My first “winter pike” session was sat 1st
October. I arrived at the water at 6.20am in the pitch black, as the sun just
started to rise. The water was steaming as the mist cleared and plenty of fish
were topping, I assumed being chased by pike. I had been informed that this
particular water was best fished early morning, so here I was, ready.
The water was very weedy, so I had beefy tackle. Heavy 40 lb
plus braid, wire trace, two trebles and a large section of lamprey. I cast it in
the perfect spot and waited. 20 mins past with no interest, so I decided to re
position the float. As I wound in, I realised I was snagged on the weeds, this
had happened on previous trips and I always pulled the gear free. As I pulled
gently, I felt a grating and then the line broke, I must have been rubbing on
an underwater obstacle because I had not pulled that hard. Immediately I felt
awful, a baited trace is a dead pike,
rattled around my head. Just then my Float popped up to the surface, now I had
a target. I quickly tied on a paddle toad lure and began to cast at the float.
I caught it several times and pulled it closer and then it would fall back in
the water and go further out. 30 mins had past and I continued to cast at the
float. Eventually I caught it with the hook and I had a firm hold.I started to
pull the tackle in. Just then it went rigid and started to move. A fish had
grabbed the lamprey and was swimming off. I was now playing a pike on a line
that I had hooked by the float on a lure attached to a different line!! The
pike swam away and I managed to hold on, loosening the drag so I could play it
lightly as the light hook hold on the float began to slip. I played it for
about 10 mins then the hook slipped off the float and I watched it sail away.
Again I was devastated, not for the loss to me, but to the pike. Then my float
bobbed back to the surface about twice the distance out. I had to recover the
trace!
I was now stood right on the water’s edge, slowly slipping
into the water as I cast repeatedly at the float. Again I managed to hook it
and slowly pull it towards me. Minutes ticked away. I was able to walk up the
bank and grab the float by hand to hand line the pike. Sadly and gladly the
pike had let go of the trace and was no longer hooked. I managed to pull in the
braid, the float, the trace still with the lamprey attached. By now a couple of
hours had passed and I had missed the optimum feeding time. I bundled the line
into my bag and sat down for a coffee. I thought about missing the chance to
catch a pike and the fact that I had potentially saved a pike form dying at the
hands of my lost trace. I was happy. I felt I had made the right decision and
we both had won.
I continued to fish for an hour, with no further interest. I
packed up and drove home. Glad that the pike lived to face another day, I will
be back next week.
