Start for the title race

[Portland Pirate]

Well this year myself and Elliot (Devon Born, Dorset Bread) have decided we are going to make a big effort and have a go at the species hunt. With that in mind our first target was to have a go at the Grayling and Pike on the River Frome at Wool. The Dorchester and District AS have the rights on the Frome from the endo of November until the end of February, so we thought we had better get our skates on before we lost the chance to fish this short but lovely stretch of water.


Image courtesy od DDAS

Last Sunday we got up bright and early along with my 11yr old son and set off for the river. The tempreture had warmed up over night and I was confident that the fish would be encouraged to feed a little. When we arrived I was a little surprised to that despite no rainfall the river level was up a bit compared to a session we had two weeks before. On top of that our chosen swim was already occupied.

Not to be too daunted we found a likely looking bend in the river a little further upstream. We set up the pike rods with dead baits and the first cast seen me snagging on some weeds on the far bank and losing everything
At the same time the wind picked up and boy was it cold. After another 15 minutes I finally got a bait in the water and Elliot was already setting up his float rod for some trotting.
Not much happened for an hour and I decided to set my float rod up as well. Just as I had finished setting it up and giving some instructions to my lad as to what to do if a Pike picked up the bait, I noticed the float slowly moving upstream. I picked the rod up in trepidation just as the float shot under the water. I took up the slack and struck into the fish or was it the bottom as everythiung just locked up. Not for long as the fish made an attempt to head upstream. I shouted for Elliot to bring the net and had to listen to the complaints from my son as he insisted that it was his fish I was fighting. No chance was he getting a go. I have been trying to catch a Pike for the last 3 years without success and he had already had one the previous month.

After a brief fight Elliot slipped the net under a lovely winter Pike that topped the scales at exactly 8lb.



Set the bait up again cast out and went of to try for a Grayling on the float. The problem was by this time the wind had really picked up and trying to control a light float was almost impossible.

After another couple of hours we were ready to pack up and head back home to keep the wife happy.
As an after thought I decided to have a quick cast from the bridge to see if there was anything in the fast water just down stream from it. On my fourth and final cast I was delighted to see the float slip under the water and feel the wriggling from a spirited if not small Grayling.



That was just the start that we needed to kick off our 2009 campaign. I am sure we will be able to get another session in before the end of February and hopefully the next time the wind will allow us to target the Grayling.

[fullcreel]

Well done, nie pike and grayling. I had a Grandmonther nr the Frome in Corfe and 2 Aunts in Swangae, that is a lovely river, used to fish on the free stretch below Warham Bridge. Dabs and dace with the odd eel.

[pingu]

good start there
pretty pike

dave