Christmas cheer and a happy New Year

The rain stopped at long last so I set out for my traditional Christmas Day festivities - trying to catch a pike. Conditions were encouraging. Mild, little wind, some sun and a deserted lake. Having the pick of the swims I thought I'd fish tried and tested ones. The only bites I had were of my sausage rolls.

That was four blanks on the trot. I'd forgotten my three blanks and try for a different species rule. I should have done what I almost did and bought some maggots to have a try for roach after the third blank. Idiot.

With the rain still holding off yesterday I took a walk round the lake in the afternoon. It looked very tempting. I was back there before noon today. This time I wasn't alone but there was still plenty of room. One swim that I haven't fished much looked enticing on my walk, and still did when I dumped my gear in it today. Looks were deceiving though. After an hour I was ready for a move to another spot I'd made a mental note of.

As time passed in this swim I was getting desperate. I was neither confident nor despondent really. Everything seemed like a run could materialise any minute. Even with my three matching rods and reels and Fred on watch nothing was happening. So I threatened Fred with the chop if I didn't get a run.

One more move before dark. I'd seen small fish topping and rolling to my right. At least it was something to go on. With three baits out in likely looking spots (I'd ditched the bluey and had two lamprey halves and a fresh smelt on the hooks) I chopped up the discarded baits and scattered the bits around the marginal lamprey tail. That one could stay where it was until it got taken or I packed up. The other two would get twitched and/or recast at intervals.

For a change there were mallard on the water. That gave me some hope, as did hearing a water rail as dusk closed in. I always feel more confident when water birds are active for some reason. More small fish topped, a skimmer rolled. More confidence boosts. My hopes were misplaced. Still the floats didn't move. Five blanks on the run.

I can only assume that the fishy gods knew I wouldn't have the heart to run Fred trough with my bait knife after all the good catches we've shared since he hopped into my rucksack. At least with the rain gone for the time being I'm getting the fishing bug back a bit.

With another fishing year over it's a strange one to look back on. I've fished far less than ever before and thought I'd caught little of note. Certainly pike have been thin on the unhooking mat, but having given up on the eels rather sooner than I would have liked I still managed to have my best season for them in terms of numbers of 'decent' fish, topped off by one I should have got the self-take gear out for. I'm not wishing for a drought in 2020, but less rain would be nice.

---

Things can only get better. Can't they?

The weather today was too good to let go to waste. Light wind, sunshine and... NO RAIN! I was set up after lunch, three baits out. I was too lazy to get the banksticks and alarms out. I'd be busy playing and landing pike anyway.

After the usual hour I moved. Although there were lots of fieldfares about there had been a distinct lack of waterfowl activity. As I moved my gear in three trips to the next swim a couple of moorhens broke cover from a marginal hawthorn. That was about all I saw on the water all afternoon.

Swim number two was as unproductive as the first one. A final move after an hour to a real banker swim. The pads have all but gone now so two baits were dropped where there would have been some lilies on teh surface during the summer and the third in the never-fail margin spot. OK, it does fail now and then, but it's turned up pike regularly in the past.

Despite his best efforts at fish spotting, Fred was no help. The banker was a blanker.

I'm beginning to wonder if it's the odd rod out that's jinxing me. Next time (whenever that will be) I'll be back on matching rods. That should get the pike feeding.

---

Winter's coming

At last there was a mild, dry afternoon when I had some time free and I felt like catching some pike. The sun was shining, fieldfares cackling, and the late autumn sun casting a warm glow on the world.

Everything looked so good it was a struggle to walk past swims which tempted me, but I was going to stick to my plan and fish 'bankers'. It didn't take long to have three baits positioned  in good spots. The smelt even smelled of cucumber, which I find is a rarity with pre-packed baits. When I bought them from Liverpool fish market back in the dim and distant past they were really strong smelling. A lamprey head end on another rod and a headless bluey on the third. All baits which have produced for me from this place.

So confident was I that I stuck it longer than an hour in the first swim before moving to another which always throws a fish up around sunset. A close in bait has proved good in this spot so I sat well back from the water once the rods alarms set.

Other than a lone tufty, a dozen mallards and a couple of moorhens there were no other waterfowl to be seen. The starlings must have found a new roost as they didn't show up as they had done on earlier visits.

Once the sun had set I felt dew forming on my bunny suit, but it was still keeping me cosy. With my headtorch ready for action it would only be a matter of time before it would need switching on while I unhooked a pike.

Or not.

I hung on until the floats were impossible to see in the dark reflections before admitting defeat. This is becoming a bad habit. Have the pike switched to morning feeding? Are they waiting until night time? Are they sick of deadbaits lying on the bottom? Are they still there? I guess trying again is the only way to find out.

---

Rod builds

As I still can't get my head round going fishing at the moment here are some rod pictures.

I'm not a fan of painted blanks for a few reasons, mostly the difficulties they pose when doung rebuilds, but also because the finish can be a bit damage prone. That said my blue Axioms have stood up well to plenty of abuse. Harrison's have reduced their colour options to one. Burgundy. Having recently built a set of three P-1s in this finish, and juts completed three Torrixes, both sets whipped with burgundy thread, I must say the overall look is aesthetically pleasing. The light olive differentiating turns of thread also go well with the colour scheme.

Another recently complete build is a pair of P-1s in Ultra Matt finish with tarted up cork handles. I do like the cork cones in front of DPS reel; seats. It's a better look than cork cones in front of DNPS seats to my eye. Although not to my taste the custom butt finish that was requested looks better than I envisaged. It was a bit of a faff to do though!

---

Spread the word!

After a slight hiatus Catch Cult, specialist angling's must read,  is back on track with issue 13 at the print works right now. Feel free to share the ad below on those social media channels I keep well away from!

---

Twearly?

On past experience deadbaiting for pike on this particular water is a struggle before November. I'm pretty sure that if livebaits were allowed pike would snaffle them in October, but they're not and deads can be hard work. However, as I hadn't been fishing since a frustrating eel blank two weeks into August a rare dry afternoon (September felt like it rained every other day and early October little better) when I was free seemed like a good excuse to get the pike rods which I had readied in September an airing. On a whim I swapped one of my eleven footers for the 10lb 3.25lb Torrix I'd written off as an eel rod. As if starting piking too early wasn't bad enough I was putting a new rod curse on the session!

While a few of the taller willows were almost bare most other trees and shrubs were just starting to take on their autumn colours. There were hips galore and the hawthorns loaded with darkening berries. As winter progresses these will disappear down the throats of fieldfares, the first few of which flew high overhead, heard before seen,  shortly after I had settled in to my first swim of the day.

Why I set up in a swim which has yet to present me with a pike despite it's charms of marginal reeds and overhanging branches, plus a far off lily bed, the pads now fragile and sparse, is one of life's mysteries. My initial enthusiasm for the spot didn't last long and I was soon on the move.

I had left home in sunshine and not needing a fleece. In the short time it took me to open the gate to the lake the sky had become overcast and the air cooler. After my second move the sun began to break through the watercolour clouds and lifted my spirits.

Alas it did nothing for the appetite of the pike. My floats remained unmoved except by the gentle ripple from the light north-westerly. It was a grand afternoon to be outdoors. Not that there was much to watch. There weren't many birds on the water or in the bushes. The mallards were mostly keeping their heads down.

A final move to a swim where I could watch the sun set was called for. As the sun went down the clouds began to clear and by the time the only light was from a set sun the air temperature began to fall. A few small fish started topping suggesting that the pike might make an appearance. I wasn't in the mood for clinging on until dark though. As I'd suspected, my first pike session of the winter season had been a resounding blank. One reason I don't fish as often as I used to is that I can't stand not catching these days. Here's hoping it's only down to starting before I should have and not a sign that the rest of the winter months will be equally testing.

---