pbpike1

BEING THAT I'AM PRIMARILLY A BARBEL ANGLER ONE SELDOM GETS THE CHANCE TO GO "ALL OUT PIKING". MAINLY BECAUSE THEY BOTH FEED ON THE SAME TRIGGER POINTS. IF THE RIVER IS WARM ENOUGH FOR BARBEL TO FEED, SEE MIST /DEW/COLD I WILL BE TARGETTING THEM COME RAIN OR SHINE, IF IT'S TOO COLD FOR THEM, THEN IT'S TOO COLD FOR ME! SO PIKING "AS SUCH" GETS, "PUT ON THE BACK BURNER".

IF YOU HAVE READ THE FEEDER FISHING PAGE YOU WILL SEE MY STANDARD RIG IS 20LB GORILLA BRAID, STRAIGHT THROUGH TO EITHER A SIZE 10 ANIMAL SPADE, OR SIZE 8 DRENNAN SUPER SPADE. USING A BIG DRENNAN FLAT FEEDER. HOOK BAITED WITH 4 MAGGOTS.

OFTEN ON THE WYE WHEN BARBELLING WITH A FEEDER, ONE CATCHES DACE, OFTEN THESE ARE "NICKED" BY PIKE ON THE RETRIEVE, PIKE KNOW THIS CAN BE A "SAFE" MEAL. AND WILL PESTER THE MATCH ANGLER TO DISTRACTION. I WELCOME THESE PIKE BECAUSE ON MY METHOD THEY MOSTLY SLIP UP AND REALISE THAT DACE ON MY GEAR WASN'T SAFE AT ALL!

OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS I HAVE CAUGHT MANY PIKE THAT HAVE "SLIPPED UP" TRYING TO SNATCH DACE THAT HAVE BEEN HOOKED. HOWEVER, WITH 20LB BRAID STRAIGHT THROUGH, NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN THE BRAID WILL TRAP BEHIND THIER SISSORS, THE HOOK WILL PULL OUT OF THE DACE AND HOOK THE PIKE SMACK IN THE SISSORS! DACE HOOKED ON KEY POINTS ARE LEFT FOR ABOUT 90 SECONDS, ANY PIKE IN THE VACINITY WITH HAVE A GO. THE KEY TO THE METHOD IS TO PULL THE HOOK FROM THE DACE AS SOON AS THE PIKE TAKES IT. THE METHOD AINT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED. PLAYING BIG PIKE ON SMALL SINGLE HOOKS IS NERVE RACKING TO SAY THE LEAST!

BOTH THESE FISH FELL TO THE METHOD AND WERE LANDED ON SIZE TEN ANIMAL SPADES, AND THE AVON ROYAL SUPREME CENTERPIN! THE TWENTY WAS THE FIRST TO SLIP UP AT 11.55, THIS IS THE START OF SET POINT FOR LQ IN NOVEMBER. I HAD STARTED AT ABOUT 10.45 TO HIT THAT POINT, ALSO THE PREVIOUS DAY I HAD AN 8.6 BARBEL AT 13.25 FROM ANOTHER SWIM, MOON SET WAS AT 13.47. THE AVERAGE OF THE MOON DIFFERENCE TODAY WAS ABOUT 30 MINUTES, SO THERE WAS ANOTHER POSSIBILITY AROUND 13.55. BOY DID THAT PROVE RIGHT! I WAS OVER THE MOON WITH THE TWENTY AS IT'S ANOTHER SPECIMEN FROM ONE PEG, PREVIOUSLY GIVING ME CHUB TO 7.6, BARBEL 11.3, DACE 12oZ, TROUT 3LB, GREYLING 2.10 AND PERCH TO JUST UNDER 3LB. AS OF SEPTEMBER 04 CARP(C0MM0N) 29LB 12OZS. IT HAS POTENTIAL FOR SEVERAL OTHER SPECIES, I RECKON THE ONLY PLACE TO GET NEAR THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE "PARLOUR POOL" ON THE HANTS AVON, BUT PROBABLY NOT TODAY.......

ANYWAY I DIGRESS, THINGS WERN'T OVER YET AS AT 13.55 APPROCHING MOON SET ANOTHER DACE WAS ON, I LEFT IT FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS, AND A CORMORANT (THEY ARE ALSO MOST ACTIVE ON KEY POINTS) DIVED DOWN ABOVE MY FEEDER AND DACE, IT SURFACED WITH A DACE IN ITS CHOPS AS MY ROD WENT OVER! I PICKED UP THE ROD EXPECTING TO PLAY A BLOODY CORMORANT, BUT IT WAS NOW GOING IN ONE DIRECTION AND THE ROD ANOTHER! THIS FISH FELT ENORMOUS AND POWERFUL. I KNEW STRAIGHT AWAY IT WAS BIGGER THAN THE TWENTY ......TEN MINUTES I PLAYED THE BEAST FOR IN 12FT OF HEAVY WYE CURRENT AND STILL DID NOT SEE IT, THE SWIM STREWN WITH ALL MANNER OF SNAGS A SUNKEN WILLOW TO MY RIGHT, AND MY SECOND PELLET ROD WAS STILL OUT AND IN THE WAY! I KEPT FIRM PRESSURE ON THE PIN AND THE STEPPED UP MARK1V AVON WAS BENT DOUBLE THROUGHOUT. AFTER ABOUT 12 MINUTES I FIRST CLAPPED EYES ON THE FISH, AND NEARLY SHIT A BRICK! I RECKONED IT WAS 30+ GOING BY THE LENGTH. NOW THE PRESSURE WAS REALLY ON NOT TO LOSE IT, IT THEN TRIED TO GET UNDER THE WILLOW, IF IT DID IT WAS CURTAINS. HAVING NO CHOICE I PRESSED MY THUMB FIRMLY ON THE PIN AND PULLED LIKE MAD, THE SURFACE OF THE WATER ABOVE THE PIKE BOILED LIKE A CAULDRON, AS ITS IMMENSE TAIL TRIED TO PROPEL IT INTO THE SUNKEN BRANCHES. I HAD NOW BEEN ON FULL ADRENALINE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES (EVEN LEADING CLIMBS UP E1 GRADED ROCK CLIMBS IN MY YOUTH DIDN'T ACHIEVE THAT!). I WON THE BATTLE AND TURNED THE FISH. A FEW MORE LUNGES WHICH WERE NOW MUCH WEAKER AND I PULLED HER INTO THE NET....... I LET OUT AN ALMIGHTY "YEAH" TOOK HER UP THE BANK AND WEIGHED HER ON THE AVONS, 27LB OF WYE PIKE ON A SIZE 10 ANIMAL SPADE!

I WAS WELL OVERHEATING IN THE THERMAL SUIT WHICH SOON GOT RIPPED OFF, AND THE KETTLE PUT ON FOR A CELEBRATION CUPPA. I DECIDED TO PACK IN AND NOT WAIT FOR THE END OF SET POINT AT ABOUT 14.50. AS I GOT MY GEAR TOGETHER THE PELLET ROD WHICH HAD BEEN A PAIN WHILE PLAYING THE PIKE, SCREAMED OFF.........RESULTING IN A 6.4 CHUB