A New Year and a new PB!
So Rod Race League 2014 has finished and made way for Rod Race League 2015. Looking back at my first year I have to be pleased with myself in putting together this website, especially as I consider myself to be a non computer person. Of course I would have liked a few more people to have joined in a shared with me (us) their catches, however in a way it has been some kind of blessing as the first year is all about trial and error so not being snowed down hasn't been too much of a disappointment.
One thing that did amaze me is the amount of people who visited my website, 3980 different people who visited over 11,500 times throughout 2014 and to prove that fishing is a global sport in January 2015 this website was visited by people in 41 different countries. Apparently the Rod Race League is gaining popularity in Eastern Europe.
With this in mind I feel that I need to set myself more targets and visit new places to keep the interest going and of course a handdful of other fishermen (or women) sharing their catches would be most welcome.
My first target was one that I have had my eye on now for 30 years, ever since my PB Pike caught at Hilgay Fen of only 4lb 14oz. I have caught many pike since then but amazing none have bettered my then PB. The last couple of years I experimented with different deadbaits, this time I decided to try lures and spinners. With the cold weather setting in it only takes a few casts to keep warmed up!
My first visit was Stoke Place Lake, a pretty lily covered lake in Summer but it was the numerous pike I had heard about that I was after. The biggest was only in it's mid teens but when your PB is just shy of 5lb even a double figure Pike is a big enough draw. So there I was, lake all to myself with the water gin clear. Of all the pike I have caught, I have never caught a pike while using a wire trace. Maybe the clarity of the water gave it away as I could easily see it 30 feet from me as I reeled the spinner in. Alas, not even a knock.
Stoke Place, plenty or holding spots but no takers.
A couple of weeks later and after a spell of rain I went to Colnbrook Front Lake. I also spoke with a couple of work colleagues about their favourite lures, one of which mentioned the Mepps no. 5. Back in my childhood days Mepps was probably the best known lure company and as a traditionalist I went straight onto e-bay and ordered a couple, one silver the other bronze.
Unlike the gloomy day at Stoke Place, Colnbrook was bathed in sunshine although a cold breeze was making it feel bitter. What I did notice was that the previous rain had coloured the water, raising my confidence regarding the visability of the trace.
Colnbrook Front Lake
The plan of action was to circle the lake with one lure, change the lure on the second lap and so on. I cast out at various angles, some along the bank, other times out into the lake at various depths. Although not having any joy with the first half of the lake I was not disappointed. Over the summer months where I had been roach fishing it was the far bank where I had trouble with the odd awaiting pike. I arrived to the swim where last year I had seen a 3lb+ perch, unfortunately someone was carp fishing there without any joy.
My next swim was one that held four of my PBs, Common Carp, Tench, Mirror Carp and Koi Carp. I also lost the odd roach to pike in the summer so I was very hopeful that if anywhere was going to produce this would be it. I cast out along a large lily pad and let the lure drop mid water and started to retrieve the lure. When the lure was about 15 feet from the back I started seeing flashes of the lure as it came towards me, suddenly the falshing stopped and I felt the pull on the rod before it registered with me that I had a take!
Delighted that I had hooked a Pike I almost forgot that I still had to bring it in, fortunately it wasn't too far out and a spirited fight from the Pike soon ended in my landing net. Looking down at the Pike I knew that my longest standing PB had finally been beaten. From 4lb 14oz to 7lb 1oz still is not a big pike by most people's standards but nonetheless sometimes fishing is about the journey we go on in order to catch our quarry and there's no doubt I certainly took the scenic route to get there!
My new 7lb 1oz PB Pike.