Out with the lads

We finally managed to all get out on the river, we even had the company of region 31 PAC member Pete Brownbill.We'd arranged the day before to fish the river in the hope that one or two fish may appear as the

water conditions have been far from ideal for the last month. We all met up by a swim we were all familiar with and then headed of to a new location I had fished the week before to try our luck. By river standards it was only a short walk from the cars to the swims, around 500 yds, Bernie was in the first stream downstream, a good looking swim with over hanging trees and a nice crease 8 ' out with some good depth. Pete was next to settle in up stream from Bernie, he had a little pruning to do which is a good thing in my opinion as it shows the swims exclusivity. It was then Sefo, Mike and myself either side of a bend with over hanging trees and big back eddies, creases and deep water. Today for me was more of a social, a chance to have the crack and sample some sausage butties cooked on Bernie's new coleman. The morning started wet but the rain cleared of not long after arriving, all our baits were out before the sun come out on what turned out to be probably the nicest day so far this year. The morning past with little action, I had had a bait mouthed and Pete missed a run shortly after getting there but the pike were having none of it. As the day pasted by I noticed the clarity of the water had improved and the level had dropped a few inches, this was obviously a good thing and gave me confidence which in turn inspired me to put a 3rd rod out along the up stream margin. Soon after I had a run on my left hand rod, the take was weak and the run didn't even drop the bobbin, it was a small jack of a few pounds that came of just by the waters edge but a fish all the same in difficult conditions. It was now mid afternoon, Bernie put on some more sausage butties for the team, god I love them Yates Greer sausages, they must be the best in the world, I sat down and watched the

rowers paddling up and down (some of them I find annoying but that's another story) enjoyed the wild life on display, Robins, Wrens, Geese and the odd Kingfisher. Mike was first to bank a fish "on my rod" because I was too busy nattering to Sefo, it was only a small jack of 3-4 lbs but it was the first to grace the net, we took a few photos then let him go. The end of the day was drawing closer and closer and the pike started to show signs of activity Mike lost a fish on his own rod this time and I had a dropped run with the bait coming back marked. As the sun melted into the ground I had another dropped run on my 3rd rod this time it took the baiter, I quickly cast a fresh bait to the same area and clipped the rod up, as I turned to walk back to my chair the bobbin dropped on my left hand rod, I picked the rod up and felt for the fish, it was taking line nicely so I gave it moment wound down tight and struck, fish on I said the our |Mike, he came down with the net and in no time at all she was on the mat ready for unhooking. Mike said that looks a double, I said no mate its about 8 - 9 lb at the most so we weighed her and Mike was right, the

fish weighed 10 lb 02 oz not a bad little guesstimate from young Mike. No more fish were caught that day, Bernie and Pete left not long after I caught that fish, Me, Mike and Sefo stuck it out till after dark. Fingers crossed the rain stays away, the river levels drop and the clarity improves and we get out again next weekend and land some big hungry pike.