All this serious Pike fishing can get a bit addictive and more often than not results don't reflect the intensity and effort done to search out the finer specimens. There comes a time when a relaxed approach is a breath of fresh air and certainly brings more enjoyment.My first day on Chew Valley Reservoir this year was with my wife Lesley, the boat was actually booked in her name so any misbehaving and i wouldn't be going ( yeah right!). We decided before the off on a wager, whoever caught the most or biggest Pike wins and the loser pays out for a meal for two at Rendezvous in Exeter, not cheap but good grub.
Les was kitted up with an 8ft lure rod and chose some colourful shiny glittery rubber shads to start the day, myself well i had a selection of Rapala's and spoons with a bait rod as back up. As a rule you'd expect myself the angler to have the edge...not so, Les when she does wet a line can be quite useful with a lure rod so i was quite twitchy from the off. After breakfast and a "latte" ( wife's choice of beverage) at the lodge and the mundane wait for boat numbers was over we ventured down to the landing stages where a queue was forming due to the water police checking our bait bags for naughties in the form of banned baits. As I gazed across the vast water wondering what leviathans lurk beside me Les was getting chatted up."Hello do you catch Pike then? Never met a women pike angler before," said a rather curious pike angler, to his amazement Les explained she has caught Pike and she will today....... such confidence!
I certainly had my work cut out as captain having to man the engine and anchor, these are troubles you face when bringing a women aboard. Anchors away and off up to nunnery point just dropping the anchor and Les flips out her lure.... "got one! Eh already! Bloody anchor aint hit the deck yet!" A lively jack of about 4lb was brought to the boat making it 1-0 to the wife, before i even decided on my choice of lure....... "I've another one," a little voice said, and sure enough another Pike of equal size. She was slaughtering me, i 've not had a sniff ! It was around this time that the mickey taking started..... " so how many have you caught? i think I'm going to have that expensive Italian wine". In her head she'd already won but there was still a full day ahead.
It was refreshing for me to hear a passing boat shout to his mate," whats that? fuckin Taliban innit"? They were referring to my wife and her choice of hat complete with shades, i could see where they were coming from, made me laugh and shut her up until she caught another Pike!
As lunchtime passed i had sneaked a couple jacks out and the current stats were 4-2 to my wife, all fighting fit fish around the 4lb mark. My dearest was now starting to look a little weathered and requested a retreat to a sheltered area, scouting around the armada in Villice bay had now vacated and looked wind free. Anchored up Les commented, "to have any chance now you'll have to catch one this big"!
As she proceeded to down tackle and spread out for a little rest thinking she'd clinched the win, i lobbed out a drifted herring and while she was resting.... away went the float!
A good strike met with a fair resistance and after a spirited fight I'd pulled one back with a fish of 10-12lb, result!
At the end of the day Les managed 6 to 4lb and i had 3 to 12lb so she wins on quantity and me on quality, making it even I'd say. Quality in my mind always wins, but Les is a little reluctant to except that, she still thinks she won, of course she did?
Les was kitted up with an 8ft lure rod and chose some colourful shiny glittery rubber shads to start the day, myself well i had a selection of Rapala's and spoons with a bait rod as back up. As a rule you'd expect myself the angler to have the edge...not so, Les when she does wet a line can be quite useful with a lure rod so i was quite twitchy from the off. After breakfast and a "latte" ( wife's choice of beverage) at the lodge and the mundane wait for boat numbers was over we ventured down to the landing stages where a queue was forming due to the water police checking our bait bags for naughties in the form of banned baits. As I gazed across the vast water wondering what leviathans lurk beside me Les was getting chatted up."Hello do you catch Pike then? Never met a women pike angler before," said a rather curious pike angler, to his amazement Les explained she has caught Pike and she will today....... such confidence!
I certainly had my work cut out as captain having to man the engine and anchor, these are troubles you face when bringing a women aboard. Anchors away and off up to nunnery point just dropping the anchor and Les flips out her lure.... "got one! Eh already! Bloody anchor aint hit the deck yet!" A lively jack of about 4lb was brought to the boat making it 1-0 to the wife, before i even decided on my choice of lure....... "I've another one," a little voice said, and sure enough another Pike of equal size. She was slaughtering me, i 've not had a sniff ! It was around this time that the mickey taking started..... " so how many have you caught? i think I'm going to have that expensive Italian wine". In her head she'd already won but there was still a full day ahead.
Early action for the deck hand.
As lunchtime passed i had sneaked a couple jacks out and the current stats were 4-2 to my wife, all fighting fit fish around the 4lb mark. My dearest was now starting to look a little weathered and requested a retreat to a sheltered area, scouting around the armada in Villice bay had now vacated and looked wind free. Anchored up Les commented, "to have any chance now you'll have to catch one this big"!
As she proceeded to down tackle and spread out for a little rest thinking she'd clinched the win, i lobbed out a drifted herring and while she was resting.... away went the float!
A good strike met with a fair resistance and after a spirited fight I'd pulled one back with a fish of 10-12lb, result!
At the end of the day Les managed 6 to 4lb and i had 3 to 12lb so she wins on quantity and me on quality, making it even I'd say. Quality in my mind always wins, but Les is a little reluctant to except that, she still thinks she won, of course she did?