Plugging away till the end pays off..

Had a few hours spare this afternoon. Grabbed the opportunity to get up to the Canal.  Following Sundays match I thought I would Pike fish the Wilcott Straight section.  All of us during the match had Pike in our swim and Brian Shutler hooked one during the match.  Whilst Alan Brown had reported hooking "something" whilst plumbing up.  Not sure but I think I did the same.

So I started on the gold mepps spinner down by the iron bridge and hooked a 1 lb + Perch and the tiniest Pike maybe 9 oz.  Almost straight away but after lots of twigs etc , I changed over to a shallow diving plug.

 Another small Jack around 2.5 lb was to follow before a barren spell and time for a move.  I moved up to the edge of the cricket pitch and Brian Shutlers match peg.  After several tangles , hooking my jacket and my 42 inch specimen landing net. I eventually landed the plug in the middle of an explosion of fish leaping from the water.  In a flash the the rod bent round and a Pike hung low and dogged after 3 or 4 minutes it went solid and I started pull a branch around 5 inches in diameter, but no fish.  Dammit that was good one.

Tried for another half an hour to re-hook it with no joy.  So I headed up toward the bridge and the winning pegs from Saturday and Sundays match. Big Bream were rolling and feeding and after clipping one with the plug; I ditched it straight away and went to a dead bait rig.

Had one good run straight away but struck to early, and felt the fish drop the bait. nothing for 20 minutes so I final move to just short of Wilcot Bridge. With daylight fading as the low sun dipped below the horizon; I decided to fling the dead "smelt" toward the bow end of the opposite boat.  Just as I decide to pack up in failing light the bubble float dipped and veered right.  Not wanting to hook the fish deep I decided to wind down and hit it early. Solid!!!!!!!!

But wait the solid was accelerating away toward the bridge. Rod tip low  turned it back and inexorably I won the day.  A beautiful lady graced the net.

Twenty Nine inches long and 9 lb 15 oz a beaut; but I will be back because as I netted her another Pike half as big again followed her to the net.  A great few hours to end the year. Roll on 2014.