Monkey off my Back

With a lot of holiday still to be use, I decided a day off would be in order and another day on the boat was called for.

The car was packed and after sorting out food, drink and the boat gear, I was ready for the off. Radio was turned on and with some 80's tunes ringing in my eyes I drove to the boat.

The morning was warm for this time of year, but there was a decent amount of cloud to give me some hope that the day will be easier than the last trip.

Upon arrive, I was pleased to see that no other bugger was about and I proceeded to load the boat with the gear and I was soon under way.

I soon anchored up and had two baits out. A float ledgered bluey on one rod and a free roving float fished roach on the other. The third rod was to be used for some lure and wobbled baits, but first a cuppa tea to take in the atmosphere. As I sat back in the boat with the tea in hand, I felt like I was they only one on the water. The tea was soon downed and t was time to put the lure into action. I must admit to not being the best lure angler in the world and I don't hand thousands of lure, merely 50 odd, but I do enjoy lure fishing in the autumn. I clipped on a large jerk bait and started to work the area inbetween the bait rods. The water was slightly coloured, but not enough to hide the lure and I was confident a hit would come.

After an hour and a bit, a more was in order and I lifted the anchor and moved, I found a similar place to the last that looked very pikey, but another hour passed without incident, so for the second time of the day I moved.

The third spot of the days was an area that had produced the odd fish, so it was worth soaking a bait for an hour or so. With the bait rods out, I started on the lure and picked up some deeper driving lures. This lure had a near instant reaction and a large double followed the lure to the boat, but turned away at the last second. Two more casts and the same fish reappeared, but this time struck at the lure at the surface, but missed it. This seem to spook the fish and it scooted off in anger.

I continued for a while and had a couple of follows from smaller fish, but the double didn't reappear. Time for another cuppa.

I clipped on one of my favourite lures and started working it into a wind channel, there was an instance hit, but it must have missed the lure. Recast back to the same spot and the lure was taken again and soon a small pike was in the net.

The blank saving jack was soon unhooked in the net and released back into the depths. Next case and a report performance another jack of a similar size, but as I went to lift it out of the water, the pike spat the lure out.

It seemed that there was some pike in the area, but they weren't very obliging, so another move was required. I reeling in the first baited rod and as I clipped the trace to the butt ring, the bait runner on the second rod started to click, I turned and looked thinking it maybe the boat moving, but the float was cocked. As I lifted the rod, the bait runner sprung as a fish moved off with the bait and into the reeds. I clamped down and the rod hooped over with an impressive curve as the fish ran off into the reeds. I tightened the clutch and managed to turn the fish and it head out into open water. I gradually gained line on her and managed to get her to the boat, only for her to get spooked and run off again. This happened on a couple of occasions, including a run under the boat and around the anchor rope. But with steady pressure I eased her back under control.
With all this commotion, a nearby boat motored over and the angler offered to lend a hand to net the fish. To be honest, I was grateful of assistance after I soon the pike at the boat.

At the second attempt the gillie on the other boat had her in the net and my legs turned to jelly. She looked big, certainly a twenty, but how big. After transferring her to the sladle, I went to unhook her, but there was no sign of the hooks or the trace. The hooks were safely in the net, it seems she had been lightly hooked and these had dropped out in the net. My first Broadland twenty.

After steadying myself and a couple of snaps for the records, I lowered the sladle into the water and held her so she could regain her strength. This didn't take as long as I though and she soon flicked her tail and she was gone.

The rest of the day was abit of a blur, I made a couple of calls to close friends before having another cuppa and some food. I managed to catch two more small pike, before still feeling like I was on cloud nine, I headed for the boat yard and home.

TL