Between Dominic catching a can of Carlsberg first chuck and me celebrating victory in the South-West Bread-throwing Championships was some quite exceptional fishing today. Exceptional for the fact that my first attempt to catch a 3lb perch this year resulted in zero interest in a small livebait and yet two 12oz perch on breadflake fished on a whip. And exceptional for the fact that Dom caught the same pike twice in one day, some hundred yards and three hours apart, a scar by the anal fin, and a strange congenital defect of the gill cover giving it away.
I think I have finally come to some sort of arrangement that will allow me to fish at a moments notice without the need to carry masses of gear, and it comes in the guise of a small, recently-purchased, Wychwood shoulder bag that will take two small tackles boxes. I have filled three of these tackle boxes of equal size; one with pike gear, one with carp and feeder tackle, and another with floats and all the bits and pieces required to fish them. Then I simply chuck in the box/es that I require that day, into the bag, and grab a rod and landing net and I'm off fishing. I've considered many scenarios, from big carp, to trotting, mullet fishing, and wobbling and static dead baiting for pike, and see no reason why there is ever a need to take the seatbox out pleasure fishing again where a pole is not involved. I also have a fold up stool that can be carried easily in the unhooking mat.
My new "light on luggage" approach came through its first test today after perch, and I was able to set up a small float rig for presenting half ounce roach and rudd, and a whip rig for keeping busy without ever feeling that I could have been better prepared, or able to keep more mobile. Although the perch failed to show, something we blamed on unsettled weather conditions and coloured water, there was plenty of action from pike for Dominic, who landed six (well technically five), to a best of 11lb 15oz.
My Esox action was limited to a single fish, but a feisty one of 9lb 7oz on a single size 4 hook. The more I use single hooks for presenting fish baits, the more I am convinced of their advantages over treble hooks (and two sets of hooks) for catching pike; everyone I have landed has been securely hooked in the scissors where they can come to no harm. As an aside, I would never dream of not using a wire trace where pike are present. I haven't found perch to be unduly bothered by their use to warrant the risk.
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The whip provided action throughout the day, and a regular helping of liquidised bread soon got roach and rudd lined up in whichever swim we tried. Keeping mobile for the perch and pike was the name of the game and whilst some areas held more rudd, others threw up roach or silver bream. The best rudd was around 1lb and I also lost a good fish at the end of the day which turned out to be foul hooked. The scale that came back on the hook was tiny, but I was convinced that the fish was of decent size, possibly a tench based on that evidence alone, but I couldn't say with any certainty.
I did finally hook a perch almost at last knockings, but it threw the hook as it surfaced. It wasn't my three pounder, but a decent fish nonetheless, and the closest I came to catching a perch by design on the day. At least victory was mine in a contest devised to dispose of the remainder of the bread, which basically involved splitting what was left of the loaf in half and then squeezing it into balls and throwing it as far as possible. Dom's fate was sealed when his missile began to dismantle mid-flight, whilst mine disappeared into the night and is probably traversing the sky somewhere over Birmingham as I type.
I almost can't even remember how many pike he caught compared to me now...