Saturday saw me and the piking partner going out again on what on paper looked like a good day.
Forecast was good with light westerly winds, dry conditions, no frost and even a rise in both the ambient air temperature and barometric pressure.
I arrived first, nice and early and was setup in the dark with a ting of the approaching sunrise behind me. It was a nice winters morning and there was an air of expectation of some sport ahead.
Craig arrived about 45mins later and settled in next door to me. Between us we had five baits out at various different distances from the bank.
As the sun rose, you could notice that it could reach the highest expected temperature of 9 deg C. At around 9:30am, but when we thought the warm was finally coming through, the cloud cover broke and the temperature started to plummet from 6 deg C. by 11am, it was a cool 2.7 deg C on the bank and a even cooler 1.7 deg C in the margins.
This colder conditions, were not what we had been lead to believe by the met office and soon, the additional layers were put on and hot tea consumed. Alas, the mornings action was as dire as the plummeting temperature and by midday, we have given up for this particular swim.
Craig decided to head home, but I decided to give a new area a crack. So we said our goodbyes and headed off.
After a brisk walk, I was soon on position in the new location and plumed the depth. Nothing deep close in, so the three baits were cast to various deeper channels and holes in found of me.
It looked like a good plan, as not only were the grebe's and cormorant's in abundance, but I also had three female Goosanders diving at about 60 yds out. They had managed to find the prey fish, so i was quietly confident that my baits were positioned in the right area's. Dive after dive the Goosander and grebes came up with small bait fish so I felt it was only a matter of time before one of the juicy offerings was consumed by a pike.
Three hours later and nothing, so I decided to pack up and head for home. Two rods were already reeled in and mostly packed up then the BBB on the final rod went off. The lamprey had come to life, and as I head to the rod,I could see that line was peeling off. But as I picked it up it stopped. I tightened up and nothing. Bait was retrieved and there was not a marked on it.
I guess on of the diving birds had tweaked the line whilst chasing the bait fish.
So another weekend and another wogan. But at least the bird watching is going well, a number of species ticked off.
Even saw a nice wintery sight, a kingfisher. Rare at the best of time on this water in the summer.
Hope the piking picks up for the Xmas period
TL and Merry Xmas to you all
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