My June 16th

[Dan Dan]

Hey guys,

 

As you may know, I intended to fish the Laleham stretch of the thames on opening day, but had to work so couldn't get down there until evening. Having spotted out my peg a week or two in advance, I headed towards it pleaing to the piscatorial gods that it was empty...and it was! One thing I hadn't accounted for the depth of my swim....having only checked it out fleetingly on my moped I just assumed it was pretty standard in depth. From me on the bank to the edge of the fallen oak to my left (about 15m) the water was no more than 18 inches, then it dropped off to about 5 metres. My initial plan was to float fish on the inside picking off silver fish with a longer set up just at the point of the tree with a chunk of meat or pellet, but I had to change. I only bought match reels too, with nothing more than 100metres of 4lb/5lb mono. Not a good idea to risk a chuck over to the far bank especially with boat traffic.

 

I decided to put on a large swim feeder and fill up with hemp and maggots, and bombed it out to the edge of the tree and let it sit. I made up my second rod, which had a straight bomb through to a size 4 hook with a chunk of meat. This rod i just chucked out into the middle, as i was really focusing on the first one.

 

Well to cut a long story short, I blanked. Not a nibble from anything and to make things worse a load of kids decided it was a good idea to have a rave on th eother side of the road behind me with their drum and bass playing loudly above everything else.

 

I'll update with 17th later...im still **** off as it is.

[Peter Waller]

Hi Dan, not sure if my start was much better!

 

I thought that Monday looked just right for a spot of piking, pretty much a full moon, bad weather forecast, wind from the South, low water coinciding with morning and evening feeding periods, slight chop, a few clouds, everything was coming together just right, couldn't ask for better.

 

Out on the water and in place just in time for sun up, third cast and into a plucky jack!!!!! Then a 7/9 pounder, great stuff, plenty of tail walking and the like. Over by *Argyl's memorial and it looked like the first twenty of the season!! Well, just shy of eighteen. All in the first two hours, but that was to be it. Fished through the slack, nothing more. Went after roach whilst the tide flooded, lots of rudd. Tide turned and went off piking again, fished the tide down, all the usual spots where I would expect to catch a pike, not a touch. Tuesday, one jack in six hours piking. Not good. Loads of small rudd in the evening though, that I did enjoy, they are such pretty fish!

 

*By the way, Argyl was an ardant AN poster, good bloke. Was using one of his reels. Apt that I should catch a good'n near his spot.

 

Have to say it, not a promising start to the season where pike are concerned. Last year was poor, the pike season ended badly. It does rather make me wonder what this year will be like.

Edited June 19, 2008 by Peter Waller

[Neil G]

Sounds like you had a great start to the season peter, pike to 18lb isn't a bad result at all.

 

I had such a poor winter (best to 16lb) that I'm really pinning a lot of hope on this summer resoring my faith/interest in fishing again. I seem to be able to catch huge amounts of jacks from any water but all the bigger fish vanished after the floods we had last year

 

Going out tomorrow for a spot of piking but sods law the rain is on its way and it'll probably be pushing through like bu**ery come the morning.

 

I sense a feeling of Deja Vu