King's Sedgemoor Drain - Greylakes

[Old Smoothound]

I fished the King’s Sedgemoor Drain at Greylakes on yesterday. Weather conditions were very frosty at first light, the edges of the drain to about halfway across were frozen. But as the Sun came up and over the water, it quickly melted the ice.

The swims to fish for large Pike are about a mile and a quarter’s walk circa 20 minutes. As I walked I could see a vast flock of Teal, these Duck had obviously chosen to roost on the Drain overnight. There must have been 5-600 birds and as I walked up the bank they were taking off in great clouds and almost darkening the sky again….shame I did not have my trusty 12 bore with me, it would have been roast Duck for tea!

Having now got to my chosen swim I set up two rods, one a float fished Smelt and the other a running ledger dead bait of Lamprey. One cast to the far bank near a weed bed, the other in the margins up stream of me.
I sat back and waited and waited and waited........

No fish showed any interest in my baits for the first 3 hours, during which time I moved swims several times. I now walked and dropped into different swims on the way back to the car park. Just before the bridge I had a run on the float fished Smelt… for the first time that morning I had wet my net. A Pike of 6lbs was soon banked and safely returned. I now neared the bridge and decided that my last hour or so would be spent in a fixed position. I cast the baits to either side of me one close to the bridge stantion and the other just upstream of me. Within minutes I had a run on the float fished smelt and a small “Jack” was returned to fight another day. My running ledger bait of Lamprey had not produced so I changed it to a smelt and re-cast to the same spot. After 5 or 6 minutes I had a run and after a short but spirited scrap another Pike of 6lbs was returned.

The Kingfishers were active again and as I watched them fly from perch to perch, a Buzzard with its mate flew over and landed in a tree not 40 yards from my swim. What a glorious sight to behold, two supremely skilful predators in their own right. I ended the session with 5 Pike to 6lbs 10ozs. Not a bad mornings work.

I'll be back again to find a decent sized fish next time

[baitmaster]

nice read smoothhound
trying to think why the drain you fished is familiar to me !

tightlines
baitmaster

[pingu]

nice one smoothy, pike still my next course target if i ever get out again this year
The drain level looked really high from M4 as dragged back from cribbs causeway yesterday

[Old Smoothound]

You lucky bloke Dave I hate Cribbs Causeway...it always costs me money when I go there and they don't have a tackle shop I could disappear into for a few hours

There are 5 rivers you would go over before Bridgwater on your way home to Exmouth. The first would be the Avon at Avonmouth, then the River Kenn at Clevedon, then the River Axe, followed by the Huntspill and finally the King's Sedgemoor Drain at the Glastonbury / Bridgeater turn off at junction 23. Lots of water to choose from

[Norfolkboy]

Well done Shaun

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Well done and just goes to show that if you make the effort to pull yourself of the sofa this time of year and brave the weather there is still some good fishing to be had

Note to self - get of sofa

[pingu]

cheers shaun, Good info as ever
I know where i want to go locally(on exe canal) but need son to be allowed back too school to get out for a day as dont fancy this area at night