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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjluqxx9BR_15dS6QIERZeqELV0wTT85c3mYv5dbLWRgq41fcxqy5QEQs3lsjpNsfbqGzeKF3MJNTq_ojnJqrfYgZi2jH2UNypCi_zbBdVoB2Nf-ZXuZgbYdH_QVvJ2MzRhx6fL3wCPILGVUlnGaTt5K6-WKxqpcRPO893hhGWXs6I62h2aIPKL5x/s400/8712BE46-0F13-4411-BB69-CE10CF2E5BED.jpeg)
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!!