Never Been Kissed

Regular readers (yes, there are one or two) will be wondering why I've not posted for over a month at the height of the pike fishing season. Have I nothing to say for myself? Well yes, I have, but it's not really fishing related for the most part. Shortly before Christmas some fool drove down my road and ploughed into the back of my car. He admitted liability as did his insurance company but the rigmorole which followed has prevented me from fishing for ages. I was actually without transport for ten days and have had to spend numerous days waiting for people to turn up and do things.

That's not all, the weather this winter has been the hardest for some years with regular snow and frequent sub-zero temperatures even during the day. Most of our stillwaters were frozen well into the new year and even the rivers were unfishable due to the ice floes coming down. At one stage I crossed over the River Ribble and was amazed to see that what was coming downstream was 80% ice with just gaps of water in between.

I finally got out this past week and managed to catch on each of the three days I fished. Day 1 out in the boat was a busy day with a total of six runs to deadbaits and a fish caught on the lure. I missed a couple and lost one fish at the net but all those boated were doubles so it was a pleasing day. Biggest was only 14lbs 11oz which was a little disappointing but at least I had good sport. I stayed over and fished again the next day but the wind got up and the lake got very rough. This hampered the fishing and I only took three, the biggest around twelve pounds.

I followed this with something completely different. I've gone over to the dark side this year and joined a carp syndicate. CARP you ask! Well yes, but it's not really the carp I'm interested in. The lake is big and there are only fifteen members and since all of the others are interested only in the carp it leaves all the other species untouched. The pike potential is relatively unknown so my friend Kevin and I have them to ourselves.

I had my first day this week and fished two rods with static deadbaits and one on a waggler fishing maggots. The maggots produced nothing at all, not even a bite but I did catch a pike on the deadbait, a pretty nine pounder that took a pollan legered in sixteen feet of water. Without a doubt this pike had never been caught before, never been caught, never been kissed.

What will this new venture bring I wonder.