A Day off from Life

[Old Smoothound]

Hi guy’s,

Just a report on the “Predator Posse” outing of yesterday. My pal Dave and I took a day off from life and went Pike hunting.

Our favoured spot was reached after me battling to get through the fog and frost to a spot on the Kingsedgemoor Drain; Dave lives a bit closer to it than I do.

Lady Luck was not on Dave’s side as he was looking forward to stopping off at the “Chuck Wagon” to fill his boots on bacon butties and tea, but the wagon was not there , probably got lost in the fog!!



It’s a good job that the Old Smooth one never travels without his pan and stove! Many forum peeps have tasted the culinary delights that can be served from my trusty frying pan, and lived to tell the tale!!!

After setting our stall out with float and popped up ledgered dead baits, the bearded burbler…(yours truly) set about “knocking up” a “Vecky Breckie” for the two of us. Eggs, Bacon and (my own favourite) FRIED BREAD finished off with a twirl of HP sauce and lashings of fresh cracked black pepper…..Sheer bliss!!

It was a great morning nonetheless, the fog started to lift and the cold frosty air with it. I watched a Kingfisher for ages, the little bird was working the far bank going from perch to perch and you could hear the occasional “PLOP” as it dived in for a fish. A great sight to behold a true “master fisherman” at work.

My pal Dave and I sat back in our chairs and talked of past fishing expeditions we had both had, the days when you could go to a venue and not see any litter on the bank, no empty nylon spools, crisp packets or beer cans. The funny thing is that the little car park we had parked in has a 2foot by 4foot sign from the environment agency asking anglers to take their litter home with them. Yet not 5 yards from this sign, was a grassy verge strewn with beer cans crisp packets sweetie papers carrier bags and the like. It definitely gives us responsible anglers a bad name and the “anti brigade” loads of ammunition to fire back at us.

Anyway my moan over, back to the fishing. There was very little flow on the drain and the fish were quite high up in the water, every fifteen minutes, the Pike in the vicinity would strike at the bait fish…these were roach and skimmer bream being scattered everywhere. Fascinating to watch a kind of miniature version of Giant Blue Fin Tuna bait balling their prey!
We had our first run after about 20 minutes, Dave’s alarm went off and a Pike of about 4lbs had taken the ledgered Lamprey dead bait. The Pike weighed and returned, we settled back in our chairs and started chatting again and Dave’s float fished Smelt dead bait went sailing off and a few minutes later a Pike of about 5lbs wet the net.

Lady Luck had now turned back in Dave’s favour!!! Dave 2 Old Smoothy NIL! This continued for about two hours when my Slidy bite indicator revealed that a Pike had picked up my popped up Smelt dead bait and was travelling towards us. I picked up the rod and Struck but the fish had dropped the bait..... damn and blast or expletives of that nature ensued!

Dave now went 4 nil up on me with Pike to 6lbs!! What was I doing wrong?? Nothing according to Dave, it was just that the fish seemed to be in his part of the drain and not mine. Was Lady Luck about to come over to my part of the drain???

To cut a long story short she did. 3.5 hours into our session and my popped up Smelt rod gave the tell tale sign that a Predator had picked up my bait…..I struck and after a short tail walk the fight culminated in a fine looking Pike of 7lbs 10ozs wetting my net! Phew no blank for me then. Dave as kind as ever, did the honours and took a photo of me and my Pike and congratulated me on catching the largest fish of the day so far. I like Dave he can lift your spirits!!

Dave added another Pike of 4lbs to his tally so now it was Dave 5 Old Smoothy 1.

We were loosing the light now and contemplating packing up for the day, when my ledgered dead bait rod again showed the tell tale signs that a fish was being interested in my bait….so I lifted the rod and struck and a right old battle ensued; in and out of the weed beds until finally a Pike of 8lbs 14ozs was netted.

Again Dave did the honours for me by taking the photo and enlarging my dented ego by again telling me I had made up on quantity by catching the 2 largest fish of the day.

I will post the photos’ another time as the CD drive in my computer at work is useless and not working so I will have to post it from home.

Here's to the next Predator Posse

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Cracking read mate and whats this you not getting the most fish !!

Looking forward to the pics

[pingu]

nice one smoothy, well done, great read as ever

[Norfolkboy]

Great report Shaun, and well done on a cracking days fishing!

[wellyfish]

what a great way to spend a day off ..with a vekkie brekkie mmmmmm!! .some nice pike too ..

[fishypaul]

great read as ever old smooth one ,well done.

[baitmaster]

fantastic read and well done

tightlines

baitmaster

[Old Smoothound]

Thanks fellas,

Here's the picture........

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Top condition pike mate ( bit big for bait though - hehe )

Must get my bum out in the new year and get some piking in myself as before we know it the spring will be here

[pingu]

lovely fish smoothy I just want 1 quarter the size for the points ;-)