What would you describe as the ‘perfect day’s fishing’? River keeper James Buckley and a few of his mates recently embarked on a pike trip that must come close to that definition.
Between them, they landed over 20 fish, including a superb 31lb 2oz PB for James, and a 26lb 3oz PB for his friend, Rowan Purbrick. What’s more, they were fishing a small, gin-clear water with little reputation for the species, and shared lots of laughs, and plenty of bacon sandwiches, between them.
“I had asked my mates Rowan, John and Matt if they fancied having a go for pike on a small lake that I knew had the potential to produce a few big fish, but nothing prepared us for what happened,” James told us.
“The water does get fished, but not by pike anglers, and I know that the regulars don’t know how big the fish go in there. It’s very clear, so you can spot the pike as you walk around the lake, provided that you move slowly and don’t spook them.”
YOU NEED THE BEST PIKE RODS IF YOU ARE GOING TO LAND HUGE FISH LIKE THESE!
Fishing simple tactics - float fished deadbaits of roach and trout, the four friends enjoyed superb sport, spending no more than 20 minutes in a spot before a recast or a move.
“We landed fish of all sizes, from big doubles right down to a tiny fish of 1lb,” James revealed. “The largest was caught by myself - a 31lb 2oz monster, which I landed on my trusty Avon rod and centrepin reel.
"It’s my new PB but wasn’t the only one of the trip. Rowan managed his best-ever in the shape of a 26lb 3oz fish. He watched it come into the clear, shallow swim, and saw it pick up his bait!"
“It was a day we’ll remember forever,” he added.
IF YOU WANT TO CATCH MORE PIKE, READ OUR COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO DEADBAITING.
