Royal Piking

Blenheim Palace has produced some special days for Dad and myself, it is the venue both our personal best pike have come from with the Old Mans being a fish of over 28lb.  We have fished it regular over the last 15 years, however due to family commitments we have not visited the water for about 2 years.  This was a couple of days fishing I was looking forward to.

As always we had booked into a B&B and arrived the night before the first days fishing.  We collected the keys to the room and made out way up the stairs to our room!  I'm surprised they did not provide a Sherpa to carry our gear, talk about in the rafters, I was half expecting oxygen masks in the room when we arrived, it was a lot of narrow stairs!  After our recovery we were soon in the local and enjoying a couple of cold beers.

The morning was cold and frosty as we loaded the rods into the van then made our way into the estate park that Capability Brown designed in the 18th century.  The Palace is steeped in history including being the birth place of Sir Winston Churchill.  The gardens are magnificent and you experience a taste as you walk from the car park to the boat house and pass the impressive fountains.

There were only 2 other boats on the lake when we arrived and chose boat number 17 for no particular reason.  Our tactics were deadbaiting and lure fishing so hopefully covering most situations.  It was great to be afloat again on this magnificent venue and we gently rowed to our first swim an overhanging tree just down from the boat house.  Our tactics would be to cast our deadbaits towards any bankside features for patrolling pike and then chuck the lure 360 degrees searching for pike, it is a tactic that has provided us with many memorable days at Blenheim.  

The fishing over the last few years, according to other fishing blogs and forums has notquite lived up to its reputation and that is another reason why we have not rushed back, however if you want to find out how a venue is fishing then it is always best to check it out for yourself for peace of mind.

It certainly was a slow start, we searched each area thoroughly with the lures and our floats on the deadbait rods remained motionless after fishing four different swims.  We tried a deeper area of the lake and again after sending our lures to various parts of the lake, stopped for a bit of  lunch.  Whilst eating a sandwich I noticed a red kite circling above, I reached for the camera, I managed alot of photos of the blue sky, not realising how much of a challenge photographing a circling bird of prey would be from a rocking boat! 

We then witnessed the kite fold in its wings and steadily swoop in between the trees onto the ground, a quick rip of its beak it was soon back in the air with a small mammal in its talons, which it proceeded to eat on the wing before the resident gulls mobbed it to no avail.  Its these experiences that I appreciate when out angling, its nature in full effect.

We rowed towards the Grand Bridge where the water is a lot shallower around 3-4 feet hoping the pike might be feeding or preparing to spawn.  The deadbait was cast towards the structure of the bridge which shadowed us in all its splendour.  The old saying "location, location, location" rang true as within 3 minutes of the bait settling it was taken, the float sailed away and I struck into what was obviously a jack pike, however on a slow day all pike are welcome.

The pike took a Gadda Baits Bluey with the head cut off for maximum attraction.  We fished on for another hour in this spot hoping that more pike would fall to our tactics however they did not so we decided to row back towards the boat house stopping every 50 yards to cast our lures.

It seemed as if the recent reports and forums were correct and perhaps Blenheim has seen better days with regards to its predator fishing.  Over 2 days fishing between us we would normally land a double or two or at least several jacks.  We discussed this over a few pints that night and decided we would fish the "arm" tomorrow, an area of about 5-6 feet of water, a place where the pike retreat to spawn.

The next morning, carrying slightly fuzzy heads, we had renewed confidence as I took to the oars and headed directly for the arm, passing the deep water we had fished the previous day.  We were in our third spot of the day half way up the arm when the Old Man had a merciless take on his shad.  A spirited pike of similar size to the one I caught, had brutally swallowed the lure which was deep in its throat. 

This is why it is important when piking to have the correct equipment, long nose pliers, long handled cutters and long traces even when lure fishing.  The pike was unhooked and returned quickly to the water.
As the fishing was slow going I had plenty of time to photograph the bird life that thrives on the palace grounds, which gave me a break from chucking the lures about.

Blenheim Palace will always hold a special place in my angling memories and we will return in the Autumn to have another go for the resident pike however as with many venues perhaps the best days are behind it, for now.  When you visit you will notice the dozens of cormorants that litter the trees over looking the lake, I would not be surprised if a lot of the prey fish have been decimated leaving the pike little to feed on, only time will tell.  

I would encourage anyone to visit this spectacular venue and have a go for the pike, bream or tench, the scenery is stunning, the wildlife abundant and more often than not the sun shines, tight lines.

Lunch Hour Lure Fishing

With the Wye well within its banks for the first time in weeks and fining down nicely I decided I would have a short session after Pike in my lunch hour.  I would of preferred to use deadbaits since the Wye still had a tinge of colour in it, however I had to be mobile in case I had a phone call and had to return to work quickly.

I took my lunch early so I could fish in the morning rather than the middle of the day and I as I pulled up in the car park, I was full of hope of winkling out a pike. 

Contemplating a move

As I walked towards the first swim, a winter flock of long-tailed tits darted from tree to tree picking grubs off the branches as they went.  The field was still saturated which made it awkward to walk on without having my feet slip from beneath me, however I soon made it to the river.  The swim which was caked in mud about 3 inches deep, deposited when the water was well over the bank.  This soft mud held a myriad of animal tracks including Mink, Moorhen, Rat and Duck.  I soon made my own human tracks as I approached the river. 

Some of you may recall in a previous post I had splashed out on a new Pike net from HarrisSportsmail before Christmas, the mesh was rubber coated making it easier to untangle hooks.  As I placed the net on the ground, something did not look right!  On closer inspection there appeared to be a massive hole in the bottom of the mesh!  The net had been kept in the out house since it was last used, I must have gained a lodger that has been seeking refuge as the weather got cooler - Damn Mice!

Traps have now been laid - Humane ones of course!

Any Pike I hooked today would have to be chinned out, not ideal but not impossible.  I cast the lure into the Wye much to the dislike of a Little Grebe which scooted out from under a near tree then skimmed along the surface until it was further downstream.

I fished a slacker area of the river also pulling the shads along the edge of a crease in the hope of a take.  I tried a few different lures and shads and fished a couple of likely looking swims, however it wasnt to be and it was soon time to get back to work. When we are fishing an hour seems like 5 minutes!  So no fish on my first session of the new year, however its always nice to be back on the bank even for a short session.  Ill try and get in a few more "opportunist" trips during the coming months, as you never know, it only takes a minute to hook a PB. 

Id like to take the opportunity to wish the followers and readers of my blog a Happy New Year and I hope you achieve your fishing goals whatever they might be,  Ill be back out on the bank soon as my New Years Resolution is to make more fishing time for myself.  Tight Lines

A River Pike Treble

It wasnt a classic Pike fishing dawn, the absence of frost under foot, far too many leaves on the trees , however it was a classic Autumn dawn with heavy dew covering the long grass and a soft mist blanketing the field which would lead me to my swim on the river Wye.  The morning had a distinctive chill and the sun was still to rise as I made my way down river.

I was in search of Pike, I chose to fish a slack area due to the river being high and coloured and bringing through lots of debris, I was hoping the prey fish would find sanctuary out of the main flow and in tern the pike would follow.
I intended to fish 2 rods , a float paternoster on 1 and a float leger on the other.  The paternoster rod would be cast to the edge of the main flow, with a deadbait and a small amount of foam inserted inside to make it "swim" about a foot above the river bed.  The second rod would be traditional float leger.  Baits are mainly roach or perch with bait flags for added attraction in the murky water.  With the rods cast out, I grabbed the camera for a couple of scenic shots and as I attempted to take a picture of the misty Wye, I walked into my tackle box with the lid open and managed to empty the entire contents onto the muddy wet grassy bank!  For the next 10 minutes I was on hands and knees salvaging as many beads, run rings, buffers and swivels as I could, I think I got most of them!  Now I was in need of a brew.


Brew in hand waiting for a bite

The paternoster rod fishes itself with the deadbait twisting in the current to attract any nearby Pike, its just a case of casting to different parts of the swim.  With the float leger rod, every so often I will pull it back a foot at a time in the hope of alerting a Pikes attention as the bait twitches along the bottom.  It was on one of these "twitches" that I had my first take.  As I slowly reeled the deadbait it went solid, I let off a little slack line and watched it tighten down and I struck into my first Esox of the day.  The fish put up a spirited fight swimming around in circles then diving for a partly submerged willow tree, before I netted a lean 7lber.  Fishing with braid lets you feel every head shake, lunge and surge the Pike makes its very exciting.



Lean "twitched" 7lber

As the sun began to burn away the mist, it started to feel warmer and the female moorhen that had kept me company decided to leave the sanctuary of a partly submerged tree and venture to the opposite bank in search of breakfast.  Within half an hour the float leger was again showing signs of a take, slight bob on the float, vibrations from beneath causing ripples to emanate.  The float sailed away so I disengaged the Baitrunner and struck into another river Pike.  The fight was a good one with the Pike tail walking several times, lots of heart stopping head shakes on the surface from which I could see it was only hooked with one of the trebles, so I carefully played the Pike into the waiting net.  A chunky looking fish with a small blemish on its flank other than that it was perfect.  I was glad of my new purchase which was the Abu Garcia Pike Net from Harris Sports Mail, the mesh is rubber coated which makes untangling loose trebles a breeze.  The Pike was in the 8lb bracket, a healthy looking fish with strong markings.



8lb Tail Walking Pike

It was nice to have a few early Pike under my belt however, as suspected the fishing went quiet for a while so I had a late breakfast and several cups of tea. The sun was now very strong and this, I think, had an effect on the fishing, I no longer needed my fleece hat or norgie top which had served me well during the colder misty morning.  I placed the fleece hat on the back of my chair upon which a dragonfly took an instant liking, hovering, landing and defending from other winged insects!



Winter hasnt arrived yet

It was now approaching noon and as the minutes ticked by it seemed as though the action was over for the day.  Thankfully there was now some cloud cover which subdued the suns rays onto the river.  If I was a betting man I would normally put money on the paternoster rod to produce a fish, however this was not the case today as the float leger rod which was now cast further down the swim ripped off again, the fish quickly taking the float under followed by a few yards of line off the spool.  I bent into the fish and it instantly felt heavier.  The fish stayed deep as it took line and there was a healthy bend in the rod.  Most river Pike fight like tigers and this one was no different.  As all pike fisherman will be familiar with, its a heart stopping moment when a Pike surfaces, slowly opens its mouth wide then you know the big head shake is imminent and theres nothing you can do about it, so many Pike have thrown the hooks this way, fortunately, the trebles held firm and I slipped the net under a cracking river Pike.  Superb looking fish, these Wye pike are some of the best around, with a fat belly and big fins.  A pleasure to catch.



14lb of River Pike

The Pike went 14lb, a nice start to the "pike season"  3 fish for around 29lb.  It was  an enjoyable and busy session, with the recasting and twitching of baits to induce takes.  I do enjoy a days river piking. 

Suburban Piking

As I approached the canal the the roar of the M4 was very obvious and this would be my background noise for the next couple of hours, it certainly was a far throw from the secluded banks of the Wye.  I decided to fish a short stretch of canal near the city centre which a friend of mine recommended after he had taken some pike earlier in the year on livebaits.
I chose to lure fish, as I had never seen the stretch before I wanted to stay mobile.
It had been raining constantly for the last couple of hours, with no signs of stopping anytime soon so I was resigned to the fact I was in for a soaking! 
The canal was gin clear and the weed was prolific, it wasnt going to be easy to fish, I put on a sub surface lure that had a good wobbling action hoping it would entice a few toothy critters.  I put my lure bag under one of the graffiti daubed benches which was next to a burnt out bin, well I was in the city. 



Not what you call secluded

 The lure came back covered in weed on the first few casts which meant I could only crank it down to about a foot to keep it above the thick weed that carpeted the canal bed.  I was flicking the lure to the far side of the canal just short of the reed beds and floating weed and reeling it back trying to impart a bit of action with every cast.  An hour into the session the rain became heavier and the wind got colder, and with rain running down the back of my neck I had my first follow as a jack pike snatched at the lure falling just short, a quick recast and he followed again however he decided not to commit.  I stayed in this area for a while as I noticed a shoal of roach swimming above a clear patch, some of them looked a decent size certainly worth targetting in a future session.
A familiar face walked down the towpath, it was my mate Josh who had told me about this stretch.  We chatted as I changed lures then carried on casting to the far bank.  As we walked a bit further down the cut I spotted another jack in the margins, I gently lowered the rubber shad in front of the pike and made it dance about right in front of the jacks face!  He didnt move, I even plonked the shad straight onto his head this only made him move a few inches, perhaps he had just eaten!



Rain on the lense

 By now the towpath was littered with puddles, my Goretex jacket had taken a hammering and my summer hat was floppier than ever!  As we walked back up, I cast to likely looking areas then we spotted another of around 6lb I quickly chucked the lure in front of the Pike several times, even changing back to my original lure to try and get a reaction out of him but he just didnt want to play ball.  Time to call it a day, for whatever reason the Pike just werent in the mood, maybe livebaits are a better tactic on this canal.  Even though I didnt manage to persuade one of those Pike to take, they are definately there and in some numbers as we spotted another Pike in the 5-6lb bracket on the way back to the van.  We will return when the weed has died back in the colder months, Ill also be back to target those Roach.

Day 2

After an almost comfortable night in the back of the van, I was glad to hear the alarm sound so I could start preparing for a days piking!  Kettle on, cup of tea, quick wash and I was on my way to the new stretch of water full of hope.  Having surveyed the water the afternoon before I chose 4 or 5 swims to fish deadbaits in with 2 rods and hopefully pick up a few predators.
I walked downstream to the furthest swim I'd chosen with the intention of working my way back to the van during the day.  As I cast out  to an overhanging tree, the sun was rising bringing a beautiful pink tinge to the few clouds that graced the sky.
Deadbaits were coarse fish in the hope of picking up a bonus Zander.  Rigs were a simple float leger set-up, inched back every so often in the hope of provoking a take.   After 6 hours with no bites or indications I felt I needed to try something different.  I headed back to the van to exchange the deadbait rods for the lure rod and walked upstream and fished every inch of river I could reach, I was determined to get a reaction from the river.
With the morning being still and mild the afternoon was completely different, a cold wind had sprung and felt hostile when stood in its full force.  It was a cold wind that left me looking ruddy!

A cold and windswept Avon

I cast lures to deep bends, along dead reed beds, past overhanging trees and smooth glides in the hope of a take.  The only action I had was from a pike of about 2lb that snatched at my rubber shad in the margins but fell short of the single hook.  For the next 5 minutes we played cat and mouse as I teased the lure just off the marginal shelf.  The small pike showed an interest with a couple more follows but never committed. 
It was now late in the afternoon and the cold wind had taken its toll.  The two stretches have potential, one for barbel and chub the other for predators.  I have a barbel session planned for later this week on the Wye, i'll let you know how I get on.

Starting all over again

Eventually, after working 6-7 days a week for the last 6 weeks, I finally managed some time off work to wet a line.  As I had 4 consecutive days to do with what I liked, I decided to fish a couple of stretches of the Warwickshire Avon on the Birmingham Anglers Card (BAA) after predators, armed with a lure rod and a couple of deadbaiting rods. 
The stretches in question are completely new to me, ive never even clapped eyes on them until I arrived on the monday morning.  Once I arrived in the carp park I jumped out the van and took a quick stroll to have a look at the stretch for the first time.  I was pleased with what I saw, fishy looking swims, nice bends a few nice glides, it screamed barbel and chub!  Pity I had the piking gear with me!
The river leant itself to the roving approach, so I took the lure rod and left the deadbaits in the van.  After fishing several swims, I thought my best chance would be from the weir so I promptly followed the hedge line into the next field.

Good Barbel Potential

I spent half an hour working lures through the weir pool and run off with no success.  As I was preparing to move swims, a club bailiff strolled up to check my license, (a welcome sight that I dont see too often on my local rivers unfortunatley!) he was a helpful chap named Colin.  He confirmed what I was thinking and this stretch is more prolific for barbel and chub rather than predators.  We talked for 10 minutes and he described another stretch that I might be better off targeting for the Pike and Zander.
I took his advice and took the short drive to a stretch that was deeper and slower for a look around with the intention of fishing the next morning.