Anglers' Net - The UK Online Fishing Magazine: Fund Wray'ser

Fund Wray'ser
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Rosie-Barham on 04 March, 2000 04:00:00
 
A few weeks ago I was invited, by Allan Stone  of the Stoney and Friends
charity for Macmillan nurses  to spend the weekend, bivvied up at RMC
Anglings Wraysbury 2 lake, in Berkshire. Its a pike-in, Rosie, said Allan.
I know its not what youre used to but pike anglers are a decent crew and
its for a good cause, so why not come along anyway?
On the Saturday before the big do, an hour and ten minutes after leaving
home, the Chief Angler and I arrived in Wraysbury 2s car-park to meet up with
Stoney and his Fred Elliott sound-alike helpmate, Dave Green. After sliding
into my Derriboots and stretching my legs among those already gathered, I set
out to suss the venue. I soon realised that it was going to take me rather
longer than 20 minutes to suss Wraysbury 2. Its a massive lake, around 140
acres roughly split into two by a sort of promontory and a couple of islands. I
needed a rest, anyway, after all that driving so sat down for a chat.
My chosen group of proper anglers told me that stock-wise, things were pretty
impressive. The lake holds pike to 33 pounds, eels to 5 pounds, perch to 4
pounds and all manner of carp, tench roach and bream, which is presumably why
the predators are doing so well. See? Im learning this non-carp fishing thing
already.
I had imagined Wraysbury 2 to offer limitless mud, possible sub-zero
temperatures and, due to the lack of a loo, severe frostbite to places I
normally keep strictly lagged during wintertime. Youll be all right, Stoney
assured me, in the manner of those with conveniently pointable plumbing
facilities. Besides, if you cant find a quiet patch without nettles, theres
a pub handy. You can always pop in there and use their loo. This seemed like a
good idea about mid-day but you cant enter a pub and just head for the
ablutions  its only polite to buy a drink first. Give it an hour and Id need
to go to the pub again. I decided that Id give up on that one and besides, my
mate, Joanne, had reconnoitred and found an ivy-covered bathroom for us, deep
in darkest Wraysbury shrubbery  a far more sensible option.
As it turned out, the weather was comparatively mild for February and we
managed to miss a forecast monsoon by a few hours, so I was warm and cosy in my
brand new Titan bivvy and Frostbite sleeping-bag. If anything I was too warm. I
have to sleep with the bivvy flap half way open, too  I get claustrophobic
otherwise  but, with Kevin Nash as my temporary landlord, I spent the night in
comfort.
Cooking breakfast in the dark  a dozen rib-eye steaks, wild boar and tarragon
sausages donated by Ron the Fish (Surreys finest fishmonger, Im reliably
informed) and a punnet of mushrooms - was a novel experience. I really must get
one of those miners head-light thingys before I do that again - its vital, if
you cook in the dark, to make darned sure that your hungry horde eat in the
dark, too. It looks like hell on the plates.
Rosie Barham - phwoarr! This is as close to a 'real' shot of Rosie Barham as
decency will allow me to publish!
Ron also sent along a selection of prime deadbaits  mainly mackerel, a ton of
sprats and a few small squid, as requested. Unfortunately, Rons idea of
small squid seemed to be more along the lines of the specimens that Captain
Nemo was forced to wrestle on a regular basis. The anglers in my little group
reckoned that, unless RMC Anglings stocking policy included a healthy head of
sperm whales, wobbling one of Rons mega-squid around the margins was a
non-starter so they settled for mackerel tails and variations on a sprat theme.
Just before daybreak on Sunday morning, cars began to stream into the car-park
decanting about seventy anglers who waited for their names to be pulled from a
hat and a gentlemanly walk-off to begin. Once they were settled in their swims,
I mingled with the pikers within my walking range and observed their actions.
Its amazing how much you can learn by just looking and asking a few questions.
Of course, the answers to most of my enquiries made hardly any sense at all 
Ive been around carp anglers for decades and have had little to do with pike
fishermen, apart from witnessing certain strange urges suffered by my youngest
as 1st October looms, each year. However, from the little knowledge that I
could absorb in such a limited time, I gathered that pike angling is nothing
like carping at all. I realise that all of you know that already, but bear with
me, pike anglers  Im fascinated by the whole thing. I found that I was keen to
find out more. To discover how the species differ in behaviour etc. I will, too.
This is not the last pike session Ill be involved in, believe me.
I was told that hair-rigging dead baits is definitely catching on. I can tie a
carp-type hair rig and have photographic evidence to support that claim. A
confident question seemed appropriate - I was on familiar ground here. Is that
the same technique as hair-rigs for carp? I asked one pike enthusiast. More or
less, he said. Your bait is lassoed round the tail root with a mono noose
affair which presents a single treble a quarter of an inch off the deadbaits
tail.
Er&&..right. O.K. Thanks for that. I hadnt got a clue what he meant but one
day soon I will and I bet all of you that Ill be able to put it into practise.
All the anglers were really sweet, tolerating me hovering in the background so I
continued to make a nuisance of myself with a clear-ish conscience.
Bless! Lewis looking a 'bit' pleased with his fish!
Two youngsters, who hadnt fished for pike on such a daunting venue before were
parked side by side in a swim  under strict instruction but largely ignoring
advice and doing their own thing. Lewis Baker, 12, tempted the second take -
from a muscular eighteen pounder - with a mini shoal of popped-up sprats on two
size eight trebles. The look on the boys face as he tried to pose for the
photo, control the struggling pike and smile at the same time was a joy to
behold, and the fish was magnificent.
Now, I havent been near too many pike but the ones Ive seen, caught from a
local river, were a kind of darkish greeny brown. The colours on this specimen,
however, were glorious shades of green and light brown, variegated with silver
streaks and yellow blobs. Is that because the water at Wraysbury is so clear
that you can see the lake bed? Does the clarity of the water affect their
appearance? Id seriously like to know if this is so.
I dare say there are those among you who are thinking What the hell is this
woman writing about pike fishing for, when she clearly knows very little about
it. Well, Ill tell you why. Watching the behaviour of the youngsters
involved, their interaction with other anglers and the delight as they achieved
a goal, whether it was tying on a bait, making up a rig - whatever they were
trying to do - anyone could see that they were completely taken over by the
sport. The kids love it because of the freedom of activity allowed. They can
wander up and down their swims as they cast, observing, trawling their
dead-baits and lures. Not that other kinds of angling arent just as good 
carping, for example, when they must keep quiet and still, teaches them
patience, perseverance and self-discipline  but pike fishing, as far as I
could see, is far more dynamic and appealing to a young mind. As we all know,
these youngsters hold the future of angling in the same hands that can just as
easily hold a Gameboy. I know what Id rather they did.
Pike, I was reliably informed, are misunderstood. A popular misconception is
that they are ferocious, primeval, irascible. (Id be irascible if, having just
taken a mouthful of lunch, some strange bloke whipped me away from it and hauled
me up a bank to be photographed before Id had a chance to swallow.) In reality,
the sensitivity of these impressive creatures is legendary, they tell me, and
thats understandable  being born with a jaw jutting so far that you could
balance a coffee cup on it would be enough to make anyone feel a tad
vulnerable. They should be treated with respect, spoken to kindly, replaced
into their habitat with a gentle hand and put under as little stress as
possible. Lewis had Respect written on the front of his T shirt - and all
over his face as he posed with his wonderful fish.
Stephen Doe cradles many a fisherman's dream...no, not Rosie Barham, but a 20lb
pike!
Twenty minutes earlier, Lewiss cousin, Stephen Doe, 11, had leapt onto his rod
as the bite alarm signalled a screaming take. He had wanted to try a mackerel
tail, but hed tied on a set of size 10, barbless trebles, for a single sprat
set-up, hoping to tempt a jack. He was advised to change to size 8s but he
couldnt wait and cast out the mackerel anyway. Even I could see that the fish
was no jack. The rod was plunging toward the lake surface each time the unseen
fish dived for the sanctuary of the depths. Ten arm-aching, nerve shattering
(especially for Stephens dad, Terry Doe, who was manning the net) minutes
later, a splendid pike slid into the net, was carried up the bank to an
unhooking mat, and weighed-in at 20lb 6oz. Stephen was beside himself and
immediately fell in love with his capture. The photograph shows his adoration.
Who could blame the boy? Those Wraysbury fish are superb.
We had a marvellous weekend. Allan Stone modestly asked me not to put the
fund-raising success for the Macmillan Nurses down to him alone I dont want
to take any credit for it, Rosie, he told me. I have a great deal of help.
Thats why the charity is called Stoney and Friends. This is true. There are
many dedicated friends who do all they can but, without Allan, the charity
would not have been started in the first place, so he should stand up and be
counted, dont you think? Theyve raised thousands so that cancer sufferers and
their families can receive counselling and care. The Wraysbury pike-in, alone,
raised £1,069
Oh, yes. And some of the grown-ups caught pike, too. Carp ace Terry Hearns
dad, Barry, took five pike from Wraysbury  all up to twelve pounds  and there
were a number of fish taken on the opposite side to where I was reporting
(typical) up to 19 lbs.
Leon, Wraysbury 2 is that big bluey green thing in front of you, old boy!
At the end of an enjoyable day, a raffle was conducted in the car-park. Prizes
were donated by many more of Stoneys Friends  including a couple of rods
from Walton Tackle Exchange offered just for the juniors who took part in the
event and a bargain carp/pike rod from Decathlon on the Surrey Quays, London,
which had the 'serious' anglers rubbing their heads in amazement when they were
told just how inexpensive it was.
Young Stephen Doe, who apart from catching the biggest pike of the weekend,
also won one of these rods. He reckons it was the best weekend of his life. I
saw enough of pike fishing to give me the desire to do some of it for myself
and Ive decided that catching my first pike can only be a matter of time. How
much time that will actually turn out to be, is anyones guess, but Im going
to be out there trying, no doubt about it.