Wye 22: Last Chance

It was supposed to be the traditional Xmas Fish Off with Dyl & Steve but the weather was awful, strong winds, driving rain and Steve wasn't well. Was a shame - I really fancied a win this year - might have to come back in January or February...

Instead I headed to The Wye, with about 3 hours until dark I abandoned the pike gear and tried to bag a barbel before returning to London. Three chub to 4lb 10oz and a little barbel of 4lb 11oz found the net. At least a Wye barbel wanted to play! (+1.6)

Wye 22: Missing Pike

Dec 22 (+1.4m) - Blank
Dec 23 (+1.2m) - Blank (chub x4)
Dec 26 (+1.8m) - Blank
Dec 27 (+1.7m) - Blank (chub x3)

Really tough going on The Wye this Christmas; no pike landed, or even seen. Are they just not feeding or are they no longer in there?

Wye 22: Christmas

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!!

Outfoxed

Mr Fox peering through the window waiting for his breakfast.

Unsurprisingly the chub shoal has moved, and I've looked a few hundred yards upstream and down - did I say moved? - I meant vanished! Kind of knew they would - big chub tend to do that!

I did catch a couple of barbel but they are getting difficult to tempt in the cold weather. Think I might have to target a roach or dace before heading to The Wye, hopefully for a Christmas pike or two...

Stubborn Chub

Three hours of daylight, just enough time to use up the remainder of the tin of luncheon meat I opened on The Wye. And a visit to a shoal of big, stubborn chub I've had my eye on for a while.

They had refused a bait so far, but one finally slipped up - 5lb 9oz, my best of the season so far - but nowhere near the biggest in the shoal! Great stuff, and if one will slip up the others will!

I added another chub at 3lb 12oz and four barbel; 5lb 8oz, 5lb 7oz, 5lb and 5lb. I will be back, there are some big sixes in that shoal - possibly even a new PB - or will they disappear now?