Traditional rods for pike

[Olly]

It can be potluck - - or lots of hard work and guessing to a degree where they are! You can't catch 20s where they aint!

At the last count I have had about 50+ 20lbers, including 3 in one day in consecutive casts, and two at one time. But the elusive 30 is still - - elusive!

[Grumpy]

As the topic has shifted to the size of pike a rod might have to deal with, here is another aspect of the matter that has long puzzled me. For about 50 years, I have fished for pike (though not exclusively) in almost every winter, here in the fens. In all that time, I have encountered just one 20-pound fish, and that was from a gravel pit. I'm always intrigued as to how others seem to catch these monsters in some numbers.

Admittedly, I'm happy with any pike on the day, and perhaps that's my problem. But it does seem odd!

I have fished the Fens nearly every winter since the early nineties and have had six twenties best 22lb 7oz from three different drains.My mate has had a 27.Fenland twenties are very rare creatures especially since the Eastern European invasion.
The Fens are a vast network of drains large and small,I'm sure there are some huge Pike lurking in some isolated drains.Location,location,thats the name of the game.If I ever get a Fenland thirty that would be the pinnacle of my angling life.

[Riparian]

Good to know, Olly, that you've caught one for every year I've been trying! I'm sure that Grumpy is onto something as far as my lamentable record is concerned. Other more expert anglers locally tell me there are far fewer twenties and upper doubles around in the drains than there used to be. I'm not quite sure which Eastern European invasion is in question but that's where the cormorants came from... EA surveys - if you can find them - clearly show that silver fish numbers in many drains have crashed in past decades and this could be a factor in the decline in the numbers of large pike.

[Grumpy]

I hope I don't upset anyone here but by Eastern European invasion I am referring to the two legged variety wielding lure rods.
The Fens have had many up's and down's over the years,too many issues to mention here but it is still a magical place to be,big skies,wildfowl etc.
I live in hope of the really big one.At present the drains seem to be really suffering from a lack of silver fish.Hopefully the Fenland Pike Initiative will do some good work in getting the Fens back to what they once were.

[Riparian]

Grumpy, you won't upset me - I've witnessed it too often. I bailiff for a local club and in my opinion the two-legged problem is waning. Of course, many have returned home due to improving economies at home, Brexit and Coronavirus. To be fair, also, I know a couple EE anglers who are expert lure anglers, who respect their fish and other anglers.

So right - the are seemingly endless problems facing these once-legendary fisheries. One new thing, for example: the drain close to my house now has an annual migration of Chinese Mitten crabs. You couldn't make it up.

[Olly]

I caught my first and still my biggest in 1972 - if my memory is OK!

Some years it's one at 20 but on a couple of occasions 1 or 2 in a day - then perhaps 7-8 in a season. So when I found a big water of 60-70 acres that regularly produced I stuck with it. 3lb t/c glass rods, Mitchell 306, 1/2 mackerel or 4oz lead with a smelt cast as far as I could.

But also lucky - was taken as a guest piking I had a 24lber on popped up bream deadbait. He had fished it for some years and only caught a double or two - right place, right time + a bit of luck!

[Grumpy]

Grumpy, you won't upset me - I've witnessed it too often. I bailiff for a local club and in my opinion the two-legged problem is waning. Of course, many have returned home due to improving economies at home, Brexit and Coronavirus. To be fair, also, I know a couple EE anglers who are expert lure anglers, who respect their fish and other anglers.

So right - the are seemingly endless problems facing these once-legendary fisheries. One new thing, for example: the drain close to my house now has an annual migration of Chinese Mitten crabs. You couldn't make it up.

I have also seen a couple who knew what they were doing and returned everything.Chinese crabs,my mate saw one on the Old Bedford,I have not seen one yet but I know of them.
One day,hopefully in our lifetimes the Fens will return to their former glory.

[Harry H]

I have a 10ft of unknown maker which I use with a Edgar Sealey Flocast for casting dead baits,it has a 5mm tip from 14mm at the terminus of a 30" handle.


I also use a MKIV of an unknown maker with a wide drum Speedia for trotting small rivers where all you need is a gentle lob out of your bait.

[Tengisgol]

I have a 10ft of unknown maker which I use with a Edgar Sealey Flocast for casting dead baits,it has a 5mm tip from 14mm at the terminus of a 30" handle.

Is that the rod I took after a Spanish catfish? Mighty fine rod if so.

[Mr B]

I have a nice 9ft Dawsons Of Bromley Burley.
I haven't landed a fish on it yet but lost a good one a few weeks ago (got my hook back)
Its a powerful rod and quit stiff but I was surprised by the nice bend it took on before the Pike come off. Only hadnit on for about 5 seconds.
Nice rod to have in your armoury
Mr B

There's my Burly in the foreground with my other favourite behind it, both Pike fishing..
The classy un named rod in the background will be reviled with a Pike as soon as it is christened.. coupled with a nice DAM reel
Mr B
A good moody day.