Transient Towpath Trudging - Pt.19

A mayday message from Jon 'the fella from the racecourse' came completely out of the blue, you see after catching a few small roach and hybrids he'd hooked in to one of the bigger rod bending bream that reside in this canal and then came up with an issue.

The problem was you see on retrieval prior to netting in the 2lber, a decent pike had been woken from its slumber and decided that he'd get in on the act.

Yeap, not a good ending for the bream as you'd imagine because sadly it snatched it Pike style from from the small hook leaving Jon stomping up and down and scratching his head in disbelief, wondering what the hell just happen.

Initially the location I was given didn't stack up but then after another couple or three messages I knew exactly where it was and it was actually the same area I caught an 8lb 10 Zander quite a few years ago now.

I thought I recognised the piece of scraggy iron !!!

Now this area is back on my radar once again because you see, not only is it the closest big of canal I fish, which is a short bike ride away, but I bumped in to the likeminded the weekend, someone also on a mission to catch a canal double and he'd seen a picture of a 9lber caught a spod cast away. In-fact I was in the swim where it was caught and nothing doing for me at all. 

To be honest I rarely catch pike on this stretch mainly because it is so coloured, but was this greedy fish Jon encountered actually a pike ? or could it have been a big Zander instead ?

Only one way to find out I suppose better give it a go hadn't I. Now I'd be enjoying ones float fishing of late so with some maggots and some groundbait I'd also fish for bits and have a sleeper rod out where Jon had his jumper pulled up over his head and given a couple of kidney punches. 

I wouldn't stay that long because despite being the end of April it's still cold in-fact we are expecting a frost overnight as I'm tying this.

Now a 2lb bream, sat in the stomach of a pike would be me like attempting to consume the all you can eat Chinese buffet platefuls I used to when I was 20 years younger.

 

I could probably manage it with some brow mopping and coke quenching but I'd not have to eat for a few days after. My appetite certainly isn't like what it once was where often the owner of the establishment was concerned over his profits and often gave me and the fellow table sitters the watch tapping marching orders. 

Anyway better get fishing hadn't I !!!!

Well what an odd session, in chronological order it went like this

• Huge snag pulled out from the drink on the float rod.
• A small roach dropped off, followed being bust up by a carp.
• All went dead, a move to the lock, two eels caught on the float rod nought on deadbait.
• Back to where I started at, no pike, one tatty schoolie Zander and one 3lber that shed the hook 

And that was a wrap !!!!

The eels are getting bigger though and both succumbed to maggot. I had a curfew for this session but at least I picked up a few fish and had the banks to myself.

It was cold though, so back with to the woolly hat again but an oddly enjoyable session despite the intended target not showing up.