Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

Information Page

29 January 2005.

A cold day.

As I said last week I shall be on holiday for a couple of weeks at the beginning of February so this WILL be the last entry 'til I get back.

For anyone unfamiliar with the site always check the FISHING ARCHIVE and TACK-TICS pages. They now extend back as a record of four years of fishing and I keep adding to them so it's always worth looking at the latest entries. The Fishing Archive is effectively my diary and will take me some time to bring up to date but often several pages are added in the space of a week.

My friend Peter Lyne came down on Saturday for a spot of grayling fishing and I said that I would meet him at the river. As it turned out I was there first and it was a VERY cold morning with a biting wind from the north blowing across the open meadows. I was dressed for the occasion with three or four layers of fleece, a woolly hat, chest waders and gloves but the blast as I opened the car door was enough to put me off float fishing.

I decided that the best way to keep warm was to do a bit of spinning so I tied my big spoon on the rod and set off for the river. I found the water with a slight tinge of colour but certainly not enough to spoil my chances with the pike. I thought that with it being very cold my best bet was to work the spoon very slowly, sink and draw, so as to give the pike a chance to strike before it disappeared into the distance.

I drew a blank in the first large pool so I crossed over to the far bank and cast about three yards into the opposite slack. As the spoon came flashing back there was a streak of green and it was in the mouth of a pike. I think that the fish was feeling the cold because it took hardly any line and was soon on the bank, unhooked and returned. Very encouraging. I walked downstream to the next big pool - nothing! Then at the next one (another hundred yards further down) I had another take and the fish was well hooked - a bit smaller than the last one. Not much of a fight but as I prepared to slide it ashore the hook came out and it dropped back. It saved me the trouble of another cold unhooking job.

As I looked up I saw Peter approaching across the field. So I walked over to say "Hello" and to have a chat. I watched as he set up and began to float fish then I fished on for another half hour - nothing else. Anyway it was a pleasant sunny, if cold, morning and just the way to prepare for my holiday.

I nipped out for an hour yesterday afternoon (Monday) to try out a rubber (Bulldog type) lure recommended by my friend Terry Weldon. I have to say it proved to be very effective with a long, eel-like tail that wriggled nicely even on a slow retrieve. I landed three fish and lost one. The lure weighs about 50g and fishes nicely even in still water. My only doubt is the extra treble under the lure, I suspect it would be fine with only the integral single hook. This is definitely my last session befor the holiday.

Peter Lyne.

Well hooked.

A nice looking pike.

A second pike.

Beaten.

The first fish on the rubber lure - thanks Terry.

A bit smaller.

Eighteen pounds.

Away she goes!