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2 January 2012 (A big fat Pike!)


Chris Plumb

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River Kennet - Speen Moors

 

1230 - 1600

 

Bright and sunny start followed by a heavy shower. AT 5-7ºC. Forgot to take WT!

 

1 Pike; 15lb 3oz (!!!). 4 Perch 1lb 9oz and 3 smalluns. 2 Roach. 2 Dace. 8 Gudgeon.

 

Rather hoped that the weather would have held to what we'd had in recent days (mild and overcast). Bright sunshine and a sudden drop in temperature is not what the angler ordered and I ummed and ahhed all morning about whether or not to go. However with opportunities somewhat diminished for the next couple of months at least (yes a job at last!) it was a case of you won't catch owt mooching about at home. So rather than the canal I thought I'd have a wander round Speen - drop into a few favourite spots and with ½ pint of maggots left over from last week was sure to catch something. The plan was then to spend the last hour of daylight trying to winkle out a perch or two from a couple of spots that used to be very productive (but have been less so for the last couple of seasons).

 

Part one went as planned, fishing one of the weirs I had 3 of the perch including the bonus 1lber - but was somewhat gudgeoned out. I was really after a chub so moved down to the APFA swim but only caught more gudgeon! Then who should I meet - but Rusty who was just finishing off a bread based blank in the larger weir. I walked back with him and dropped into a swim en route which quickly produced another perchlet, followed by a roach - and after Chris had bade his goodbyes, 2 dace and a further roach. Having arrived and fished the first couple of hours in bright sunshine, the skies suddenly blackened and for 20 minutes it absolutely tipped it down. I very nearly packed up there and then - but a bright line on the horizon signalled that it was to be just a shower so it was off to the 'perch' swims....

 

The low water levels didn't fill me with much anticipation but I thought fading light should encourage any fish to feed. The first swim produced nothing and I'd made around ½doz casts in the second swim when the float bobbed once and just slid away purposefully. I wasn't prepared for what happened next. I struck and realised in an instant that this was no perch. Pike love lobs and are a bit of an occupational hazard when perching - and I was seriously out gunned by this beasty! My record on landing pike on worm is pretty good providing you have hooked it clear of teeth - however I really didn't expect to get this one in. The initial strike had turned it away from danger only for it to shoot off down stream in the current. Again I managed to turn its head and headed up stream. In the shallow water I could see it clearly - and realised it was going to be a challenge for my 24' pan net - however on its next pass I placed the net behind it and it turned tail and shot straight in with the current.

 

A really fine fat specimen hooked in the outside of the scissors - how lucky is that. :whistling: Tis my biggest ever worm caught pike - beating the 14lb I had 2 years ago, my biggest ever from Speen, and my biggest since my PB of 18-10 in Feb 01. Landed on a size 8 to 6lb mono and my trusty Harrison float rod!

 

Having photographed and slipped her back I returned to my perch fishing. Alas the perch weren't in residence and the next 2 bobs of the float both produced crayfish - so whilst there was still some daylight left I decided it was time to call it a day!

 

Pike15-03.jpg

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Congratulations Chris, that's a big river pike if caught by design let alone caught on lib with no wire trace!

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Blimey Chris what a river Pike well done ,I seldom use Lobs on the Thames due to Pike but think i may have to rethink and use on all waters....better bet than my motionless sardines at the moment .

I think Bully off the NAA forum was there yesterday but not sure if he had any?? ,May be worth sticking a catch report on the NAA site for a Pah Pikers you don`t know what you are at you need to use Lobworm :rolleyes:;):lol: Steve.

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Cheers guys - although it wasn't what I was after it certainly put a smail on my face - a really fatty too - obviously finding plenty to eat - possibly been scoffing on trout upstream. ;)

 

John - my job was outsourced back in the summer - and 5 months and 93 (!!) applications later I landed an interim role at Oxford Univ working in the School of Geography, started just before Christmas and its just till March - but give me a bit of breathing space to find something perm.

 

Steve - I did speak to a piker on his way back to his car - big guy all in camo - hadn't caught owt and was moaning the fact that there were 8 piking the main river (sounds rather a lot to me). Will put up the pic on the NAA forum and see if I get any bites! :rolleyes:

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Chris that will have been Bully ,Think he may have been concerned that the above mentioned Pikers may not have been members but thought better of confronting that number ,Glad you have landed another job even if it is a breathing space one....always easier to get a job when you have one methinks....tis tough out there job wise at tha mo

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I was in Bully's vicinity prospecting for chub on the opposite bank. There were four people upstream of him two of them deadbaiting, don't know if they were poaching, they left soon after I arrived. Downstream on my bank was a Dad and two kids who also left once I'd pitched up (I have that effect on people), I had a chat as they passed and whilst I didn't ask to see permits they didn't strike me as poachers. Very busy for Speen.

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