My son Stuart and I had started the season in tremendous style with well over a hundred pike between us, including 31 in two sessions in December at a Lincolnshire day-ticket gravel pit.
At a time when others on the lake were struggling to get a run, we could drop into almost any peg and catch. Although we were getting plenty of action the fish were generally small, into the low doubles. During December we realised it would be a struggle to increase our personal bests from this water.
After packing up one day we went to look at another water close by that was still being worked for sand and gravel. This 400-acre pit was extremely daunting and, according to several pike anglers, was not fishing very well. One angler had only caught three fish in spite of being on the water since September.
The sight of the water and the local knowledge gained put Stuart off but I decided to give it a crack. For two Sundays I dropped him off at the other pit for a bagging session, before going off to learn about the new water.
Searching out the water by plumbing, plugging and chatting to the few pike anglers who were persevering there, knowledge was gradually accumulated. However not one run was to be had nor any pike spotted just plenty of sailing dinghies and wind-surfers.
It was the last day Sunday before Christmas and all the shops would be buzzing. Being my usual fishing day of the week and the fact that the father-in-law was about to arrive, the shops were to be avoided and I was given a ‘pass out’!
Stuart was feeling the worse for wear, made an excuse about the weather and went back to bed. I felt sorry for him as he was serving his apprenticeship in beer drinking, womanising and party going. This was possibly the first time he had ducked out of a fishing session with a hangover. Perhaps he had just chickened out, but that would not account for the bloodshot eyes!
At the water before first light, there were only two other anglers, one of whom was pike fishing. The chosen swim was a bay that had a very strong and warm wind blowing straight into it. The air temperature was 52 deg F at 7.30am, the second warm day after a prolonged cold period when most of the lake had been covered in ice.
A small paternostered roach was cast into the near margins and a half mackerel, still frozen, was freelined at distance. After a while the partially thawed mackerel was reeled in and injected with pilchard oil. While settling the drop-off indicator the line pulled out of the clip and slowly peeled off the spool. Cursing the undercurrent I picked up the rod to wind in, intending to fit a bomb. Being 8.OOam and still not fully awake, the rod was given a half-hearted strike, only to find a resistance that moved!
To my extreme annoyance the first run on the water pulled very heavily for about 20 seconds before throwing the hooks. If only the strike had been firmer! It did feel a big fish, but don’t they all?
At l0.OOam the wind-surfers were on the water and a motorboat was dropping buoys for the dinghy racing, and surfers were now being blown on to the beach to my right. Suddenly the same indicator was away on the injected mackerel. My second mistake of the session now became apparent; the clip had been adjusted too tightly because of the wind and the line was peeling off the spool.
The indicator was bobbing up and down like a fiddler’s elbow! I manually released the clip, picked up the rod and felt for the fish. The strike was made immediately but the bait came back on its own. It was obvious to me that the fish had dropped the bait due to the change in resistance. Now at this stage I was actually glad that Stuart wasn’t with me, as it isn’t a nice thing to be called a ‘prat’ by your son.
It was time for a rethink, as by now the wind was difficult and the bay had the occasional surfer dropping in. I decided to keep a mackerel in the same place and to pop up an 8 oz roach deadbait about twelve inches off the bottom and twenty feet from the bank on a marginal drop-off.
At 3.30pm the drop-off indicator on the roach rod lifted. The clip released the line perfectly, which peeled off the open spool steadily, causing the Delkim to sing its welcome tune. Knowing that no mistake must be made this time, I picked up the rod, felt the pike take up the slack and struck firmly.
My opponent on the other end of the line felt heavy, keeping deep but not fighting hard. By pumping steadily she just kept coming. The clutch was set to respond to any late lunge for freedom as she approached the net. As it happens this was not necessary as the fish came straight over the rim of the net with the roach hanging from the side of the scissors. When the net was opened on the unhooking mat the hooks had already dropped out.
I didn’t dare guess the weight, but it was certainly bigger than my previous best of 20lb. 2oz, taken last Boxing Day. There wasn’t a soul to share the moment with, or to witness the scales pull round to 24lb. 12oz. There were numerous leeches on her where she had laid up under the ice until the recent thaw. I rid her of the parasites and pegged her out in a tube until natural heartbeat (mine) was restored and someone could be found to take some pictures for the album.
The next wind-surfer to land close by was actually welcomed and not cursed as is usual. He had seen the rod bending and was keen to actually see a fish from the pit. After making the predictable comments regarding swimming in the same water as this toothy monster he agreed to do the honours with the camera. I handed him my ‘foolproof’ Minolta autofocus, point and press, camera. It was not however ‘wind-surfer proof’ as he succeeded in getting his thumb (or something) in front of the lens on most of the shots.
On arrival back home Stuart was pleased for me but a little miffed that he had not come with me. When I got the film back from Boots he soon asked me when we would be going back to our water.
Not only had I caught a personal best but had learned a number of important lessons in the process. Now every fishing article should be either entertaining or instructive so here are the lessons once more!
1)Exploratory work on new venues really does pay off.
2)Always ensure drop-off indicator is correctly adjusted.
3)If in doubt, assume it is a run and STRIKE!
4)Develop your skills in self photography if you want reliable pictures.
