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Ambitious pike
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2019 8:36 pm
by Kev D
A friend sent me this picture a couple of days ago.
He was using three pound line ,after roach and had already had a small chub he was reeling-in taken by what he described as the biggest pike he had ever seen.
The pike probably not even realsing it had been hooked on a size 16 actually allowed itself to come within netting distance. Whereupon my friend realised that his little tea-strainer was about as much use as an Airtex raincoat and attempted a hand landing. End of story!
After moving swims he hooked a trout that he estimates at maybe a pound and a half which was nabbed by another pike. This fish was a tiddler compared with the one he'd encountered earlier but before attempting ,unsuccessfully to guide it to the bank
, he managed to wangle a photo.
20191005_195808.jpg
The pike got to keep the trout!
Rather annoyingly I had been invited to join my friend for the day but had to work ☹ Even more annoyingly; I would've definately taken a new to me cane pike rod that I am desperate to baptise
Re: Ambitious pike
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2019 9:06 pm
by Mole-Patrol
It is always the ones that get away that we remember for longest. And it is always frustrating when the biggest fish fall to the 'wrong' methods.
Talking of landing nets. A few years ago when we first moved to France we rented a cottage on a farm that bordered the River Vienne. There was a few pike in the river and I used to spin for them using a light bass rod, multiplier and an old Voblex spinner that I had found in the river. The owner of the farm estate employed some Latvian workers (I use the term 'workers' loosely), one of whom used to go down to the river on an evening to fish for catfish that he took back to his cottage, cut into steaks for the BBQ. He and his son lived on catfish and wodka.
One evening I had walked down to the river with Alexander who was armed with a 10 foot telescopic sea rod, large un-named reel and a lure made from a serving spoon. We split up at the river waded in and started fishing about 80 metres apart. Second or third cast I hooked a silure that fought like a pit bull. "Alexander" I shouted. "Feeesh!!" Hoping for some help if / when the beast could be landed. "Yes!" came the reply. But no Alexander materialised.
Eventually I got the fish within netting range, but the net in question was a Bob Church folding reservoir trout net. Ideal for pike or barbel up to around 10lb whilst wading or roaming the river, but the catfish was well over that. To cut a long story short, a catfish of just over 25lb found its way into a net designed for reservoir rainbow trout and as I backed out of the river and up the banking dragging the netted fish up the bank I saw Alexander dragging a catfish by the chin up the banking 80 metres away. Both fish measured 123cm and weight just over 25lb.
Re: Ambitious pike
Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2019 9:02 am
by BoltonBullfinch
Mole-Patrol wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 9:06 pm
It is always the ones that get away that we remember for longest. And it is always frustrating when the biggest fish fall to the 'wrong' methods.
Talking of landing nets. A few years ago when we first moved to France we rented a cottage on a farm that bordered the River Vienne. There was a few pike in the river and I used to spin for them using a light bass rod, multiplier and an old Voblex spinner that I had found in the river. The owner of the farm estate employed some Latvian workers (I use the term 'workers' loosely), one of whom used to go down to the river on an evening to fish for catfish that he took back to his cottage, cut into steaks for the BBQ. He and his son lived on catfish and wodka.
One evening I had walked down to the river with Alexander who was armed with a 10 foot telescopic sea rod, large un-named reel and a lure made from a serving spoon. We split up at the river waded in and started fishing about 80 metres apart. Second or third cast I hooked a silure that fought like a pit bull. "Alexander" I shouted. "Feeesh!!" Hoping for some help if / when the beast could be landed. "Yes!" came the reply. But no Alexander materialised.
Eventually I got the fish within netting range, but the net in question was a Bob Church folding reservoir trout net. Ideal for pike or barbel up to around 10lb whilst wading or roaming the river, but the catfish was well over that. To cut a long story short, a catfish of just over 25lb found its way into a net designed for reservoir rainbow trout and as I backed out of the river and up the banking dragging the netted fish up the bank I saw Alexander dragging a catfish by the chin up the banking 80 metres away. Both fish measured 123cm and weight just over 25lb.
Great story, I bet you didn't eat your catfish.
Thanks
BB
Re: Ambitious pike
Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2019 11:25 am
by Mole-Patrol
He ate them both!
Alexander always used to come up to the cottage for me to weigh his fish and photograph them. Most were around 19lb to 25lb. One day I was walking the dog past his cottage and he asked me to come in and witness his latest capture. It was alive in the bath. There was no room in the fridge for it as every shelf was stacked with catfish steaks.
