Jaws: The Revenge

Beautiful frosty morning, the kind of morning that makes you glad you're mad enough to go out in it & back to pit two. A few hours later without a touch, I thought I'd have a chuck in pit one - what's the worse that could happen? Unlikely to catch that same pretty pike again...


Yup. She was as happy to see me as I was to see her! A run is always exciting - but I'd rather catch a new jack than recapture a double! So even though I'm sure there are many more pike here, and I know there's a bigger one - that's the last trip to The Pits this season.


Have a ticket for a new river & pond starting tomorrow anyway...

(Non) Frozen VIII

The traditional Xmas fish-off saw me, Steve and Dyl head back to Kingfisher Pond. And to cut a long story short; great company, lovely looking pond, fantastic breakfast - but the fishing was tough! The fish just didn't want to play - I think everyone* blanked!


*Everyone that is except Steve. He was on top form, while me & Dyl (and everyone else fishing) couldn't buy a take - he was on a flier! Steve banked seven rainbow trout! Sometimes everything goes your way - well done mate, superb fishing. Rematch soon? All fish returned alive.

Pit Two

Exploring another gravel pit (and pond), in fact I'd put about 10 or 12 hours in already - without a run, take or follow. But I had it on good authority that there are pike there.

Using two bait rods I fished leapfrog style right around the pit - and just as I'd convinced myself there were no pike - I had a run. A little jack proved me wrong - that'll keep me coming back...

Double Dilemma

The Wye: It was tough going on The Wye, but eventually I convinced a pike to hit my lure - beat, I steered it out of the fast water into a bay - then slipped down the bank trying to net it! Not only did she shake the hook, but probably had a good laugh as she swam away!

The Pits: A run on The Pits, turned out to be the pretty pike from a couple of days ago. Out of interest I weighed her again - 1oz heavier today - doesn't look like getting caught put her off her food. But I really don't like recaptures - which leads to the dilemma...

I have spotted the pike I'm after in this area on a couple of occassions before. So there is an upper-double to be caught - but I don't want too many recaptures on route. I'll leave it for a while - but I will be back. There is another pit, pond & the river in the meantime.

Oh and, Merry Christmas bloggers!

Show Pike

It was a long drive followed by a long walk for just one run - but when the pike look like this - who cares? A 12lb 1oz Xmas beauty!

Season totals: 20/50 pike caught, 7/10 doubles (so far).

Searching

The pits are quite vast, and as they only occasionally see an angler - information is pretty scarce. Time for a bit of exploring! I chucked out a deadbait, then lure fished around it for 20 minutes before moving on and repeating the process - covering as much water as I could.


Eventually I found a couple of jacks. Always fantastic to see a pike on the bank - but perhaps more importantly I've found another shoal of baitfish - and who knows what else is watching them? Plus added my first recapture - the only non-mint-condition pike I've seen there.

Lucky 13

The Wye is back in it's banks - but still too high really - so to The Pits. And pike grabbed my still frozen sardine, first cast, as it hit the water, great fight on the light rod and a new venue best - 13lb 3oz


An hour or so later a second run produced a 13lb 1oz pike (quite different shape to the first). And a jack on a lure rounded out the action. It's lovely fishing in dry conditions - would recommend.

Escape To The Pits

With the rivers flooding into the fields I headed to The Pits to chase my pike fishing fix. Horrible weather, but you can't catch 'em at home!

Six runs, one take on the lure and only one pike landed - a lot to work out - but a pike on the bank is always a great result in my book!

Marraskuu End

November has been a real slog, it seems to be the same for me every year - but the last cast of the day into a rapidly rising Wye made it all worth while. After a few follows and a few half-hearted nips - a big pike finally slammed my Bulldog lure.

Made a proper fight of it in the fast water before I slipped the net under something I've been chasing for 40+ years - a lure caught Wye twenty! Scales settled on 22lb 2oz - f**king brilliant! Camera wouldn't play, but phone saved the day. Over-da-moon!!!!!

Marraskuu Pest

After a decent start to the pike campaign this season - 11 fish in October - I had hoped to carry that momentum into November. But it's not happened; two days piking for only one run - a pike that looked like it might scrape past the magic number before it shook the hook under the rod tip. And now floods! Just hoping to bank a pike this month...

Who Is Tilly?

As a break from blanking for pike I hit the Small River for a couple of afternoons. Bit tricky in November - but was in London anyway.


And eleven barbel found the net - no monsters but great to get something pulling on the other end! Right, back to the pike...

Otter’s Pocket

Fishing is mad enough; all that effort, only to look at a fish for 20 seconds before setting it free. But pike fishing is next level insane - let's go fishing in the worst weather of the year.


Absolutely hammering down, and the gravel pits had 3 foot waves on them. Bit like sea fishing. But a couple of pike - including my first pit double at 11lb 0oz. Totally worth it..!

Lured & Shaken

Well, that didnt go to plan; two lost doubles on the lures! Perch consolation prize (partly) took the edge off!!

Steps

One run all day - but it's going the right way on The Wye - 16lb 10oz. Float-ledgered sardine did the trick - and what a fight!

The Pits

A reccy to The Pits with my mate Jack. Research for later in the season, easier to see the features in low, clear conditions. It's very overgrown & unloved - the perfect environment for a big esox to hide away!?


Too many miles to travel without a cast though - we couldn't resist - and five beautiful gravel pit pike in the autumn sunshine (Jack also had two before he had to rush off early). Can't wait to go back...

The Runs

Less than idea conditions - it rose five foot while I fished, and it was cold water. But deadbaiting mid-river, moving closer into the slacks as the river grew produced five runs...

Two missed, one lost fish (didn't feel big) and two pike on the bank, including the first double of the season at 11lb 6oz. Float-ledgered or paternoster sardines did the trick.

Been a very long time since I've had five runs in a day on The Wye - not since I ate that dodgy scotch egg!

Pike Time

Reccy to a new section of River Wye - Facebook & Google Earth are useful - but you can't beat boots on the ground. Lot's of wandering about & chatting with the locals to start to build up a picture.

And I needed a pike to start the season - far from a monster but a lttle jack on a sink 'n' draw joey was just the job. Plus I lost a far bigger (unseen) pike - that'll insure I'll be back very soon!

Summer Fishing 2025

Quick look back at the summer (written monthly as I went along). Very hot, very little rain & not much water in the rivers. Instead of my usual summer barbel quest I turned my attention instead to carp - both running & stillwater. I did land 84 barbel but carp provided my main fishing fix (landing 33). Oh, and there was those eels...

June: I started the season chasing barbel. Opening couple of days on The Wye saw 5 landed from a rare summer flood - before a drought that last months. And then back to London for three afternoons on the Small River - 35 barbel in the summer sunshine - mostly on floating crust. No big fish, but a cracking way to start...

July: No water in The Wye & too hot to target barbel, I turned my attention to a small Farm Pond - a bit of an unknown. Initially using bread, then adding boilies to the mix I caught common carp, mirror carp & a beautiful fully-scaled. And while trying to catch a perch I landed a surprise 3lb 7oz PB eel, plus a (targeted) back-up 2lb 10oz eel...

August: I continued my carp quest, initially on the Small River - stalking out a mirror, common & ghost carp from the clear water - plus 19 barbel. Then back to the Farm Pond for a few short evening sessions to get my fishing fix - getting into this carp fishing! And an afternoon on The Wye with the stick 'n' pin provided some great chub action...

September: Last trips to the Farm Pond included a double full-scaled mirror carp - a great way to wrap up the summer carp campaign! Three afternoons on the Small River added 25 barbel to my season. But I did lose a Wye double - that Wye double still eludes me. A bit of rain, a wash through the river and few nice chub rounded out the month.

Winter is coming. The weather has turned, and that can mean only one thing - pike time! I'm going to start once again on The Wye - and expand my search as the winter progresses - fingers crossed for a few crocs..!

Carp In The Headlights

My Dad has been bagging a few chub & barbel over the week - including a Wye double! Thought about heading to the river - but decided to hit the Farm Pond to try and catch one last carp before winter.

Hard going; cold weather, strong wind & pain-in-the-arse swans not helping, but eventually I winkled one out on the boilie sleeper rod - as I was packing up. I'll be back next spring...

Double Damn

An afternoon on the rapidly rising Wye, it rose 4 foot while I was there, had to keep moving back! The wash through it really needs...


About a dozen chub, a few over 4lb. But I did loose a barbel - a good double right over the net - my Wye Double still eludes me...


So I taught my audience of cows a few new swear words..!

Splash & Faff

Another afternoon on the Small River - wandering about in the last of the summer sunshine. No rush, just scanning the river as I mooched about - ten barbel plus an ornamental koi - smashing!


7lb 3oz (top), 7lb 0oz above.


Half time...


6lb 0oz above, someone's pet koi (below)