jamie dimery-seek

Took the boat back down to the marina today.....didn't want to leave! traces made up,kit packed,just sarnies to make in the morning ,drop daugher off at school and im there!!!!

Do the rivers you fish tend to have quite a decent flow on them even in normal conditions? Only i trot deadbaits from the back of my boat quite a lot and do reasonably well. The thing is my river in normal condition hasn't got much flow at all so baits aren't really trotted its more of a crawling speed . Lives,presented the same way score better,but i would think that's down to the vibrations from the bait ,as the pike would then sense these, and so not be acting on sight alone? I have also found like Steve that,they dont have to be whole baits,and the pike arent to worried how they hang in the water.i've have had some success using whole/half herrings mounted on the hooks, as a static deadbait would be. I can then also set it over depth and leave it static if i want a bite to eat and a cuppa

I use an stainless steel(unbreakable flask),and always(pre heat it) fill it with boiling water screw the lid on and leave until kettle has reboiled.I then empty the flask and fill with fresh boiling water from kettle. I take the milk in a separate small plastic bottle,and coffee and sugar in small seal up bags.

Think we may have met before Neil? Might be wrong but i dont think Eric did Bristol last year?.....He definately came to Bath though Moorfields inn ring a bell....?

My boats moored at Kelston Mill,so pretty much from there down to Keynsham and back up to Bath at Pultney weir. Haven't fished from the bank for the last year.Much easier to keep mobile in a boat and get right in the weirpools where others cannot reach. Pop across for a session sometime if you want to.

I know exactly what you mean Neil.I've been having some cracking evenings lure fishing lately,but the last two trips (tues and yesterday evening) have been unusually slow,blanked tues (first time this year)and had a jack and a micro pike yesterday,which were hard work to get.(Lives went untouched). Visability has gone from 6 inches to 3 foot in a week,which i thought may be playing a part? This part of the river has received no pressure,but it could be a factor where you are fishing,or they could be as you say just lying up. Ps just noticed in your avatar,that you're a fellow Bathonian

Thanks Mark and Budgie Dont think i will top that for a while Peter

took the new boat (sea nymph) out for its first fishing session decided to walk the 4-5 miles to get to the marina,i could have had a lift later in the morning,but wanted to get on out. The river was looking alright,not a lot of flow,with a bit of colour. i passed quite a few anglers on the banks on my way to the marina, and enroute to the first of many weirpools on the river that i intended to fish that day. Put on a lure that was retrieved from a tree earlier in the year, similar size to a shakespear big s (shakespear thunder crank? something like that anyway).second cast and hooked into a pike didn't feel very heavy,and came towards me against the current quite easily,which was when i got my first glimpse. It looked, by the brief look i got to be bigger than i thought,and guessed 12lbs(then started thinking,maybe 14 if im lucky!). it might have came in easily enough,but when she saw the side of the boat,she made a couple of runs,which left me wobbling like a jelly,i know these weir pool pike fight, but flippin eck this thing was giving me a right run around!!!). Managed to get the net under her,dropped the rod grabbed the landing net which promptly snapped leaving me clutching the wrong half! with the reactions of a fighter pilot i grabbed the net and drew it to the side of the boat and had a peak in.....looking bigger all the time now,16lb maybe?(not that i'm any good at guessing weights,just like to give it a go). got myself together while the pike recovered in the net at the side of the boat,only to be reduced to a wreck when i lifted the net fully into the boat......it looked huge......i nearly wet myself...sorry but it was close! the lure had fallen out!!! and so i quickly put it into the sling and weighed her. The avons said 11lb8oz??? That cant be right ,that looks much bigger than that.........Its on the green dial numb nuts!!! crikey or something similar,i think i shouted!!!! 21lb 8oz Chuffed aint the word,couldnt carry on fishing i just couldnt concentrate,so i've been doing the wifes head right in going on and on about it!!!

Well its covered me on my boat and the local angling club confirmed this to me. Cant see why you'd think it would be illegal to fish from the boat? How do you think we pike fish rivers from boats?(trolling under power is not allowed but that is all.

if the waters are British Waterways then you can fish as mentioned with just a rod licence,as the boat licence covers you (as long as you fish from the boat and not from the bank)

Saw 9 people fishing today shouted out to them that they shouldnt be fishing,saw 7 of them again an hour later still fishing so went home rung the E.A hotline. Baliff just rang me back,he found three teenagers under 14 fishing withoout licences as well,one of the parents was contacted to come and pick them up (under 14's get a warning usually and nothing more first time) and four adults have been booked in a seperate group three for not having licences and all four for fishing out of season. He did mention that it was pot luck that he was on stand by duty as no one would usually be able to come out.

Hi Ken,these sites maybe of help to you pouring softbaits Materials not uk im afraid,but a fair few chaps use them. Think i heard somewhere that it maybe cheaper to use old shads if you are only making the odd one or two.......but dont quote me on it

John suggested a smaller bait really because of the spacing of the teeth marks,if it is a smaller pike then a smaller bait picked up will more likely have the hooks positioned in the mouth.not an expert by no means,so dont take what i say as gospel,it's just what i've found from my own experiences. But saying that 3" between the hooks and the teeth marks between that would suggest a quite tiny pike ,so you just might want to stay as you are and hopefully something bigger will take a fancy to your bait.

John,if the teeth marks were between the hooks then sounds like it was a small fish,how much spacing did you have between the two hooks? I'd maybe be inclined to shorten the distance between the two hooks,maybe drop down a size to 8's and use a smaller bait (diameter wise as well) roach or similar.

Could be none,one or all of those factors,thats pike fishing It might be that they aren't in the same area now that they were in before,was it recent when you last caught there? were conditions (temps the same) flow in the river?maybe that they were held up in that spot for a reason and have now moved on. I tend to move after 20 mins or so if there is no signs of life in the swim,you could sit it out changing baits and hope they come through your swim in the course of the day,or you can try and search them out by moving. then there's always the chance that you might pass each other without knowing it try different times, a stretch i fish usually only produces well in the first and last hour of light another stretch they prefer to dine around 1 ish lunch time