, this fish is smaller than the first two & after a short fight he's mine.
It's altogether a different fish with a damaged mouth, it had been in the wars for sure but was it going to make 10lb ???
I knew it wasn't but you can understand my excitement haha
So with the release of that fish it was time to go home & till now I'm still smiling.
2014 has started well for me & fingers crossed a few more pb's will be broken in the next 12 months.
Tight lines & wet nets my fish loving friends.
Tight lines & wet nets my fish loving friends.
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