Merry Christmas! Back to The Wye, it's mild and the river is in it's banks for a change. But the pike fishing is tough - some locals (and very good anglers) have been struggling, very few pike have been out this winter. I think the otters are having a big impact.
There are three otter holts in less than a mile on one stretch I fish - and one angler I spoke to found 6 pike skeletons outside just one in the summer! Looking back through the blog shows diminishing returns on my Christmas pike fishing year on year.

I've got my excuses in because
day one I fished a number of 'banker' swims - all day without a run - didn't see a pike, even though the conditions seemed perfect. Same story on
day two, but I did take a ledger rod and bagged a few blank-saver chub (too cold for barbel).
Not giving up, there has to be a pike in there somewhere - hopefully - going to have to put my thinking cap on and track down my
Wye Christmas Pike. And as a bit of inspiration here's a Wye twenty - from twenty-seven years ago - the good old days!!