Paddy Pike

Freezing weather hits the UK,

2012-02-02T23:08:00.000Z

Looks like the Freezing weather has hit the UK tonight, It is supposed to be -6 in the North West but at the moment its just breaking even at -1

I know it will get worse over night and i am hopeing it wont freeze a lid on the rivers like it did through the end of 2009 into 2010,

I may even be well enough to go fishing this week,

the cold weather really is not a problem as long as you have plenty of good warm clothes on and some good hot OxO in the flask to keep you warm inside,

Lets hope the cold snap doesn't stay to long,

A few of my friends in poland have put pictures of the frozen rivers in there posts,

They are also telling me its -18c so its very cold,

This cold snap will be just what most pike anglers need to get there new hooks and swivels attatched to the new trace wires and put new hooks onto all the lures ready for the middle of next week when it is forcast to warm up,

Well its nice and warm in the front room with all the radiators on,

Good luck to all those that can get out and do some fishing, Tight lines and screaming reels to you all,

Untill the next time then,,,

Glad our Pike are not this big,

2012-01-28T17:53:00.000Z

I am glad our Pike dont get this big,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Just recieved this picture from a friend in Australia,

I havent been sent any details as yet but they are to follow, I would like to see if it was caged or caught on rod and reel, What ever its a true monster,

If i hook into one of these i think it would take me water skiing haha

Until the next time then,,,

You give a friend a gift, And a lure at that,

2012-01-26T22:56:00.000Z

Well today i was feeling a lot better, Eddie and Uncle P called to pick me up at 13:00hrs, We went for a look at a couple of places to see what the conditions were like, And we ended up at the new peg stretch of three pools, Well in that area,

A couple of weeks ago i gave Eddie a brand new Lure as a gift to say thanks for taking me fishing and to sort of help break his lean spell of eight weeks without a pike,

He uses nothing else now but this lure,

Click on picture to enlarge,

The two fish above were as you can see caught on the lure i got for Eddie, But because of the good luck it brought him i got one for me, Now i had a jack follow it to the bank then it attacked it and let go just as quick,

So it was two nil to Eddie,

I said to Eddie while taking a picture of him with a fish, Dont you feel a little embarrased about catching all the fish with that lure i gave you on all three outings and his responce was captured in the picture below,

Click on picture to enlarge,

The face says it all and i dont think he is bothered

one little bit hahaha,

Well we are going again tomorrow but not sure where we will be, The weather today was very cold with wintery showers hail rain and snow,

But Friday is supposed to have clear sky's but cold, I am not bothered what it does really i just want to be fishing for a pike or may-be two haha we will see,

My kit is ready to go and so am i,

So until the next time then,,,,,,

Gone Fishing, Well Soon ?

2012-01-24T14:07:00.000Z

Well i have had a chat with Eddie as he called round earlyer and we were going to go fishing today but i have not been well and have had a couple of ceasures since he was here,

But we have agreed a game plan and we will be going fishing thursday and friday afternoon unless somthing comes up,

We have decided to fish our "CLUB WATERS"
Just were about we will sort that on the day,
But i am looking forward to going and the weather forcast is good for thursday and even better for friday,
Good luck to all who are out fishing,
Until the next time then,,,,

Type C virus in lymphosarcoma in northern pike,

2012-01-18T16:12:00.002Z

Click on picture to enlarge,

Here is some information on the image above as i have been asked what the lump or scar is on the pike, But both the pike Eddie caught had this bare tissue as you can see pike one has it on the back, Pike two had it on its side so we took the picture of the good side but it was a heck of a lump,

Nature 261, 506 - 508 (10 June 1976); doi:10.1038/261506a0

Type C virus in lymphosarcoma in northern pike (Esox lucius)
TAKIS S. PAPAS^*, JOHN E. DAHLBERG^* & RONALD A. SONSTEGARD^†
^*Laboratory of Tumor Virus Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20014
^†Department of Microbiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
THE northern pike (Esox lucius) is a highly prized freshwater fish, both as a game fish and as a commerical species. Epizootics of lymphosarcoma occur widely in North American pike¹ and in the Old World^2,3. The tumour in pike has been found with an overall frequency of 20.9%, which is the highest frequency of a malignant neoplasm in any known free living vertebrate¹. All pike with the tumour have cutaneous lesions, and epizootiological evidence suggests that the disease is transmitted horizontally by contact during spawning¹. The tumour is transplantable and evidence of cell-free transmission has been found^1,4. In an attempt to resolve the aetiology of the disease, we have investigated the presence of oncornavirus in pike lymphoma. Since all known RNA tumour viruses possess the enzyme reverse transcriptase, we have sought the activity of this enzyme in post-mitochondrial particulate fractions prepared from pike lymphoma tissue.

References

1.	Sonstegard, R. A., Prog. exp. Tumor Res. (in the press).
2.	Mulcahy, M. F., Proc. R. Irish Acad., 63 (B7) 103–129 (1963).
3.	Ljunberg, O., and Lange, J., Bull. Off. int. Epizoot. 69. 1007–1022 (1968).
4.	Mulcahy, M. F., and O'Leary, A., Experientia, 26(8), 891 (1970).
5.	Gerard, G. F., Loewenstein, P. M., Green, M., and Rottman, F., Nature, 256, 140–143 (1975).

Also follow the link sent to me by Lorenzo "The Big Pike" "CLICK HERE FOR Lorenzo's LINK"

Eddie puts his Fishing Head on,

2012-01-17T20:15:00.000Z

Eddie puts on his fishing head,

Its strange how luck changes and Eddie has said this will be his year so keep an eye open for more reports in the future,

Eddie had two dead baits out and then went for a walk so he could throw a lure to see if they would be better than the deads,

Result was deads Nil Lure's Two,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Eddie before Christmas couldn't catch a cold,

But since then he has said he wants to catch pike more this year and he has certainly got off to a flying start, He had these two pike within a fifty yard walk, I had two deads out as well and i was talking to uncle P about how good deads are when Eddie shouted and he had the first pike,

So me and uncle P were back at the four deads and he shouted again,

Uncle P said "He's got more jam than hartly's"

But Eddie was on fire so i did what any good fishing buddy would do and poured him an OxO haha

Well there was one more take for Eddie and as i got there to help land the pike the lure was let go and the fish was gone,

Well done Eddie that was a good productive couple of hours,

Well i think we are going on friday

But nothing is sorted untill the day with us,

And i am busy untill friday anyway,

My gear is sorted ready to go again,

Thanks for the lesson on pikeing Eddie haha

Untill the next time then,,,

Its Cold in the North West,

2012-01-14T16:35:00.000Z

Its Cold in the North West as we have had our second night of frost, But its only weather,

Andy was at mine for 10:15 and we had a cup of tea before setting off to the Sluice, We were going to go to the Canal but as the Sluice is just up the road from where i live i thought it would make a nice change, I wont make that mistake again haha,

We got to our pegs and set up then cast in,

Then we waited and waited and waited,

I drank a full flask of Beef Oxo and then we waited some more, The wind was slight and from the south east,

And the water was still but cloudy,

Me and Andy watched the shoot that was going on behind us,

There were about ten guns being used and just as many dogs, We did see them drop a couple of birds then they all packed up and went of to another area for some more sport,

As for the fishing well today it was just "Wetting a line"

We decided to pack up and leave, Eddie phoned just then to say he was also on the sluice but about a mile further down,

Andy dropped me off home and said he might pop in to see Eddie where he was fishing and when i had put my stuff away i rang Eddie to see if he had caught anything and he said Andy was there having a chat, But niether Eddie Jack or Ryan had caught a pike,

Must be just the sudden drop in tempriture thats knocked the pike off the feed,

Thanks to Andy for taking me fishing Again,

Cant wait to go again but i have a busy week ahead,

So until the next time then,,,,

Upper Rivington has fish in it haha

2012-01-13T20:35:00.001Z

Andy picked me up just after 09:00hrs and we set off for Upper Rivington, Duane was already there Fishing for Pike and some bait, On arrival we had a short walk to our pegs next to Duane, Said our hello's and had a chat then we started setting up, I had two rods out with dead baits on, One was Joey Macrel and a bream on the other,

Duane was fishing the tip and he was still waiting for some interest,

The sun was shineing but it was a cold old day as the frost had not cleared, The water was flat calm at first then after about an hour a slight breeze started and it was enough to put a ripple on the surface, I was talking to Duane when my right hand float just disapeared and Andy was shouting to let me know just in case i hadn't seen it, I struck into the fish and it was just a heavy lump with a few tuggs on the way to the bank, Strange thing was it was coming in on its back and i thought it was a barbel at first then about five yards from the bank it opened its mouth and the hook just came flying out towards me, The pike was gone back to the depths, So i baited up and recast again,

Andy never even got a run but he was enjoying the fishing and the company, Duane on the other hand was catching bream and roach to about a pound or so,

But that was it for me and Andy and at 15:30hrs we were saying our goodbye's and Andy brought me back home agian,

I had a great day appart from when i had a ceasure just before we got there this morning but i was ok after a couple of hours,

Thanks to Andy for a great day and for looking after me when i had the ceasure, Glad he knows what to do,

We agreed on the way home that Upper Rivington has fish in it,

But we are going to the Canal tomorrow,

Well it was good meeting up with Duane and we will do it again Very soon,

Until the next time then,,,,,

Gone Fishing for Pike

2012-01-11T20:05:00.000Z

Eddie kept to his word and picked me up at about 12:30 and said did i fancy fishing the Sluice i said anywhere wood be good for me, So i phoned Andy and said we would meet him there and as we were arriving at the chosen spot Andy was following us up the track,

The water was very coloured and pumping through at a steady to fast pace, We each chose where we would be pegging up and set about getting the rods in, Lines had to be out of the water as a lot of weed was floating past and if it gets on your line well you know the rest, I was fishing with Joey mackrel and smelt the same as Andy and Eddie was trying his luck with a piece of lamprey and a sardine, I had a short run and the bait was dropped, Then the same thing happened to Eddie, The rods and baits were checked and cast back in, Andy was in between me and Eddie and it looked promising for him where his floats were and then one of them went under and Andy lifted the line as the float stopped moving and then nothing the pike had dropped his bait as well,

So me and Eddie had an oxo and while we were talking his float started bobbing in the water and i said give it chance Eddie you know as soon as we have touched the rods the pike dropped the bait, This he did and he said to me do you think its been long enough yet and i said no not yet they are very tetchy, Then the float moved and as i said hit it Eddie set the hooks, The fish gave a good fight for its size and then we had it on the bank, The hooks were just in the mouth at the front so that was nice to see,

Eddie was smiling like a cheshire cat haha,

He had what turned out to be the only fish of the day,

And here it is,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well me and Andy agreed that he's just a jammy sod and then we started packing up as the river was being pumped a lot harder and it just made thing worse, But well done Eddie, I think its Andy's turn next time out, Will just have to see what happens,

We said goodbye to Andy and that we would be out again soon,

Eddie dropped me off and i said i would text him later,

I had a great pan of stew waiting for me when i got in Belinda said i though it would warm you through,

Well happy with a good scran in me,

Untill the next time then,,,

Pike Fishing on club waters,

2012-01-09T15:43:00.000Z

Looks like we have a new name on the block and that is

Jack Lloyd,

His Father Howard gave me permision to show this picture,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Now if thats not a smile to remember i dont know what is, This young man out fishes his dad regularly and his dad is a top pike fisherman,

Jack is a Junior member of our club S & DAA

And he is often out there spinning or lure fishing and he really knows his stuff,

Well done Jack keep up the good work,

Stop Illegal Fish Thefts!

2012-01-05T21:51:00.003Z

Stop Illegal Fish Thefts!

Responsible department: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

I'm asking for your support to get DEFRA to take greater action to prevent the Illegal theft of fish from waters, particularly but not confined to the Fenland/East Anglia regions. For some time now organised gangs have used all manner of illegal methods to target native fish stocks, including the use of set lines, trawl nets and other such illegal boating activities. The ecological balance of many fenland waters have already been critically damaged, this is also having a financial effect on those whose livelyhoods depends on the tourist & sport fishing trades. The laws to prevent such actions are already in place, they just need stronger policing & heavier penalties on conviction. Please support this petition, before our waters are ruined forever. Thank You.
Click Here To Sign

Pike Fishing in the UK

2012-01-05T12:20:00.000Z

The weather is very strange in the UK at the moment with high winds rain-snow-sleet-ice you name it we are getting it and most rivers are up and flowing very fast, So much so you would need about 8oz of lead to hold bottom,

Pike Fishing in the UK

seems to be quite good from still waters that are not frozen,

And there are good reports from around the UK of perch to allmost 3Lb being caught,

The weather at the moment in the north west is cloudy with sunny spells and very strong winds,

Eddie has said we are leaving it until one day next week when we will try our luck as there is a big change coming with the weather and he seems to think its going to warm up slightly,

This will be good for the pike fishing,

I have not been fit enough to get out and have a go but Andy and Eddie have been on the phone since christmas to see if i wanted a day out fishing, But i think next week will be soon enough for me,

I have not been wasting my time though as i have made new traces and given the rods a good cleaning,

Well everything is ready including me haha

Until the next time then,,,

Happy New Year,

2011-12-31T20:13:00.000Z

Happy New Year one and all for 2012

May be were not the three wise men

2011-12-28T00:49:00.000Z

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well Jack Lad phoned and asked what i was up to and i said not a lot, He wanted to know if i would go pikeing for a couple of hours so i said yes and Jack and Eddie picked me up just after 1pm,

As you can see i had a good pike from what we call the forgotten river,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Eddie has broken his duck and about time too,

It was getting that way we were thinking he was jinxed haha but he is back in the count now so very well done Eddie,

Click on picture to enlarge,

And at the last callings Jack Lad just had to pull one in so as not to be out done, Well done Jack Lad,

OK we may not be the three wise men but we got it right today and now Eddie is back on form we are looking forward to catching some more good pike from the local drains,

Eddie and Jack dropped me back home and it was just on the edge of dark, Sorted my kit ready for next time, Andy has asked a few times if i was free to go but with christmas and everything i just could'nt make it, But thanks Andy,

Until the next time then,,,,

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year,

2011-12-21T20:56:00.000Z

I would like to wish all my followers and friends a very merry Christmas

and a net full of fish for the new year,

How big does the landing net need to be for this,

2011-12-17T12:20:00.001Z

This picture was in the news some months ago and well when i first looked i just thought how big does the landing net need to be for this, Its a massive creature for sure,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Did you notice that it has a front leg missing,

And that the people on the boat are only as big as the crocodile's mouth,

Is this classed as insanity ?,,,

The Legend Gord Burton to appear on TV Show "The Weekest Link"

2011-12-11T21:33:00.000Z

Click on picture to enlarge,

Our very own Legend the pikeing pirate Gord Burton is to appear on the the BBC Show The Weekest Link,

For the full story and the times of showing just follow this link below,

Gord Burton on The Weekest Link,

New Prices for our club waters,

2011-12-03T19:11:00.000Z

Southport & District Angling Association

Have released the membership fees for 2012,

There will be no increase and membership costs

stay the same as 2011,

This is as follows,

Adults £36.00

Senior sitizen {65 & over} £18.00

Disabled £18.00

Junior {Over 11 but under 17} £10.00

Day ticket prices will increase from 01-01-2012

All Adults £5.oo

And £2.00 for persons under the age of 17 years,

There will be no concessions,

This will take effect from 01-01-2012 and will not effect full membership concessions,

If you are interested and would like to join

the S & DAA Just follow any of the links on this page

Or click HERE And go to the bottom of the page to

download a Membership form,

Now thats a strange thing,

2011-12-02T14:50:00.001Z

I came across this and thought it was a strange thing for anyone to see, Ive had pike taken by other pike while on the hook, But this looks like a spawning incident, See what you think,

Click on picture to enlarge,

I have been having a short break from fishing due to a bad illness, But things are looking up now and it wont be long before i am back on the bank,

Thanks Andy for all the invites mate,

Looking forward to having a pike on the bank this week,

Mick has a great day with a new PB, Paddy Pike,

2011-11-19T20:37:00.000Z

Mick Jennings sent me a message and put three pictures with it, He never did to good on his trip to Ireland due to the weather and other commitments, But he seems to be making up for it now he is back,

He has a new PB with this pike,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well done mick on your 21Lb 4oz and new personal best, The smile says it all for me mate,

On the same day as the above Mick also had 2 more captures these are below,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Above, pike was 6Lb 2oz,

Below, Pike was 11Lb 6oz,

Click on picture to enlarge,

All thes pike were captured on the 18 Nov 2011,

Mick looks more than happy with his days fishing

and i dont think it will be long before you see him here again with another PB,

Well done Mick,

Happy to help, Andy & Eddie, Paddy Pike,

2011-11-14T22:48:00.000Z

Andy gave me a call this morning and asked if i wanted to go fishing for a few hours, I said where and he said the Sluice, So he called in for a brew while i phoned Eddie who said he would meet us there, Me and Andy had just set up when Eddie arrived,

It never takes him long to put his telliscopic rods out as everything is already put together, I had Andy on my right hand side and Eddie on my left, I was hopeing they would both catch a Pike today as i think Andy deserves one for his effort, And Eddie needs one to break his duck and stop his run of bad luck,

Eddie had a run that was dropped but he also had fish in his swim and this is always a good sign,

But nothing was happening and it was getting time to pack up,

Then i noticed a swirl in my swim and i cast the bait strait into it with not so much as an attempt so i tried again and i must have dropped the bait right on the pike as it grabbed it strait away and then the fight was on, It put up a great performance and faught like crazy no tail walking but plenty of power dives and it kept stripping line of my reel,

After a short whilE the Pike was in the net and on the bank for a picture or two,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well Eddie was ready to launch me into the river, And Andy was just glad one of us had a Pike,

The water was flying past as the pumps had been on since about three thirty,

The only things left on the water were a handsome pair of swans,

Click on picture to enlarge,

It was good fun having a Pike on the line and i am still sure Eddie will have one soon,

Thanks to Andy For taking me and Eddie for not drowning me haha

Well my gear is sorted again,

And it looks like i am out thursday,

Until the next time then,,,,

Hollingworth lake i wish you were whisky, Paddy Pike,

2011-11-13T22:37:00.002Z

Had a day out with Andy to a Forum Meet with

C & P and Breaking surface

It was a good day with great company and the best weather we could of asked for,

Here are some pictures of the day,

The first two are guys from Breaking surface,

Click on picture to enlarge,

These next few are of Duane with the 2 Pike he captured and the biggest became his personal best weight Pike, Well done Duane,

Click on picture to enlarge,

The pictures above are of the pike that weighed in at 13Lb 4oz,

The Pike below was the new Personal Best for Duane,

15Lb 14oz,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Duane was so happy about his new PB he couldn't wait to get home and start decorating haha,

The only other pike caught on the day or should i say half day was to lee who had to leave early due to other commitments,

Click on picture to enlarge,
A special thanks to all who organised the Meeting,

I had a great time at the meeting but it was very hard work under foot as the water level was down by 10 feet and the old algee was very slippery,

Thanks to Andy for picking me up taking me and bringing me back, How good was that,

Very good of you mate,

Well Eddie said we will be going monday afternoon for a couple of hours,

As my kit is sorted again and the bait is ready as well, Hopefully have a report of Eddie with a pike,

Well you never know,

Until the next time then,,,

Eddie starts to lag behind as i go ten in front, Paddy Pike

2011-11-10T22:07:00.000Z

Eddie called for me at 13:15hrs and we set of as we had a drive and then a shortish walk from the car park to our selected Venue,

The river crossens was flat calm murky and slightly high, So we knew that the pumps would be coming on sooner rather than later,

We had set up and cast in just after 13:30hrs,

I was useing Herring Jack and a Joey Mackrel,

We were having an OxO and wondering if we had come to the right place, Just as i had finished my brew the Mackrel float bounced in the water and i was thinking it looks like the right venue to me, Eddie said he would get the net,

And a few minutes later the pike was in the net and on the bank,

Click on picture to enlarge,

After this capture we hit the OxO, But as Belinda was busy today i made my own OxO and Eddie was not well impressed, So i will leave it to Belinda in future,

I never rebaited the rod just put it away as Eddie had now gone nine pike behind and hasn't had so much as a dropped run for a good while,

And my thinking was if i just use the one rod it might just help him break his duck and catch one,

Next thing is the pumps are on and the water started flying through and even with an ounce of lead it wouldn't hold bottom,

So i pulled the bait into the side in a little cutout in the reeds,Eddie was talking about how long it has been since he had caught a pike and this was when i said could you get the net again mate, He said some words that i wont put into print, But i was kind of thinking to myself GOOOD,

And then he landed this one for me,

Click on picture to enlarge,

This fish gave a good account of itself with some great power dives but no tail walking,

More OxO was called for but Eddie only had a half cup haha, It was a bit peppery,

Well i packed up after this one as it meant Eddie had gone behind by ten Pike,

Sorry Eddie but i think we will have to go to a spot that we havent been to since last year when i was struggling and i had a few pike that afternoon,

Well it was another good outing and we both enjoyed it, Well i did haha,

Eddie dropped me back home and i sorted my gear for saturdays outing with the lads from the forum,

So i am sorted and ready to go,

So until the next time then,,,

Fast running rivers and a slow feeding pike, Paddy Pike,

2011-11-07T20:39:00.000Z

Had a run out with Eddie this afternoon for a couple of hours,

When we arrived at the river the water was flat calm and not moving at all, We decided to walk down streem a few hundred yards,

While we were walking and talking we noticed the water start to move, Yes the pumps had been turned on and in no time flat the water had gone from a still state to a fast running river,

I put a whole Joey mackrel on so it would sink very quickly and just hoped it would be heavy enough to hold bottom,

It settled well so i put my second rod out with a six inch bream on it and a piece of lead to help sink it as it was still frozen,

Next thing was the rod with the whole Joey Mackrel was doing somthing but it didn't really sail away or anything it just bobbed and then nothing, Then it moved up stream about a foot then again nothing, The next time it moved i just tightened into it and set the hook, It was a good little fighter as well,

But it was no match for me and i had it on the bank,

As i was taking the hook out i could just see the tail end of the Joey Mackrel,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well it was just the one for me, I think Eddie is holding out for the biggie,

We had a few drinks of OxO and moved up a couple of times but the water was flying by and then the weed started to come through as well so we packed up and came home,

Thanks for this afternoon Eddie,

Well i have the Dentist tomorrow and Eddie said we might go again thursday,

My kit is ready to go and so am i,

Until the next time then,,,

Leeds & Liverpool Canal supplies Two Pike, Paddy Pike,

2011-11-04T16:59:00.002Z

Andy gave me a call at 09:00hrs and asked if we are fishing today, He arrived at mine just after 10:00hrs and i was going out to meet him when i got collerd by the window cleaner haha thats a £10 gone before i got out of the garden,

We went to our destination at the Leeds & Liverpool Canal,

Set up & cast in just about 11:00hrs, We had decided to leapfrog along a set length of 150mtr's or so, There was no sign of a Pike till we had done the second move,

Just by one of my floats there were bubbles hitting the surface & both me and Andy said this looked promising,

Then my float moved and stopped then it did the same again, I had not even picked my rod up yet because these Canal pike just play with the bait and if you strike to soon they will just drop the dead bait and move off,

Then the float went and i could tell it was a propper take so i set the hook and the fight began but it was only a short struggle,

Within a couple of minutes i had the fish on the bank,

Thanks to Andy for taking the Picture,

Click on picture to enlarge,

We had another 15 minutes in this spot and then moved again, This was a good move as we had just cast in and were sitting having a chat and something to eat, Just passing the time sort of thing,

When Andy's left hand float bounced, I was up Andy was stood as well and i said they are taking very slowly so not to rush things, But Andy already knew this as he witnessed how slowly my float went,

His float did a kind of dance but never went anywhere, Then it was moving to his left very slowly, Andy just waited till the time was right and he set the hook, This pike Andy had hooked gave a much better fight than mine, Then it was on the bank and Andy unhooked it then i took the picture just a moment before he released the pike back into the canal to let it swim away nicely,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well done Andy,

We moved up once more as the wind had dropped but now the rain was starting to come down,

We gave it 10 minutes to see if it would pass but we were not to be that lucky as it just got heavyer,

So as we had had one pike each we decided to get back to mine for a nice cupper,

Thanks again Andy for some top fishing,

My gear is sorted and i am ready to go again,

Untill the next time then,,,

Me & PJ try our luck on the Sluice, Paddy Pike,

2011-11-01T23:52:00.001Z

PJ was at the door at 10:30hrs and we had a chat about everything and then we set off at around 11:30hrs to go to the River Crossens "Sluice"

We were on the lower peg numbers 3 & 4 by the iron bridge and the water was high, It was being pumped through at a high rate of knots, Also the water was very coloured and a lot of weed coming past as the water authority are dredging further up stream,

I had my first bait in the water within ten minutes or so and had my back turned while i was sorting the bait out for my second rod, I heard the sound of line being pulled off the reel and i thought my brother PJ had caught a fish, When i looked over to where he was on peg 3 he was just sat there, Then i heard it again an realised it was my first rod that was letting line out so in no time flat i set the hook,

And this was the result,

Click on picture to enlarge,

This pike gave a good account of itself but it was fighting a losing battle and was soon in my net and on the bank, PJ and Alan from peg 5 had come over to give me a hand and then PJ took the Picture,

That was it for me as i never got another run,

And i had my celabratory OxO, Just the one today,

Alan Sinnott who is also a member of SDAA

was useing an old technique of trotting the river and useing a centerpin reel, This is an art in itself and was proving to be a good way of catching the smaller skimmers and rouff, Here is a Picture i took of Alan but have a look at the reel,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Alan seemed to be having a good day,

We had a chat about everything and then i let him get on with his fishing, PJ on the other hand was float drifting and he also was doing well and catching some fish mostly small skimmer but he also had a few roach/Bream hibrids to about half a pound, Then he said he was into the rouff and i asked him to save the next one for a picture,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Not the best picture in the world so i am sorry about that, But the Rouff is a great little fish and if you look at its eye its magenta in colour,

Well just after 16:00hrs as the sun was getting ready to set and all the midgies started to come out and it wasn't long before me and PJ said thats enough and we are going, I packed all my gear away and went to say goodbye to Alan and thanked him for his help with the Pike, He was useing insect repellant and said it wont be long before he packed up as well,

Goodbye's said me and PJ were off as the midgies had won, I phoned belinda and said we were on our way home, And when we got in Belinda had made us a nice brew So thanks love,

Well all my gear is sorted and i cant wait for my next outing on thursday,

Until the next time then,,,,

River crossens for Eddie and me today, Paddy Pike,

2011-10-31T18:23:00.000Z

Eddie picked me up from home and we were going to the River Crossens to do some dead baiting, We arrived at the River at 13:20hrs, Started setting everything up as you do, Then we were going to do some leapfrogging but only for about 100 yards, I was useing four baits i had prepared yesterday evening, And well they worked a treat, Eddie's baits never recieved even a touch or a dropped run just nothing, Now my baits were the order of the day,

Here is my catch,

1st out Followed by a nice hot OxO,

Click on picture to enlarge,

2nd out and another OxO,

Click on picture to enlarge,

3rd out then More OxO,

Click on picture to enlarge,

4th out then yes your right another OxO,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well i think i have seen it all before, I get four fish Eddie never got a run, I think i see a pattern starting, It wont be long before Eddie it bagging up with some good weights and i am left high and dry,

Andy also was out today on the lanky and he had phoned to see if i could go but Eddie had already made arrangements with me, We were back at mine just after 15:00hrs, Not sure how Andy ended the day i just hope he did well and had an OxO,

All my kit is sorted again and i am ready to try my new bait again to see if there are any bigger pike wanting to have a taste,

Untill the next time then,,,

Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Fishing & Barges, Paddy Pike,

2011-10-27T17:33:00.000+01:00

Andy picked me up at about 10:15hrs and we set off for the Leeds and Liverpool canal, When we arrived at our chosen spot there was already one car on the car park and the guy was a good way along the canal with his brolly up, We set up our rods and i was first to cast in, Andy was just putting his second rod out when my float sailed away, Now that is what i call a quick result, Only a hungry little pike,

Click on picture to enlarge,

I thought its going to be another day of tiny pike,

Then we were about to leap frog along when we noticed a row of Barges coming,

So we moved along while the barges past, then we cast in again but no more pike as we moved along barges kept passing and we had to bring the rods in each and every time the were near,

Just before we went back to the car for something to eat we moved up once more, I cast the first rod out and set it up, Then as i was about to cast in the second rod the float started to go on the first, I must have dropped the bait right on the pikes head or very close, This pike put up a great scrap and took its time to come to the surface in the merky water, Then after the pike had done a few good power dives it was on the bank,

Click on picture to enlarge,

We went for something to eat and i also had my OxO,

Very nice it was to, Then we went in the opposite direction for the rest of the afternoon but we didn't even get a run, So after some more hot OxO we looked at the time and it was just after three pm so we decided to call it a day,

Andy had an opperation on his knee a while back and it was very swollen so it was a good move,

It was good fun today and i enjoyed it,

Next time will be Andy's turn to be on the fish,

Thanks for a great day andy,

Hope your knee is feeling better mate,

I am looking forward to the next time we are out,

All my kit is sorted and ready as am i,

Until the next time then,,,

Mick does a stint on Upper Rivington 22/10/11 Paddy Pike,

2011-10-25T22:55:00.000+01:00

Well i was just sitting here and thought i know ill put the pooter on,

And i have had an email from Mick Jenning to say he did a stint on Upper Rivington on saturday and he had 2 Pike and lost one, He did better than me and Duane as you know we never even had a run,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well done Mick a couple of good pike there mate when it seems everyone else is blanking,

I know your of to Ireland next thursday,

Good luck with the big doubles at

Derry Hicks in Co Mayo

I have a good feeling about this Mate,

Untill the next time then,,,

The River Crossens gets a good looking at, Paddy Pike,

2011-10-23T21:08:00.003+01:00

Duane began the day in a rush today having over slept,

Not surprising the hours he has to work, But he got to ours and we had a brew and discussed where we would be going, It was a showery start to the day with strong gusting southerly winds, So at least we would be warm, Once we were on our pegs Duane on 24 & me on 25 we set our rods up, Duane used Smelt on one and Bream on the other, I had a Lamprey section on one and Herring Jack on the other, We cast all the dead baits in and then put the Brollies up to keep out of the wind, Duane had said he would like to meet the

LEGEND GORD BURTON,

So i gave him a ring to see if he was in the area and as it happened he was just about a mile down river, I said i was fishing with Duane and would he mind coming up for a chat and a brew and to say hello, He was there within twenty minutes, I did the introductions, And Gordy began talking and telling his story's of fishing and traveling the world,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Shortly after this picture was taken Andy came for a chat and looks like i could be getting out a bit more to a couple of new venues, Thanks for the offer Andy i will be in touch soon mate,

Both myself and Duane ended the day without a single run between us, A few other Pikers also failed to catch or even have a run,

But the Pikeing Pirate Gord Burton Had six pike on the bank and one dropped run,

I suppose thats why he is a Legend,

My kit is sorted and i am ready to go again,

Until the next time then,,,

Duane does it again, Paddy Pike,

2011-10-19T00:02:00.000+01:00

Duane does it again at his favourite fishing venue,

The pike gave a fight of a life time,

And took Duane strait out from where it picked up the dead bait then it was tail walking and power diveing trying to free itself, It looks as though Duane has tamed it now as he returns it back to the water,

Click on picture to enlarge,

This Pike gave duane one of the best fights he has had since fishing in his home country of South Africa,

I think appart from the fishing in SA the only other thing he is missing is the weather

Well done Duane thats a corker mate,

Looking forward to seeing you on sunday for our trip to the Sluice mate,

All my gear is ready and so am i,

Untill the next time then,,,,

Pikeing pays off for Ryan, Paddy Pike,

2011-10-16T12:46:00.001+01:00

Ryan decided he was fishing his favourite water but from a totaly different area as he felt he was doing ok but not doing great,

I can tell you that he is now doing great and the change of peg and bait has worked in his favour,

Click on picture to enlarge,

20Lb 8oz, Well done Ryan,

That is a great catch you next target will have to be a Carp from the same Venue,

Excelent fishing mate,,,

Jack Lad Catches a great Sluice Pike,

2011-10-14T22:39:00.002+01:00

Just had an email from Jack Lad and he has sent me a picture of his latest catch from the River Crossens "Sluice"

And here it is,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well done Jack Lad,

I think your Dad will be leaving you at home in the future haha

Propper Pike mate,

Blood Tub Take Two,

2011-10-14T12:06:00.000+01:00

Yeterday the 13th we decided to go on the Leeds & Liverpool club stretch for a couple of hours,

The strange thing is that where we used to catch good sized Pike there only seems to be Jacks,

There are lots of theories about where the Bigger Pike have gone but for legal reasons i am unable to print this,

We did have Jack Pike in the afternoon and the score at the end of the day was Three each,

Click on picture to enlarge,

The picture is of Eddie with his Poached Jack from under my feet, This saved him from loseing four two hahaha Cheeky sod hahaha,

Keep you eye on Eddie and wish him luck as he has gone on a diet, He will be doing a big weight loss over the next couple of years,

Good Luck Eddie You know it makes sence,

We had a good laugh today while out fishing,

Some of his antics would make you cry laughing,

Thanks for a great day mate,

My gear is sorted again and i am ready to go,

So until the next time,,,,

I think these fishing trips are getting shorter haha,

2011-10-12T23:11:00.000+01:00

Eddie gave me a call at 15:00hrs to see if i wanted to go fishing for the last hour or so, What was my answer ?,

Eddie picked me up and we went to our chosen venue,

The River was being pumped very hard so there must be a lot of water lying on the land, And to add to this it was raining "Again"

We set up near an outlet and where the water was very coloured,

We both had two rods out in the murky water,

And i spent a lot of time bringing the lines in because of the amount of weed that was starting to pull the line down streem,

We moved along a little for the last twenty minutes

Thinking it would be out of the way of the weeds,

I eventualy packed my gear away as i got fed up with all the hard work, Well if they wanted me to dredge the river for them i think they would have given me a 22RB,

Eddie had his rods out still and to be honest i didnt think he stood a chance of hooking anything at all,

Just shows what i know doesn't it,

He had the gentlest of takes ever and as most pikers know this is useualy the sign of a decent Pike,

But i think it was down to how coloured the water was but Eddie was not bothered he was into a fish and thats what its all about,

Click on picture to enlarge,

We had nearly finished the flask of Beef OxO and as it happens there was just enough for another two cups just to celabrate his catch,

Well done Eddie, Ok its another Jack Pike but its a fish for his persistance,

I was back home before 17:00Hrs

I think these Fishing trips are getting shorter haha,

My kit is ready to go again and so am i,

Until the next time then,,,

Well thats a short Fishing Trip, Paddy Pike

2011-10-06T21:43:00.000+01:00

Today turned out to be the shortest Fishing trip i have been on, Eddie came and called for me and said we are going the Blood Tub, Legend has it that the Barges used to moor here and then the Gypsy's would congregate and bare knuckle fights would take place, Hence the name the Blood Tub, But its a great stretch of Canal to walk while trying your luck with the Lures,

I was useing a Pearl coloured Rattling Smolt, We had gone only about three hundred yards and i missed my first take, And i thought haha the baits to big for a Jack, Wrong, About fifty yards further along the Canal i had a take, Yes your right it was another Jack Pike,

Click on picture to enlarge,

The weather was terible from the word go with strong winds and heavy downpours of rain,

We didn't want to go to far and get a real soaking so we had a conflab and said we would go back to where we started and see about some dead baits,

So we were no further than three hundred yards, Turned to walk back and Eddie had a take,

It was starting to rain again but it passed very quickly, Eddie landed his fish and i took a picture,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well in Eddie thats a belter of a Perch mate,

We went back to Eddie's motor and had about two or three cups of chicken OxO,

It was lashing down now and the sky was very dark, I looked at Eddie and without saying anything we both started to pack our gear away,

We had been fishing for no more than twenty minutes then we were heading back home,

Well my gear never really got unsorted so its ready to go again and as allways so am i,

Untill the next time then,,,

Mick Caught this Big Girl at Upper Rivington, Paddy Pike,

2011-10-06T09:25:00.000+01:00

Mick sent me the picture of the Pike he caught from Upper Rivington, This is what Mick said in his email,

"I was just about to have my lunch when i got a bit of a tug on one of my rods, as you know i always fish 2 rods with a bit of feeder fishing down the middle (yes i have 2 rod licences) to get some live bait and my theory is i draw the big pike out of the deep as i feeder fish some 40 meters from the bank, i had been having a lot of skimmer bream taken as i retreaved them so i knew i had created some intrest, anyway very gentely the line just pulled off my drop back and started to run out, i had missed a few runs early on as i dont like to leave it to long in case i deep hook one but i struck early again but this time it was on, people ask me why i go pike fishing, if they had hold of that rod when that fish took off they would know, first it was streight out then to the right then to the left then what felt like a 100 meter tail walk (about 5 ft realy) the bloke on the next peg came over to give a hand as i got it to the net he was fishing for bream and couldnt believe the battel it had put up, anyway it was one of the best days i have ever had fishing but at 19.5 lbs i wish it had a few extra skimmers for its breaky and been a 20lb fish but hey ho that is what tomorrow is for eh."

You can feel his excitement,

Here is the Picture,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well done Mick, Thats one heck of a catch,

I know a couple of guys that will be a little miffed but they will also be made up for you,

I am supposed to be going today with Eddie probably to the Blood Tub but the weather is terrable so we will have to see if it clears up any,

Till the next time then,,,

Down by the old river, Paddy Pike,

2011-10-03T22:07:00.000+01:00

I went to the Sluice this afternoon and met up with Mick Jennings who is also a Member of the SDAA

and he had just had his first Pike of the day to say he was well pleased would be an understatement

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well done Mick but like i said before its a bit of a strange shape that pike haha,

I enjoyed our chat and look forward to the next time

i meet you on the bank,

Eddie had been the dentist and had a tooth out, But he phoned to say he would pick me up from the Sluice and we would go Down by the Old River,

It was 4:15pm when Eddie arrived and we went to our destination, We had a cup of OxO each before starting to set up, I had put both rods in one with Smelt and one with Joey mackrel,

Eddie was useing his hard come by lamprey,

He had his first rod in and then dropped his bait in with the second rod and must have put it right on the Jack Pikes nose as it landed, Then it just sailed away and Eddie had it on the bank in a couple of minutes, Jammy sod,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well done mate, After everything you have been through lately you deserve a bit of luck,

We had some more OxO and said how strange it was that the Jack Pike should like Lamprey on the drop, And i couldn't catch a cold haha,

My turn thursday i hope,

Eddie dropped me off home and i sorted my gear for next time as i always do,

I cant wait to go now as i am changing over for the bigger Pike again i have had enough jack bashin for one season but it was very enjoyable,

Until the next time then,,,

Three Pools gave me nine Jacks, Paddy Pike,

2011-09-30T00:22:00.000+01:00

Today i had a walk down three pools spinning,

Normaly i would have been out fishing with Eddie,

But he's really not well at all,

But i am more than sure he wont be unwell for long then you will be seeing him holding pike on my blog again, Its not far from my home to the three pools and i could only go for a couple of hours as my son and grandaughter were visiting for an hour today,

I was into the jack pike from my third cast,

In total i had nine but i must admit its not the same without Eddie,

I did manage one picture by putting the camera on the gound,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Or look at the eddited picture below,

Click on picture to enlarge,

I had some good fishing but the sun was very hot and the flys were out in force, I am hopeing Eddie is feeling better soon,

My kit is sorted and ready to go again,

I am allways ready to go fishing and i am looking forward to my next outing, Hopefully with Eddie,

Untill the next time then,,,,

Pike carp and coarse,

2011-09-26T23:18:00.000+01:00

A forum that i am a member of is looking for new members so that we can share our knowledge on all aspects of our sport "Fishing",

If you are interested or would like to take a look

Just click the link below,

Pike carp and coarse,

Thanks for your support,

An afternoon in the sun waiting for a pike, Paddy Pike,

2011-09-26T22:13:00.000+01:00

Today i rang Eddie To see if we were fishing,

Well he answered the phone but he had just got up and he sounded terrable, I thought i had dialed the wrong number,

I just didnt know Eddie was ill,

But he soon cheered up and said he would pick me up at about 1:30pm, So we set off and it was only down the road to where we were going to fish, We planned on an hour with the Lures then about two hours on dead baits,

Eddie had a couple of takes but just couldn't connect,

I had a pike trying its best to eat the lure then third time lucky,

Click on picture to enlarge,

This was caught on the lure and was the only one landed with the lures, But we tried, Then it was all chane for the Dead baits, Eddie had a fish take his bait the fload went under the quikest i have ever seen, And then spat his bait out, A short while later my float sailed away and

i connected with this Pike to make it 2 - 0 to me,

Click on picture to enlarge,

We had had enough of all the sunshine and we did a few hundred yards of leapfrogging, But there were no more fish to bring into the net so we had a couple of cups of OxO and a sarnie, Just to see if there would be a take, Then Eddie got a run, But even this was spat out at the bank,

Better luck next time out Eddie,

Hope your feeling better soon mate,

Thanks for a great afternoon,

Well my kit has been sorted and i am ready to go again soon i hope,

Until the next time then,,,,

Eddie Lands a goodun, Paddy Pike,

2011-09-24T23:21:00.000+01:00

Thursdays result 22/09/11,

We had a ride up to Upper Rivington and anglezarke, I had two jacks at anglezarke,

But as you all know from the previous posts what Jacks look like so i dont need to post the pictures,

But Eddie on the other hand had a nice double from upper rivington, The fishing was hard and the water seemed not to want to send any Pike to us, Eddie changed his bait after about an hour and it wasn't back in the water more than ten minutes when this Pike decided to dine,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well done Eddie,

But after this there was nothing doing on the Pike front and we decided to call it a day,

As allways my gear is sorted,

And i am looking forward to monday afternoon,

Until the next time then,,,,

PJ Me and Gord Burton Fishing on the Sluice, Paddy Pike

2011-09-21T23:14:00.000+01:00

PJ asked me last night if i wanted any bait picking up as we were going to the Sluice for a three hour fishing trip, So i asked him to pick me up a couple of packets of smelt, This way i would have enough for thursday as well when i am out with Eddie,

We set up on the lower peg numbers of the match stretch with PJ fishing for all sorts of fish and he did well having about 12 fish in the time we were there for a weight of 7Lb 6oz, Well done brove,

I was busy spinning and throwing Lures,

When Gord Burton arrived and came for a brew,

He was also busy spinning and had a dead bait rod out,

He looked ready to knock a pike or two out,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Believe me when i tell you that Gordy has the energy of a twenty year old, Its always good to see him and listen to his story's,

He didn't fair to well with the Pike today with the low presure that is now upon us, But there will be better days,

Me on the other hand had a take a few minutes before we finished and i had this Jack Pike to add to the rest i have caught over the past few weeks,

Click on picture to enlarge,

The three of us had a good chat & a laugh in the car park before Gord'y said he had to go and then we made our way home just before the heavens opened,

But we stayed dry for a change and we had some fun on the bank, Good to have some time out fishing with my brother PJ,

Well my kit is ready to go again and so am i,

Eddie is picking me up at mid-day and i am looking forward to fishing again tomorrow,

Until the next time then,,,

Soaked for only four Jack Pike. But it was great fun, Paddy Pike,

2011-09-19T19:18:00.000+01:00

Today Eddie said we would go Spinning & Lure fishing on the Rufford Canal again so we left mine at 12:30pm and arrived at the waters edge set up for 13:15pm, I had a couple of takes by Jack Pike right from the word go but the shook the hook, Eddie tried to catch one of the two that had a go at my lure and sure enough he was into one on his first cast while i was on the other side of the Canal getting my Lure out of the reed beds, It was good fun walking and throwing the lures and Eddie went two nil in front but heavy rain had moved in and we were getting a good soaking, Then i had a jack Pike two one now and Eddie said lets call it a day, So on the way back i put a Buzz bait on and was trolling as we walked in the pouring Rain and then i had a Jack Attack the Buzz bait like a goodun, Two Each i was well happy now so we went back to the motor and had some Chicken OxO and i can tell you this, It was well worth getting soaked just to have some of the OxO haha Here are a few pictures of the Jack Pike,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Eddie dangled the Lure by a Jack Pike and the next thing was it struck it and took the hook,

Click on picture to enlarge,

It was on the hook and then back into the Canal,

Eddie said we could go and get dried off and come back to another part of the Canal for about 16:30pm, But i said i wont be going for another soaking as i will be soaking in the bath, And thats just what i did, My gear is sorted again and ready to go as am i,

I think me and Eddie will be there again on Thursday,

Until the next time then,,,

very proud Jack Lad with a River monster, Paddy Pike,

2011-09-18T00:45:00.000+01:00

I got a call from a very excited Jack Lad to say he had caught his first Twenty pounder of the year, He was over the moon and also said he had also had an 8Lb'er earlyer,

His Pike that he was talking about is this one that was weighed and varified by three other fishermen at 20Lb 4oz,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well done Jack Lad,

I am made up for you mate,

"Jack Bashin" What a good afternoon's fun, Paddy Pike,

2011-09-15T23:14:00.000+01:00

Eddie said we could go to another part of the canal today to do some more "Jack Bashin", Well you know me i said i will be ready when he gets here which i was, 2pm he arrived and then we set off, We got to our chosen starting spot, Parked up and set up my rod ready to go, I had bought a couple of new lures one each for me and Eddie, As i had a snap off at upper Rivington and lost the original one that Matt had given me, Anyway we set of and it went like this, Eddie turned a jack pike with his first cast, So i had a go and nothing, we walked about a hundred yards and i banked my first, Eddie then banked his first, Then a little further along i had my second and then so did Eddie, Then Eddie got the next Jack this made the scores on the doors 3 -2 to Eddie then he said lets go to mark C another spot for some good Jack Pike, So we had the normal cups of OxO then we set off to mark C, This was a good move for me but Eddie nearly spoiled the day by hooking into what looked like a good 20Lb+ Pike but it got off, Unlucky mate, But i leveled the score to 3 - 3, I thought i was only going to have the two but it was a good draw, Here are the pictures,

Click on any picture to enlarge,
Cant say to much about Eddie trying to do the Gord "Pikeing Pirate" Burton look alike in the last picture but it was funny at the time, Well three Jacks a piece was good fun, Thanks for taking me out for the afternoon Fishing Eddie i know you had a busy scedule mate,

Well all my kit is sorted and ready to go again,

Just not sure of when it will be yet,

So until the next time then,,,

2011-09-12T22:15:00.003+01:00

Had a few hours with Eddie spinning on the Canal at Rufford, It was good fun but even these jacks have to eat, Here are a few of my catches,

Click on any picture to enlarge,

Eddie had a Perch as well but the camera was set on film so i will upload it to youtube later and drop the link on here,

I had a great afternoon spinning i just love the lures & Spinners its great fun and even better when a pike takes the Lure,

Well my gear is ready and sorted

And i think we will be going again on thursday,

Until the next time then,,,
Here is the link for the perch Eddie had,
Picture now Posted,

Reservoir Dogs, Boy do they bite well, Paddy Pike,

2011-09-08T22:46:00.000+01:00

Eddie & Uncle P came to pick me up today to go and fish some massive waters in the wigan area, We were supposed to be going to Anglezark but we had a change of plan and used our wigan cards,

We Fished Heapy two, And its turned into a little bit of a slippy mess where the pegs start of on the right but it will be ok once the grass gets growing again,

There is that much water it is over the pegs by six inches, so if your sitting and fishing you will also be paddling, We had a couple of takes with no fish on the bank and then i had this pike on a new lure i had picked from my bag,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well we were feeling a little hungry after all the hard work casting the Lures, So we had our afternoon break and the best drink of the day yes you guesed it "OxO",

There were plenty of showers during the hour we were fishing here and Eddie sugested we go to heapy Six, So me and Uncle P being in favour agreed and when we had finished our brew we set off,

We agreed that we would have another hour then pack up and head off home as the weather was against us from the word go,We had been at Heapy Six for about fifteen minutes and i changed lure to a large red and white, After about six casts it was taken by this Pike That put up a good fight,

Click on picture to enlarge,

After the pike was retuned safely i poured some more OxO and sat down for a brew, Eddie had changed over to some dead sea baits but nothing was showing any interest at all, So the hour was up and we packed all the kit away and set of home,

We had a good couple of hours fishing but the rain when it came absolutely chucked it down,

Home and dry with some grub in my belly,

You cant beat it,

All my kit is sorted and ready to go agian,

Not sure when it will be,

Until the next time then,,,

Rain stops play after one hour, It poured down, Paddy Pike,

2011-09-05T22:30:00.000+01:00

Eddie said we would have an afternoon fishing at the old Blood Tub so i said great but are we spinning or sitting, He said spinning is good, Less to carry haha,

So he picked me up just after 16:00hrs and off we went, It was dry when we set off and looked as though it would stay that way for the rest of the day, We parked up and set up ready for the off, The water was cloudy and visability was about six inches to a foot, So i put a loud ratteling perch lure on and Eddie was useing a three inch ratteling deep diver,

We walked for about 25 minutes in one direction with only on missed take, So about turn and off we go back towards the flask of OxO that belinda had lovingly prepared, And i was gagging for a brew, Then this little feller decided he was going to give me some fun,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well it was just starting to rain as i put this pike back into its watery home and set it free,

We had about a 15 minute walk to the moter and the OxO, so we set off spinning again and we must have only walked for about ten minutes stopping for a few casts and then moveing again, We could see the motor and i thought we will be there in a couple of minutes when Eddie said he's in and i thought he had a jack pike until it broke the surface of the murky water, I was wrong as it was a good lump of a Perch as you can see by the picture below,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well done Eddie its a stonka mate,

Now can we have a brew haha,

We were back at the motor and having a celibratory brew as you do when the heaven opened,

We had not done a full hours fishing and rain stops play, It poured down like you wouldn't believe,

Me and Eddie just looked at each other and put the seat belts on and came home,

I enjoyed the very short setion but

as always my kit is sorted and i am looking forward to my next outing,

So until the next time then,,,

Eddie has a Pike and what a scrapper, Paddy Pike,

2011-09-04T18:53:00.000+01:00

Well after the let down at Upper Rivvington we went to a local spot for two hours to have a sit in the sun and see if everywhere is the same,

We set up and i had two dead baits out one on either side of the River, I was useing very large Smelt on both rigs, Eddie had two rods out also and he was having a try with some lamprey, And wouldn't you believe it we were having some OxO when i said to Eddie you have a fish on, He went and picked his rod up and tried to set the hook and the other float bounced, No not two Pike but in his excitement he had grabed the wrong Rod, Well that was me falling around laughing, But i got the landing net ready and this fish gave Eddie a good run for his money, Tail walking and power diving and then he was taken into a load of weeds, This was getting silly but the Pike couldn't move so i used the landing net to push the Pike from the weeds and it just powered of again and again, Then it was ready and we brought it into the net, Eddie had a right sweat on i thought well in mate you deserve that haha

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well you can see Eddie had a hard time with this Pike and its in top condition too, It gave Eddie a top fight and went back safe and sound to fight another day, We then celabrated with another cup of OxO,

Eddie was well and truely ready for a drink,

I never got a touch on the Smelt so i am going to have to rethink my bait for the winter months ahead, We both had a great couple of hours,

And as allways my kit is sorted and i am looking forward to going again,

So until the next time then,,,,

Opening day for Pike at Upper Rivington, You wouldn't think so with the evidence

2011-09-02T15:37:00.000+01:00

The title will make sence by the end of the report,

But we set off at 7am to be at Upper rivington for 8am and we were set up for about 8am and looking forwards to a great day Pike Fishing, There were three of us Me Eddie and uncle P, There were 6 rods out with deads on and after about an hour Me and Eddie decided to pull our rods in and go for a walk with the lures, We set of and after about twenty minutes Eddie was first to land a fish, If faught well for its size,

Click on picture to enlarge,

We had been right down one side and that was all we had, There were a good few fishing for Pike today and i counted 12 people so there was not as many as i thought there was going to be, But fishermen kept arriving and leaving, We had been back for a brew and somthing to eat, Uncle P was just sat relaxing and chilling out, Then we were off again for another look down the same stretch we had just been to, And this time it was my turn to have a fish,

Click on picture to enlarge,

This young Pike was being very greedy and hit my Lure with some force, It only took it at about 12 feet from the bank,

Then we were off again chucking lures for all we were worth, When this young Pike decided it was going to have a one o'clock lunch,

Click on picture to enlarge,

After this we went back to our chosen Pegs where Uncle P was and set out the deadbaits again so we could have a drink and some more scran, We decided to move around to the opposite bank at 15:30hrs, So when we had all had a good old cup of OxO and some more food to fill the belly we then packed up and went to the other bank, I was talking to other fishermen at the bankside and talking about there day so far, Then we went and set up at our final chosen peg, But me and Eddie wanted to try the Lures again and set off along the bank casting for all we were worth I took this picture of Eddie enjoying the day and the sunshine,

Click on picture to enlarge,

All that water and hardly a bite,

So now i will explain the reason for my title,

When we arrived in the morning and i had spoken to a few fishermen on the bank, I was stunned to hear what they thought, and it made more sence when we moved to the other side of the water,

The Pikers were all along the bank complaining that they had been there since first light and not even had a run and on opening day as well, But they were greeted with 4 dead bait packets just thrown on the bank, In all i counted with these packets Eleven, So it seems obviouse that the Pike had been targeted all year round, Then when we first got to our chosen peg we were greeted with this on the bank,

Click on picture to enlarge,

A dead Pike of around the 10Lb's mark rotting away and covered in fly's, This sort of thing just makes me angry, As the pike was only next to the waters edge and may have survived with the propper care, It looked as though it had been on the bank for a couple of days, So much for open season, Looked to me and everyone else that the season had never been closed, As it was we seem to be the only anglers that had landed any Pike, others had plenty of course fish but no Pike to there opening day,

Just seemed to be a total let down,

Well when we got home it was a little late to start blogging, So i left it until now so i could calm down,

But its done now and i am ready to go again, All my gear is sorted as well,

So until the next time enjoy your fishing,,,,

Lures for Greedy Pike, Paddy Pike

2011-08-29T14:12:00.001+01:00

Well if you had read the previouse post you would have known that the Lures swim well and cast perfectly just by watching the short video that Roy had put together,

Anyway Duane and Ryan came to pick me up so we could go and throw a few lures, We went to the Three Pools first but the part we went to was that weedy it was almost unfishable, But i had a good take followed by a lot of splashing then the Pike was gone haha that was real fun though, After a couple of hours we stopped for somthing to eat and we all had a cup of OxO, Then we went to the River crossens, The sunday match was just finishing so the water was ours, Duane decided he was just going to fish a few pegs on the match length while me and Ryan went as far as peg 24, Then we made our way back to meet up with duane on peg 11 and just as we got ther he had a tiny pike take the Lure that was well bigger than it was itself,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Duane looks well happy with this monster catch but just how greedy was the little pike, I think it's eyes are bigger than its belly, But at least Duane had a fish on the bank,

We were all getting a little bit hungry and were talking about calling it a day when Ryan shouted that he had a Pike on so we went to help him land it and it was Bigger than the one Duane had caught and also Ryans first from the sluice,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Ryan was well chuffed with his catch and it was well deserved as he is keen as mustard to catch the Pike,

After the pictures the pike was put back safely, And we were paid a visit by Eddie and uncle P, We had a good old chat while we were packing up then we left, Back to mine as Belinda had done some food for us,

And very nice it was to,

I dont know when i will be going again but as always my kit is ready to go and so am i,

Until the next time then,,,

Lures

2011-08-26T22:23:00.000+01:00

A good friend and blogger and forum member Roy who has his own on line company called lure-a-pike selling lures, Has just made a short vidio of one of the Lures and how it moves in the water, Just take a look at this CLICK HERE,
I think the three and four segment Lures are the best,
Good Luck roy,

Eddie Fishing for Tench, Paddy Pike

2011-08-23T22:45:00.000+01:00

Every year Eddie does 100 hours of Tench Fishing, Normaly a couple of hours in the evening a couple of times a week, Last year the count for 100 hours was 78 Tench, This year is definatly slower as his count at the moment is 24 for 50 hours, So instead of Fishing in the same place for the Tench and hopeing they come to him he is trying to find them by moving around the River, Well it has worked as you can see by the picture below,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well done Eddie its good to see a tench every now and then, And these slippery bullets are getting harder to find,

Ladygreen Fisheries, Paddy Pike,

2011-08-17T21:25:00.001+01:00

PJ took me and Jack Lad to his club waters Ladygreen Fisheries for the afternoon, It was a good day for fishing as the carp where hungry and as we all know they have to be on the feed so you can have a chance of catching them, PJ was doing his useual bit bashing and catching the odd sizeable carp, They are not massive in the middle lake but the fight like crazy, PJ ended his afternoon with 80 fish on the score card, I was doing ok with my three tins of meat and the carp were enjoying being fed, You have to give yourself a break every now and then or you would be aching all over by the time you finished,

Here is one of the speed merchants i caught,

Click on picture to enlarge,

They all seem to be around the same size where me and Jack Lad where fishing, But they take off like nothing ive ever seen before, This really upsets the swim and then it dies off for a while,

Jack was having the same problem as me, But he had plenty of the carp out as well, He even landed a couple of mine unhooked them and put them back, Must think ime too old or something haha, Here is a picture of Jack Lad with one of his captures,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Jack was impressed with Ladygreen Fisheries and seemed to enjoy himself as well, He did say he would like to go again, Must make a nice change for him to go to a commercial water rather than trying to fish the rivers all the time, Me and PJ were well happy that Jack had a good afternoons fishing, We had him back home for 17:30hrs as he had to go training for his Rugby club,

Thanks PJ me and Jack had a good time fishing the middle lake,

Well i am out again tomorrow evening for a few hours with Jacks Dad Eddie, Not sure where yet but i will be glad to just sit there and wait for a Pike, So much more relaxing for me,

My kit is all sorted ready to go,

So until the next time then,,,,

Lures on the sluice, Theres never two days the same, Paddy Pike,

2011-08-15T22:51:00.000+01:00

Arrived at the Sluice with Eddie and Jack Lad, Our PJ was already there waiting for us so we wished Jack good luck and we went to our normal places to set up, I was only useing the one rod so i put the Lure on that Matt had given me and i had caught a a tiny pike on a couple of weeks ago, Eddie was starting to set up as was PJ, so i cast down stream past Eddie's swim but about ten feet from the bank and as the Lure was passing Eddie's Swim it took a hit and then nothing but just as quick it struck again and i set the hook, Well what a fight no tail walking but plenty of power dives ripping line of my reel as it did a few times,

But we had a new problem and that was getting the pike into the net with all the over growth, But its amazing how help arrives and Ian another Piker was stopped chatting to me then he was down the bank with me to net the Pike, Top man and thanks,

Click on picture to enlarge,

We had the Picture and a bit of banter then the Pike was sent back safely, Isaid to Eddie i will get the OxO, He said hang on i havent even got set up yet, So now i gave Eddie a hand to set one of his rods up then when he was in and Fishing i poured the OxO and it was spot on, Thanks Belinda,

After a short while some new friends turned up, and one of them Lewis who i have been emailing about Pikeing came to say hello, And the he was getting his kit sorted to do some spinning, Well as i have had a fish i was well sorted then Gordy Burton came along and i was showing him the picture of the Pike i had caught, We had a bit of fun and he taught me somthing about Lure fishingthat as far as i know he invented so thanks Gordy, He had a couple of Pike to his Lure then he was gone,

Me and PJ came away early as i had a couple of things to do, So i cant say how Jack Lad got on in the match but i can tell you that he was fourth last week, So he is doing just fine,

It was nice to see so many new faces tonight,

Well my kit is sorted,

And as allways i am ready to go again,

So untill the next time then,,,,

2 hours on the Sluice with Eddie, Paddy Pike,

2011-08-11T23:01:00.002+01:00

Eddie came round to mine for a brew this afternoon and reminded me i havent been fishing for over a week because of the fences i have had to build, So we went this evening for a couple of hours only, We got to our chosen spot and set up me with 2 rods out both with dead baits as the water is very coloured and flowing very fast as well, I was useing smelt on the rod to my left and a joey on the rod to my right, The one to the right i was having a problem holding the bottom with 2oz of lead, Eddie had caught a couple of bream and a rouff,

I looked over to my floats to check them and the left hand one was on the move, Now this is either the weight of water being pumped or a decent Pike, I am glad to say it was the latter, I set the hooks expecting a hell of a fight, And nothing it just gave up, How disappointing was that,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well the picture was taken and i was putting the Pike back into its watery home and it just sailed away, No tail slap or any of the usual excitement when being returned,

Well for a very short session i was not expecting to catch anything after seeing how muddy looking the water was,

And after the celabratory cups of OxO we made our way home,

As always i am ready to go again,

So until the next time then,,,

River Crossens "Sluice" Match Night & Pikeing, Paddy Pike,

2011-08-02T00:50:00.000+01:00

Well this is the Seventh Monday out of Eight that it has been raining, Anyone would think it was the monsoon season, Need to bring Duane with us as it is always sunshine for Fishing when he is there haha,

I was about Twenty yards from Eddie and i was useing a Lure that Matt gave me a while ago, And hey presto another Sluice baby for me,

Click on picture to enlarge,

I was well happy and i know Matt will be pleased,

I thought it was time for a drink of the old OxO, So me and Eddie had a good hot drink, It was lashing down and then it stopped for a moment and Eddie was into his first fish it was a good sized Tench and the strange thing was it took four sweet corns,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Nice work Eddie, The Sluice Tench always amazes me at just how dark they are, And how well they fight when they realise they are hooked,

I was back on my peg and almost daydreaming when i noticed my Float sail away to the right and then start to turn and come back to the left, I set the Hook and the Line seemed to go slack but this was because the Pike was coming towards me and all the Reeds, I wound down again and made sure the Hook was set and then the Pike did a good Tail walk, I was well impressed then it did a dive and stripped about Twenty Yards of Line from my Reel, Then i was asking Eddie to pass me my Landing Net when it was out of the water Tail Walking again, It did this Three times before i could net it, I havent had a Pike as lively as this for a long while,

Click on picture to enlarge,

As you can see by the picture i was happy to have landed this girl on the bank, Strange thing was i had to grab the Wire Trace when the Pike started to jump while in the landing net and the Pike had bitten through it and it came away in my hand, So the priority now was to get the Treble out of its mouth, This was soon done and the Pike swam away ready for the next fight, Eddie's Pike float went just before i caught this pike but his got off so maybe it was the same one, Who knows, Eddie was into another really big Tench that got off in the reeds, He had a couple of rouff before we went to meet Jack Lad who had weighed in this week,

Well done Jack Lad,

We said it would happen for you,

Well i was soon home and ready for somthing to eat, Belinda had done a Roast beef dinner,

Thanks Belinda it was just what i needed,

As always i am ready to go again,

As all my kit is cleaned and sorted,

So until the next time then,,,

We Had A Go On Three Pools

2011-07-28T21:16:00.001+01:00

Well me and Duane had another go at getting him a new PB Pike, But the day would not allow it, We had perfect Sunshine, Hardly a breath of air, And the water was a clear as gin yet again, We had decided to use a hand full of lures each to see what would be interested, And i can honestly say i have never seen as many Pike in my life but they were no longer than 8 inches, They were everywhere, Shoals of them, It was just amazing, Then when we got to the bridge i had a Jack Follow my lure but no take, So i cast it in again and the Jack took it like a good-un, And Duane took the Picture,

Click on picture to enlarge,

After this Pike i thought the day was going to be a top day for pikeing, But we never got another, But Duane had some Pike follow his Lure then turn away at the very last second, But Duane was really enjoying the day and i said whats happening he told me he has found a Nest, I was not sure if it was a Coots or Moorhens but here is a great Picture taken by Duane, What a top find and picture,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Although Duane never had a Pike onto the Bank himself he was only to happy to take a few pictures of what was going on with life on the Rivers, We also had a visit from a guy that follows my Blog and the Forum, He introduced himself as Bandy this is the name he is known as on the Forum, We chatted for a while about all the things to do with Fishing and the fun involved with it, Then a short while later he said he was glad he came to see us both, And we were glad you did Bandy, Any time you see on the Forum that we are going fishing and you would like to come along just give us a shout, Well the day was over far to soon and we headed back for some scran, Well a Chippy tea,

And i was well ready for it i can tell you,

I would like to say thanks to Duane for a great days Fishing The company and the Banter, I had a great day and really enjoyed it,

And as always i am ready to go again,

So untill the next time then,,,,,,

A New Blog For All The Carp Fishermen To Follow,

2011-07-23T21:47:00.000+01:00

A couple of friends of mine have Danny & Ryan have started a Blog of there own its called The Carpologists Take a look and have a read, The information is second to none, I was impressed and i am sure any Carp fishermen will find it a very rewarding Blog,
Just click the The Carpologist Link,
Till the next time,,,,

Heavy Rain & Strong Winds

2011-07-18T23:51:00.000+01:00

Went again tonight and had one Pike, Eddie took the pictures with my mobile Phone it is 8mpl and has always taken good pictures, But when i went to download them from the phone they weren't there so i am at a loss, with this phone, Its doin me edd in haha think i will just bin it and get a propper camera, I would have been well miffed if it had been a new PB haha, It did nowt but rain from about half five and it just battered it down, Very cold as well, Dont know whats happend to the british summer Used to be so nice, Ahh well,

Pike Fishing Uk Three Pools for Fun, Paddy Pike,

2011-07-15T12:48:00.000+01:00

PJ was on his day off work, And wanted to go Fishing, So for a change i sugested we go take a look at Three pools, PJ likes easy access to his peg, So we went where it is just by the cart track, PJ started baiting his swim and then sorting his gear out ready to start, I had a dead bait rod out that never got a touch all evening, As that rod was very close to PJ i asked him to keep an eye on it and to shout me if anything happened, But like i said it just stayed there all evening, I went off Spinning and had three Pike follow the lure right up to the edge of the bank then they just turned away, Nothing of any great size but it would have been nice to land one, I was now back at my Peg and i watched the water swirl by my float, I cast my lure to the other side and brought it back steady, Then a Jack Pike hit it and it was on, It was great fun and like i have said in early Posts i am becoming addicted to chasing the Jacks with a Lure,

Click on picture to enlarge,

As you can see the Buzz Bait does it again,

I had a few more short walks and had one more take that spat the Buzz Bait when it was under the rod,

PJ on the other hand was having some good fun with Golden Rudd, Roach and silver Fish,

Now this is becoming a habbit haha

Click on picture to enlarge,

This was another one of them Ooops pictures, But PJ kept it under controle, He had about 18 of these in total, Strange he never got a perch at all,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well done PJ and well held haha,

This water is as clear as a bell, Lots of weed right accross the river bed, making it very snaggy,

Click on picture to enlage,

A picture of PJ Just Chilling out, He doesn't get to do a lot of fishing at the moment but he really enjoyed his evening fishing,

As it was getting near 9:30pm we decided to wrap it all up and head of home as Belinda had made a pan of stew with Highland Beef so we were ready for that, Thanks Belinda it was the Best,

Oh here is a picture of the moon from when we were leaving the Three Pools,

Click on picture to enlarge,

As you can see by the Full Moon picture the sky was very clear, Some Pikers like to follow the Moon Phase as they say it brings the Pike on better,

I totaly agree,

Well i had some fun on Three Pools,

And my kit is sorted ready for the next outing,

And as allways i cant wait to go,

So untill the next time,,,

Pike Attack Strike Like A Monster On A Lure

2011-07-12T22:48:00.001+01:00

Went with Eddie and Jack Lad on Monday Evening as Jack was on the match and he seems to be doing better than most as he always weighs in, So well done Jack Lad, Me and Eddie have been having fun further along the bank, Eddie was trying something new and i was useing the lure i like best, Its called a Buzz Bait and its loads of fun, I had two of the smallest pike ever but it is great fun,

click on picture to enlarge

Its strange but these tiny Pike Attack and Strike like a Monster on this Lure, Its Magic,

Now eddie was pulling fish out one after the other and doing his own thing, Then the pumps went on and the water started ripping through to the left at a fair rate of knots, Eddie was trotting on the far side and he was doing well, Then i said save the next fish for a picture, And this was the result

click on picture to enlarge,

Ooops sorry Eddie i thought i missed that picture,

click on picture to enlarge,

Just goes to show that trotting is still a top form of fishing, Then Eddie said he had an idea, Thought i dont believe this but as it worked i promised i wouldn't say anything but this was the result,

click on picture to enlarge,

Well in Eddie i havent seen that done for years mate, But now its been done again i will be having a go,

Soon it was 9pm and time to pack up ready to go for Jack Lad, He did well again and weighed in,

Then we were off home, I had some top fun with the Buzz Bait,

But as always my kit is sorted and ready to go,

So until the next time then,,,,

Tales of the River Bank, Duane & Paddy Pike

2011-07-03T01:20:00.002+01:00

Now i would like to say everything went to plan, But as you know nothing ever does, Duane arrived at mine for about 09:45hrs and after we had sorted where he was parking, It was into the flat for a brew, Duane was introduced to Belinda & Verity and they all got on great, Verity Although a Guide Dog took an instant likeing to Duane, That told me everything i needed to know, We had a cup of coffee and then loaded my bit of kit into Duane's 4X4 and of we went to the River Crossens, I had pre-baited a swim for Duane over the past few days in the hope he would get a good sized pike to give him a new Personal Best, We both set up and cast in, I was on the next peg, And had only been in the water a short while when the float sailed away, As i was doing a little Spinning i dropped the rod and Set the Hook and said to Duane take this its your Fish, Duane said its on and its yours i will take the Pictures, So the Pike was on and it did the Tail Walk for us and then when it was near the bank Duane let it glide into the net, He then Gilled it out of the net & took the hooks out then handed me the Fish, It was weighed and a couple of pictures taken then she was released back into the water,,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Me and Duane had a cup of OXO as a celabratory drink, And i was thinking we are off to a great start, A couple of hours later Duane had a run but tried to set the hook to soon and the bait was dropped, There were Tench and Bream blowing in his swim, I really thought & Hoped Duane would have at least one 20Lber or be very close to it, But like i said nothing goes to plan, He did catch a Perch of about a Pound, But this was released, The day over it was back to mine for a cup of Coffee and a chat before Duane set off home, I had a really great day and i know Duane had as much fun, We will arrange another outing when Duane can get some time off work,

My kit is sorted and ready to go again,

So until the next time,,,,

A Couple of hours Perch Fishing with Eddie & Jack Lad, Paddy Pike,

2011-07-01T00:23:00.000+01:00

Just by way of a change Eddie said Jack Lad had asked if we would like to go perch fishing at his uncles water, We all said it would make a nice change and it could be great fun, Jack Lad is one of the best Perch fishermen i have ever had the pleasure of fishing with, But i was in first with a Perch, One of Eight i had in total, I was happy with my catch,

Click on picture to enlarge,

But it wasn't long before Jack Lad was in and he had his first Perch of twenty three in total,

Click on picture to enlarge,

But as he was useing two rod he was catching a good few other fish as well, But mainly Golden Rudd,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Jack had lots of Rudd and Roach but his bag of perch was the best i have seen in such a short session, Eddie decided to just fish for anything, And he had over a hundred and fifty fish in total, Then he was comlaining about his back being sore, Not surprised at that, But the fish he was catching were all around the same size and mostly Golden Rudd,

Click on picture to enlarge,

Well we all had a good evenings Fishing, And it was all over to soon, But there will be other times when we will be there and trying our luck,

Hopefully my next outing will be on Saturday for a Pike or two "With a bit of luck that is" But as allways my gear is ready and so am i,

So until the next time Then,,,,