Popping The Piking Cherry

Stu Black and his first ever pike

That Sunday was spent sorting and re-sorting my tackle. I was totally ruthless, clearing out everything I didn’t think I’d need: at least 11 different flavour pop-ups in all. Sunday evening I was in bed by nine, I just knew I’d need all my energy for the next day. I woke up feeling fresh and ready to go, got up, had a drink, looked at the clock and thought “For ****** sake!!” I was convinced I’d slept all night but it was only 11.30 pm. The rest of the night was spent tossing and turning, fantasising about the day ahead. I had a few runs that night for sure.

Anyway the alarm I’d set for 4.45am didn’t go off (I’d set it for 4.45pm)…… instead, by luck, I jolted upright at ten to six, by 5 past, I’d made my flask, had a shower, fed the cats, had breakfast, watered the garden, washed the car, done the weeks ironing and was ready to leave at last.

The two hour journey to Daventry passed quickly in the dark and the rain. Just like a wet dream, it felt like I was there in seconds. I arrived at the lake just after eight and wandered off to meet the guys who were to introduce me to my intended.

Once I’d walked past them all and asked the bloke on the end if anyone else was fishing the lake, I realised my error; those people I’d charged straight past were my mentors for the day: Brummie Williams, Windy Miller, Dave Bilko Silvers and Steptoe Gary. After the hello’s and stuff, I got tackled up and ready to fish. There are far too many hooks on a set of trebles by the way, they get everywhere! Dave showed me how to impale a corpse on them and I was ready. To just call the bank rocky, would do it an injustice, the place was lethal. I walked gingerly down to the water edge and jammed the pod against a rock to hold it in place, cast out and set the baitrunners. A smelt on one rod and a joey mackerel on the other, how could the pike resist?

Shortly after, Skive Johnson arrived, had a chat and settled into the swim next to mine. He was fishing about 20 minutes later and asleep not long after. The wind was freezing and a there was a steady drizzly rain all day. But I was on edge, I just couldn’t settle down under the brolly, so paced up and down and chain-smoked nervously. In the next hour I must have made the treacherous trip down to check my rods about every three minutes, each time stumbling at more than one point.

We’d seen some pike feeding right in the margins, baits were dropped on their heads but we couldn’t get a take between us……..until midday when one of Stu’s alarms gave a single bleep, then another and then it was away… beeeeeeeeppppp. A minute later it was on the unhooking mat; it was only lightly hooked with one of the trebles so Brummie got the hooks out quickly and gave me a lesson in pike handling, showing me how to hold them correctly and how to get them to open up. The fish wasn’t weighed and was returned to fetch her mum for me. Stu said I’d catch one within the hour: “Just wait and see,” he said.

After much more nervous pacing, 57 minutes later I was stood chatting to Stu, when my alarm sounded! I was out of the blocks quicker than Linford and gracefully skipped down the rocks like a mountain goat (probably more like a mountain hippo to those watching) grabbed my rod, wound down and struck…YES I’M IN!!!!!!!

Stu came down to do the honours with the net for me and much to Brummie’s amusement tried his best to knock her off. But all was well and soon she was on my mat with one set of hooks all tangled in the mesh of the net. Because of the way the net was tangled the hooks had to be snipped off (I must get some wire cutters!) and the fish was unhooked. I had a go at holding the fish through the gill cover to get her to open up and saw just how easy it is to do.

What a stunning looking fish, beautifully marked, and she was mine! I held her in my arms, and the photos were taken, then she was put gently back in the lake to remember our meeting with fondness, I’m sure.

Thanks again to all there, especially Paul Williams for organising it. It was a great day and I know I’ll always remember my first time.