what a day !!!!

[fishypaul]

all i can say is wow ! i don't get many days like this thankfully,mother nature threw everything but the kitchen sink at me today and i just about survived
it all started very much as normal with the alarm going off at 0330 ,
it was a lovely clear starlit night but bloody cold,
i arrived at the lake by 4 and prepared for the route march,i had decided to fish a few distant swims in the hope of finding a biggie or two,the 2 mile trek was daunting but i tried to make it easier by cutting down on gear ( no stove today)
the walk was tiring but made easier by the frozen ground and i was fishing and comfortable in a very picturesque and pikey looking swim by 5

this is the view to the left

to the right

nothing much happened apart from me being covered in frost until 0730 when i had a short drop back on the left hand rod fished close in with a half herring, this turned out to be a fiesty 5 pounder that didn't want to give up
all was quiet after that and by 10 i decided it was time to move,i had a swim in mind round the corner that has produced for me before

was soon comfy and didn't have long to wait,had 2 takes in 10 minutes,the first dropped the bait and the second came off after a couple of minutes
it was about then that the weather seemed to make its mind up to be an awkward sod,first the wind started getting up , north westerly and bloody cold ,then it started snowing which soon changed to rain,torrential rain,
i was quite happy and warm under my brolly when i had a screaming take on my right hand rod baited with a half herring dropped under a marginal tree.
this was clearly not a jack and took a good ten minutes to land,when all the dentistry had been done it turned the scales at 16lb 4oz and it swum away none the worse for its ordeal

trouble was i had been playing and unhooking this fish in an absolute downpour and was now saturated,not a good situation in january !
i stuck it out for the next couple of hours but i was getting colder and colder so i called it a day
the walk back to the car was even more of an ordeal,the frozen ground of this morning had become a sea of mud and i walked for 2 miles back to the car straight into the teeth of a north westerly gale and driving rain
when i got back to the car i had borderline hyperthermia
all in all i suppose it was a good result,i got what i went after,but a 2 mile walk loaded with tackle ?? never again.

[Twiddler]

Great report/pics Paul........respect for sticking the weather out...I think I would have given up when the snow arrived .......I see you didn't leave me alot of crocs .......huh you are sooooo selfish

[baitmaster]

well done paul very nice pike never nice fishing in cold biting wind and rain good report

tighltines
kevin

[mithrandir]

Never again

I don't believe you!

cracking report and looks like a great place to fish, shame about the walk but a man of your dedication will be out there when the fish are on, regardless of walks and weather.

Pike beware! Paul is about!!



Mike

[Norfolkboy]

Respect!

[Greenheart]

Cracking session Paul. Do you use barbless hooks for Pike.

[Old Smoothound]

Great fish in bloody dour conditions Paul....respect as well mate

[wellyfish]

well done paul , great pics

[fishypaul]

Originally Posted by Greenheart

Cracking session Paul. Do you use barbless hooks for Pike.

i crush the barbs on two of the trebles and just leave the barb on the one that goes into the bait

[Greenheart]

Cheers Paul, I think Barbless or Semi Barbless is the way to go. Too many sharp bits what with the trebles & the pikes teeth. Treated mtself to a pair of curved longnose pliars too, although I could'nt find any stainless ones.