With one eye on the challenge and with my daughter Abbey expressing an interest in a Pike we started at Stratford on a deadbait with smelt and a spinning rod.
Neither the upper weir pool, the glide between the weirs or the hole by the sluice produced a take to either deadbait or spinner.
Switching codes I set up the pole and fed maggots. First cast Abbey hooked a Perch in the upper weir pool. As the Perch was drawn upwards it was engulfed by a good Pike. At this point we were on 1.7lb bottom and a 20 hook. Abbey shrieked as the elastic in the pole was pulled out as the Pike lunged this way and that. As is always the way at Stratford at the weekend when a fish is hooked a small crowd soon gathered - much to Abbey's pleasure. We had it on for about five minutes before the hooked slipped free. We were not bitten off, just a hook pull!
The swim went quiet for a few minutes afterwards but then Abbey got into a good Roach. I don't know what possessed me but I thought I could swing it out on the pole. It was when the fish was two thirds out of the water that I could see it's true size and at the exact same moment the hook slipped. If I end up losing this competition then I will look back on this as my gravest error. Of course I can't certify that the Roach was over 1.5lb but it was certainly over a pound. Why didn't I reach for the net!!!???
We persevered with the pole and caught more Perch and Bleak.
Eventually the deadbait smelt was grabbed and the bob pulled under in a most dramatic way. I struck and quickly swung in a Jack Pike of about 1.5lb. The kids really enjoyed it's menacing qualities.
Nill points but good fun this one.
Cheers.
Oh Keith! That's a royal pain! It's the Gods of Fish working their devious magic upon you...
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