A Fisherman's Tale

[Mister Toad]

This is a true fisherman's tale as its all about the one that got away

 

I was having a very pleasant session yesterday at Bury Hill. I was feeder fishing one of the lily swims along the long bank of the old lake. I had Activ8 soft pellets in the feeder and lob worm on the hook. I'd caught a couple of nice bream (one about 3lb and one about 5lb) but was hoping for a tench. Suddenly I had this savage bite that even I couldn't miss and felt something very heavy on the line. It felt big but it didn't really do anything so I thought it must be a big bream. I was bringing it in gently and got it to within about ten feet of the bank when this massive pike suddenly swirled on the surface. Now it woke up and started to fight back. There was not much I could do with it (medium feeder rod, 8lb mainline, 6lb hook length) but I was still hopeful of landing my first pike - especially such a big one! Many thoughts raced through my mind - will it fit in my net? How will I unhook it? Can I remember the instructions I'd read about in the magazines? Maybe someone can help me?

 

Unfortunately, these questions must all remain unanswered as very soon the line parted and it was goodbye from Mr Pike.

 

The monstrous creature fixed me with a baleful stare and opened its enormous maw. For a moment, I was staring into the jaws of hell but with a disdainful flick of its mighty tail the great leviathon returned to the fathomless depths from whence it came.

 

Sorry, just slipped into Herman Melville mode for a moment there.

 

I have to say that I was definitely disappointed - my first pike lost and a good one too . I cannot put any sensible weight on the fish but it was easily over 3 feet long. I think it must have taken the feeder as well as the hook bait as the main line was cleanly cut and I lost the whole of the end tackle. Fortunately, I was using a barbless hook as is the rule at Bury Hill and the feeder was attached using a safety clip so, hopefully, the pike was able to rid itself of the tackle without too much trouble.

 

And so ends my fisherman's tale.

[Gerald]

This is a true fisherman's tale as its all about the one that got away

 

I was having a very pleasant session yesterday at Bury Hill. I was feeder fishing one of the lily swims along the long bank of the old lake. I had Activ8 soft pellets in the feeder and lob worm on the hook. I'd caught a couple of nice bream (one about 3lb and one about 5lb) but was hoping for a tench. Suddenly I had this savage bite that even I couldn't miss and felt something very heavy on the line. It felt big but it didn't really do anything so I thought it must be a big bream. I was bringing it in gently and got it to within about ten feet of the bank when this massive pike suddenly swirled on the surface. Now it woke up and started to fight back. There was not much I could do with it (medium feeder rod, 8lb mainline, 6lb hook length) but I was still hopeful of landing my first pike - especially such a big one! Many thoughts raced through my mind - will it fit in my net? How will I unhook it? Can I remember the instructions I'd read about in the magazines? Maybe someone can help me?

 

Unfortunately, these questions must all remain unanswered as very soon the line parted and it was goodbye from Mr Pike.

 

The monstrous creature fixed me with a baleful stare and opened its enormous maw. For a moment, I was staring into the jaws of hell but with a disdainful flick of its mighty tail the great leviathon returned to the fathomless depths from whence it came.

 

Sorry, just slipped into Herman Melville mode for a moment there.

 

I have to say that I was definitely disappointed - my first pike lost and a good one too . I cannot put any sensible weight on the fish but it was easily over 3 feet long. I think it must have taken the feeder as well as the hook bait as the main line was cleanly cut and I lost the whole of the end tackle. Fortunately, I was using a barbless hook as is the rule at Bury Hill and the feeder was attached using a safety clip so, hopefully, the pike was able to rid itself of the tackle without too much trouble.

 

And so ends my fisherman's tale.

 

Surely the site of such a beast will encourage you to give them a try. Even a short flutter like yours must have got your pulses racing. Considering it was your first taste of a pike, will you be coming back for more??

[Mister Toad]

Surely the site of such a beast will encourage you to give them a try. Even a short flutter like yours must have got your pulses racing. Considering it was your first taste of a pike, will you be coming back for more??

 

I would certainly like to but it would a) involve buying yet more kit (strangely enough, although my wife maintains that she cannot have too many shoes or handbags, she doesn't feel the same about fishing tackle or electric drills) and it would be hard to find the time in beween lake fishing for bream and tench etc, river fishing for chub and barbel etc and the occasional fluff chucking expedition.

 

PS

I've just found out that "" appears as and not "" as intended.

Edited July 10, 2007 by Mister Toad

[Neil G]

I don't think your wife will appreciate you coming home stinking of sardines & mackerel either as that's what happens when you get into piking !

 

I started off river fishing for roach, bream etc but have pretty much specialised in pike fishing now as I love it so much (maybe with some river barbel fishing thrown in here and there).

 

Kit isn't expensive....cheap carp setup will do to start off with and it's easy to make your own traces.

 

You know you want to....go back and catch the beast