Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

Information Page

For anyone unfamiliar with the site always check the FRESHWATER, SALTWATER and TACK-TICS pages. The Saltwater page now extends back as a record of over four years of (mostly) sea fishing and may be a useful guide as to when to fish. The Freshwater stuff is also up to date now. I keep adding to both. These pages are effectively my diary and the latest will usually be about fishing in the previous day or two. The Tactics pages which are chiefly 'how I do it' plus a bit of science are also updated regularly and (I think) worth a read (the earlier ones are mostly tackle and 'how to do it' stuff so if you are new to fly fishing or spinning these are the ones for you).

18 November 2006.

Pike again.

The weather was again excellent for our next piking session. We had half-a-dozen baits and one rod armed with a 4/0 circle hook on 20lb wire and buoyed up by half a wine bottle cork. Within minutes of the first bait entering the water Richard had a run. It was beautifully hooked and we landed and released it after a couple of pictures.

The pike seemed to be 'mad on' and in the next twenty minutes Rich had three more - all neatly progged in the scissors or the upper lip. Then it went quiet and the two pikiest looking spots on the river did not even produce a swirl or a splash.

It was probably half-an-hour before we managed to tempt another pike but as with the others it was neatly hooked, easily landed and returned in mint condition. I know that I've said it a number of times but I really am sold on circle hooks for bait fishing (for pike, bass or what have you). Of course you will miss the odd fish and occasionally the hook will finish up in the throat of a fish or round a gill arch. In these circumstances they may be a bit more difficult to remove than a J hook or a set of barbless trebles but it is so infrequent that as far as I'm concerned there is no contest.

It's on!

Ahhhh!

Another fish.

Nicely hooked.

Less common.