Warwickshire Avon – Pike Tyson, Pt.1

A few weeks ago whilst targeting Perch I was beaten up by a fish in such a big way, it reminded me of an 18 year old Iron Mike Tyson and his rise to boxing stardom. It made me look stupid, the hood was pulled over my head, I was given a few kidney blows then for good measure,a undercut to finish me off. A big Pike (I assume) snatched a livebait on the retrieve and it put pressure and a bend in to the fairly stiff rod I’d never experienced before, the violent and powerful kicking only lasted a few seconds before the inevitable happened and left me thinking...

W H A T        T H E         F * * K        W A S         T H A T

It was fish skulduggery....

I couldn't do anything about it,the power,the velocity and the fact the clutch was taken by surprise that shocked me, I’ve no doubt this was a BIG fish and despite catching Pike and Zander on this set-up previously without an issue I needed a rethink if I was to ever experience its power again.

With the weather favorable it was well worth a return visit, I’d caught the odd Jack from this stretch in the past, even the same easily identifiable one twice, weeks apart, but as far as I’m aware it’s never had big Pike form. Apart from those that like them for the pot I don’t think I’d ever seen a Piker. It appears the apex predator doesn’t wander that far once they feel comfortable with an area hence so multiple captures are very much possible and pastures new are eventually required unless you want to start naming the fish and start preparing the paperwork ready for adoption.

That could be the only problem, I might need to get through the Jacks to find the Giant.I needed those magic beans….

Fee-fi-fo-fum!

Now I've never seriously targeted Pike in anger however having caught quite a few now and being comfortable handling and unhooking them, I can see what all the fuss is about. So for this session and as the water clarity allowed it I decided to revisit the scene of this battle but this time I came prepared with a beefier set-up that hopefully would give me a much better chance of landing it if I ever hooked it again. The 10ft Pro Logic 1.5lb TC MP specialist rod which happily landed Zander and Pike up to 9lb in the past and still had much more to give was ditched and replaced with a 2.5lb TC carp rod.

On the business end a strong multi-strand trace leader with a large Raptor single hook with a small de-barbed stinger treble to help retain the deadbait. A Fox high visibility dart float complemented the set-up. If it wasn't home I had to go searching, now there is some oxygenated water here in one particular swim from an upstream weir run off and often it looks like someone has tipped in a pint of Matey Matey, the dart is therefore ideal for the job as the dart type flight sticks above the foamy suds and still remains visible.

With the roach dead bait tantalisingly suspended under the fairly hefty float the plan was to cast out the rig, leave and retrieve, leave and retrieve, leave and re…....then cast over and over again to try and provoke a reaction from this monster to try and relive its savagery.

Sort of a wobble and bobble...

I'd likened it to a buxom wench on the pole parading her Elmer Fudds and bouncing Buddhas, it would certainly get my attention.

For a bit of an alternative to the bait I also fitted a large Savage Gear Alien Eel lure to my sturdy lure rod. I'd used it a few times many moons ago at Wasperton without any success but maybe this was the ideal opportunity, big Pike, like big lures and this is one big lure, that's for sure.

It was one of those mornings when I knew it would be difficult. There was certain enough clarity in the water for Pike, that wasn’t a problem but the swim where I hooked it previously it was up so much so the slack area was no longer a slack, well apart from a yard square….

I did manage to position the float a few times, and with the rod elevated it held station, the problem was the wobbling was out of the question. After an hour or so without any interest and half an hour of throwing the lure here and there I moved swims.

I tried a few more swims, even tried some long trotting, but zilch, not even a Jack.

After being fed up by being battered by the wind at this point so I cut the session sort, the walk back to the car I decided to give it half an hour in another area of slack water, the float was positioned then it disappeared…

I stuck, felt this fish and was instantly disappointed, what was this…certainly no Pike.

I was a bleeding pesky Perch.

Half an hour without any more fish, it was time to get back to get the roast lamb on, I should have bought the Chub gear. 

With more rain on the way, Pike Tyson will have to wait.

To be continued….

Zedvember 2015 - Cold Hands and Cystoscopies

A cracking turnout from the bloggers for Zedvember and Jeff Hatt's Birthday which is the 24th. I knew it was going to be difficult as conditions were not favorable as the fish hadn't had time to adjust to the sudden drop in temperatures and the water clarity was also very clear. Sure enough there were hardly any fish banked despite the amount of rods in the water. I've caught plenty of Zander so I see these events more of a social and a catch up with fellow bloggers (or fellow weirdos says the Wife)

Jeff Hatt - Idlers Quest
Russell Hilton - Tales From The Towpath
James Denison - James' Angling Adventures
Brian Roberts - Pike Blog
Ben Hennessy - Ben Hennessy's Blog
Danny Everitt - The Lure of Angling
Keith Jobling - Warwickshire Avon
Lee Fletcher - This Angling Life
George Burton & Son - Float, Flight and Flannel

The rod was out more than in, (I'm not recalling those that were party to the cock hole story btw), I meant my fishing rod. Sadly my float with a deadbait under remained motionless. I even ventured on my own to the Coventry part of the cut without even a crayfish nudge.

Was good to meet those I hadn't before and enjoyed the usual banter. Russell had a PB, Brian had a nice double figure pike on the lure and James his first cut Zander.

After a pint at the Greyhound's Inn smoking shelter (It was rammed) I returned home to this cockle warming fire, it was a cold day, it really was.

Center Parcs, Elveden - The Big Perch Search

The main lake isn’t the clearest, it’s a nice tinge of green with a foot of clarity, it’s operational after all used for various water sports such as kayaking, paddle boarding, cable skiing and the like.Even Santa makes a visit on his motorboat during the fantastic fireworks display.Unlike the rank and file I wasn’t targeting the scum suckers but the big Perch that are resident here. The biggest I’d caught which bizarrely I had on sweetcorn was over 3lb I reckon , I was weighing scale less though so had to return it to from where it came kicking myself in the process.

Two subsequent trips I was more single-minded and caught plenty over 2lb and lost one that would have beaten my 2lb 11oz PB sadly the deadbait and hook were dislodged when after existing the water for the third time its aggressive head shaking finally paid off.

I’d come properly prepared again, for bait, some bleak deadbait, lobworms and krill and shrimp glugged king prawns. It’s a big lake so I made some groundbait to try and attract the bait fish and to get them more concentrated (It worked last time). The chum concoction consisted of natural worm extract, some bloodworm and fishmeal ground bait, chopped worm and dead maggots. A friend of mine Dave doesn't fish for specimen Perch till the first frost, for the week here it's stupidly mild. There are carp here and because its mild they well may feature, the greedy gits.

I’d never use a soft bait or spinner here before so to accompany my float and running set-up from time to time I’d throw out a lure here and there. As I'm here with the family, the mornings are the only real option as I'd like to have fished in to dusk.I never had a problem previously so I was hoping for the same.

Luckily it all fitted in the car amongst the holiday related luggage and paraphernalia…

Day 1
Sam helped me bait up a couple of swims, a float fished bleak and occasionally a lobworm in a few swims and didn't even bring a bite. Sam has the attention span of a gnat, so maybe he isn't quite ready yet. They have added more feature to the water sports since we were here last so another pontoon has appeared, meaning the swim that produced in the past, was out of bounds. I used the Mepps in and around it though and after an hour, not even a tap.

Day 2
I fished the pre-baited swim for a couple of hours and managed a few decent Roach just over a pound and a couple of carp. The deadbait would usually have some attention by now, but two hours later I was Perch less. I moved towards the corner of the lake to a swim between two large bushes.Eventually after an hour in the swim and some chopped worm every now and then the float was dragged under and something had taken the bleak.

Stupidly I struck prematurely, I initially felt resistance but then everything went slack and the float popped out. The Perch must have had the fish in its mouth, felt resistance and then let go. At least there was a sign some fish were around.

Day 3  
I started the morning in the swim that I left, when I left I added some chopped prawns and worms so it was ready for the morning. Well best laid plans and all that because not even a touch on the deadbait and lobworm only attracted the carp and some tiny Perch. The carp also liked the prawns so much so the next swim I tried I had a few in quick succession so I decided to fish exclusively the bleak, the biggest carp went about 8 or 9lb, it's a big old lake so it's a matter of finding the fish. 

The weather has been a bit hit and miss so with Wednesday the only real option as it is a family holiday after all,  it will be more of a roving session. A bleak under a float and also a Mepps lure, the bottom end of the lake has a large floating platform, so that's where I'd start. Weirdly since I've been here I'd only spotted a handful of anglers, the carp were still there off the jetty on the beach, only small ones mind, I wonder if they have removed the bigger ones.

Day 4
Well no surprise and not worth writing about, a few small Perch and even a carp liked the bleak, probably the mildest morning as well. The sky was clear too, nearby RAF Lakenheath had their F-15E Strike Eagles from the 48th Fighter Wing out patrolling the skies, at least that was entertaining. There is cold weather on the way next week, damn. I bet in two weeks time it will fish completely differently. With family stuff planned for the next few days, this was the last session.

All very disappointing, especially considering the potential, oh well, I'm sure there will be another trip. Sam had the right response, all very mehhhhh...