First Knockings

mithrandir · #1 01-06-2007, 03:28 PM

Well I got a few hours to myself today and had a little trip to the K & A canal. Got up late and made it to the canal about 11-30, it was chucking it down but at least I was on my own and could find some quiet.

As there was no wind I decided to use a small reed float with a single BB shot and a swivel to cock it and my 5m telescopic so I could almost pole fish the centre of the canal.

Plumbed up at about 5 1/2 feet and popped 3 red maggots on a size 16 hook. I was already damp and wondering why I was doing this and not sat infront of the fire watching the fishing on Discovery realtime!

My swim

After about 5 minutes I was rewarded with my first fish of 2007, and the first points for the Rusty Nuts team with a skimmer.

the rain was beginning to ease off and 10 minutes later I landed another small skimmer

and 5 minutes after that came the next points for the Rusty Nuts as in came my first Gudgeon

So here I was 1 hour into the season and the first 3 points were in the bag.

I carried on landing small skimmers and gudgeon up until about 2-30 when it went quiet and the rain started again.

Decided to give the spinning rod and a shad a try a bit further up the swim

After about 30 minutes of freezing wet hands and learning to cast and draw a shad throught the water I got a take, the 2.75 lb test curve rod bent over and the clutch cut in, "This is it!" I thought " my first real pike!!!!" but as it keep running and shaking it head the line went slack! "B******ks" I cried and reeled in the jig head with no shad on the end.

I persevered for a another half an hour then packed up and left before it got too dark.

Well I enjoyed the day, learnt a bit and am all fired up ready for the next time

Mike