Wednesday, 17 February 2010

17 February 2010 - Session 2/3

Location: Wilton Number: 11 pike (Me 5, Paul 4, Roger 2) Largest: 10lb 4oz (Paul) Method: Float-fished bleak Back to where we located the second shoal of prey fish on Monday resulted in a pike first cast, and was followed by 5 more pike within the hour to 9lb 7oz before the swim dried up. Unfortunately Paul missed this action as he had spent the night up with his baby. We relocated to an old favourite swim (both myself and Paul have taken 20 pounders here before) where Paul had a pike first cast, it was the 10lb 4 oz pike he caught on Monday. Haven't we met before? The action here was slow, with Roger taking a Jack pike on a float fished bleak and Paul pulling out all the favourite methods. We decided to try some pikey looking swims we had seen earlier, but just before we left my float went down about 6 inches and stayed there. I waited a couple of seconds to see if a run would develop, when it didn't I struck anyway. I was stuck in some weed or something, so I gently pulled it up to the surface, only to be greeted by a very large pike which spat out my bait before sinking back to the depths not to be seen again... I'll get her next time! Are you sure we are holding the correct fish? After several fruitless hours fishing in the rain, sleet and snow both myself and Roger were ready to go home, but Paul persevered resulting in 2 more pike, both just under 10lb. Session 3 was snowed off, leaving us with 24 pike and 2 perch in 2 days. No 20's but some great fishing. And it looks like I'm off shark fishing in October - sharkblog.net

Monday, 15 February 2010

15 February 2010 - Session 1/3


Location: Wilton
Number: 13 pike (Me 8, Paul 4 pike + 2 perch, Roger 1)
Largest: 11lb 8oz
Method: Float-fished bleak

With no fish being caught from the Wye for a couple of weeks we knew fishing was going to be difficult. We set out by jumping pegs, spending about 10 minutes in each one looking for signs of prey fish. After 3 hours without a touch I cast out in an unlikely looking swim and had a run within a couple of minutes, resulting in a jack pike of about 3 pounds. Both myself and Paul concentrated on this swim and caught a further 2 pike and 2 bonus perch (both to Paul) within an hour before the action dried up... Time to locate another shoal of prey fish.


It's that bloke from sharkblog.net!

It took another 2 hours of jumping between swims before we located a shoal of bleak. This was a larger shoal spread out over 3 or 4 swims. The action was fast and we took 10 pike including 3 doubles to 11lb 8oz and a bonus pike for Roger as he was watching Paul's rod while he helped me net a fish from a tricky swim.


Try a smile damn it!

We should have had more but just after 4pm we ran out of bait (a schoolboy error as the hour before darkness is usually the best). But a final total of 13 pike and 2 perch from a stretch that wasn't fishing too well meant we went home happy.