Rain, Wind, More Rain & Gales

The last fishing trip of 2013, and what a day to go. The weathermen say it will raining, windy and have sunny intervals. So they are covering their arse's.

On route to the lake, the morning is bright and sunny, but there are storm clouds in the horizon and I'm heading for it.

I parked up in the lakes car park and started to unload the car. The wind was stiff and blowing into my face, so a trip to the far bank was in order. But there was decision to make. Brolly or now brolly.

With a 50/50 chance of rain I opted to leave it, but as I was closing the boot the heavens opened and a quick reverse of decisions was made and the brolly was heaved out of the car.

I trudged to the far side of the lake and placed myself in one of the swims.

It doesn't take me long to get the gear out and soon all rods were baited and positioned around the bed of weed. I was hunkered up under the brolly and the rain pattered down on it whilst sampled the first brew of the day.

The wind then go up and the rain started to go sidewards across the lake, the brolly was taking a battering, time to tie it to a tree.

The rain became a monsoon and the wind reach gale force strength, would the brolly hold up.

For a good hour, the rain and wind punished the brolly, but its stood firm and soon the storm passed as a ray of sunshine poked thought the blackened edge of the passing clouds.

Peeking out from under the weathered brolly, I spied the the line on the right hand rod tighten and drop bank and as I was getting up from the chair, the line pulled and the BBB sounded.

Bail arm closed, wind in the slack and a fish is on. I can feel that the pike has moved off into the weed bed, but with 17lb Big Game mono I know it will be a one sided battle.

The rod is bent over but I gaining line, but with the addition of the weed , its hard to tell what size of pike is on the other end.

After a fierce tussle the old faithful land net is sunken and a pike in a ball of Canadian pond weed is drawn over the net and the pike plus weed is mine.

Trace unclip, rod on rest and the bundle of pike and weed is lifted onto the mat.
After untangling pike from weed, its soon apparent that the pike whilst being a double isn't as big as the head suggests.

She only went just over 10lb, but had a huge head and short stocky body, which on this lake seems to be common. This pike is known to me, I called her baldy because she has a mark on the top of her head, were she has either been dropped, or its just and unusual pigmentation.

Baldy is soon unhooked and returned no worse for ware.

The rod is rebait and recast, and I'm soon seated with the second cuppa of the day.

The day is nice and bright, but I spy another storm brewing, so after a bite of lunch, I decamp and move to a more sheltered area of the lake.

As the last bait its the water, the wind is gathering pace and I huddle under the brolly waiting for the storm to hit.

I'm not the only one to seek shelter.

By 4pm, the storm has eased, but with another on on the horizon and no further runs, I take the opportunity to head for the hills.