Pike Fishing the Foxhangers

[Banana Steve]

Well it’s along time since I last wrote one of these! However a New Year equals a New Start.


Yesterday the 08th of January saw me knocking on the Simon N’s front door at 7am all keen and raring to go fishing. Our chosen venue was the canal on the Devizes Exchange ticket, at area known as the Foxhangers. We arrived in the darkness and found a few cars already parked up, and a few anglers loading their kit up on their trolleys.

On loading up we headed to an area known as the flight bottom, this is an area at the bottom Caen Hill Flight.






When we arrived in the area, we saw a sign in the gloom of the darkness “No Ledgering Float Fishing Only” well that put the kybosh on that idea. So we headed down the canal into the Foxhangers. The Foxhangers consist of a series of Lock Gates and in between each gate is a large pool, for which they all contain a good head of fish, including some reported good Carp and Pike. After passing several anglers who gave us advice and information about the pools we found an empty pool that looked perfect.


Well we choose our pegs and settled down for a day’s Pike fishing. It was Simon who had the first indication of a pike, but on striking found a missed bite, but both our sprits lifted in anticipation of catching.


The Morning moved into early lunch time and with both of us being fishless and our morale starting to waver. Were we going to catch, we had even tried spinners, plugs and rubber shads but all to no avail. Simon came over to me to join me a spot of lunch at 1 ish, as we were talking we noticed my right hand but indicator start to rise very gently then drop away completely. That put me into gear, I lifted the rod and saw line slowly peel of the reel, I closed the bail up and struck and I was rewarded with that heavy thump of a good fish. As soon as I felt the fish on it felt special, a definite double figure fish. This fish was determined to try and snag me in a sunken tree on the far bank, but after a few frantic minutes the fish was in front of me, and even after seeing it on the surface my reaction was, that it was no bigger that 15lb in weight. Eventually I got her in the net. And on lifting her out of the canal my opinion changed, this was bigger that I thought. Well along came the scales and the anticipation building up inside me, Simon announced that the fish went 25lb 12oz in the sling. Knowing that the sling only weighed 2-3lb in weight I had caught my first British 20lb+ fish. We weighed the sling separately to find that it weighed 2lb 8ozs that gave me a PB of 23lb-4ozs.


To say I was overjoyed was exaggeration, I was ecstatic. A 20lb fish, I had been waiting for this for a few years and now that I have final reached the objective, well I am still smiling now as I write this report. Also I get to claim my first points for Team SolentAvon as well.

Right back to the report!

As the afternoon wore into early evening, I wondered over to Simon to see what sort of time he wanted to knock it on the head. As we were talking my left hand rod bite alarm bleeped a few times, so mad dash back to my rods to find that there was line starting to peel away, as before I lifted the rod closed the bail arm and struck, and yet again I was rewarded with the thump of a fish on. To be very honest I thought that this fish was a Jack of around 5-6lb but on landing the fish I was yet again proved wrong, this one came in at 12lb 8oz.


As I returned the fish, we decided that we would call it a day as the light was starting to fade. Even though we only had two fish and admittedly one was PB, but we both came away from the venue very happy and we are really looking forward to coming back, especially for those Carp that are in there. But I think another Pike trip is in order.

[PikeHunter]

Well done Steve you lucky git!!! Good report and nice pics. That place looks lovely for a days fishing. What baits were you using?

[geejayy]

great start to the year 4 ya , most impressive, well done m8

[Simon N]

Originally Posted by PikeHunter

Well done Steve you lucky git!!! Good report and nice pics. That place looks lovely for a days fishing. What baits were you using?

We Were Both Using Roach Of About 3 Inch In Size. Did Try A Small Trout At 1 Point Tho.

[fishypaul]

congrats on your first 20 steve thats a super fish,well done mate

[pingu]

superb fish, result pb, and cracking report

dave

[Echelon Pest]

Cracking fish and a great vid. Well done Steve

[Lman]

well done steve looks a cracker mate
you have just raised the bench mark to 30lbs
will have to join you before the seasons out i know sam is looking forward to his next pike trip.
both those fish look as if they have been in the wars

[MRG2000]

Cracking report Steve ,well done on the PB ,thats a stonkin fish ...

[BoldBear]

A great report. Congratulations on a superb 23 pound Personal Best, what a superb looking Pike.
The 12 pounder was just icing on the cake, well done mate.
Good Video as well.