Fishing through the looking glass

      After a couple of hard frosts, very little rain for a few days and fog I decided that a visit to the drain was called for and what a tranquil scene greeted me when I finally arrived on Wednesday afternoon. Not a breath of wind and not a ripple on the water, the surface was like a mirror. It was so calm that even the pike bait landing on the water seemed like a huge intrusion, shattering the peace and tranquility of the scene.
      Two deadbait rigs were prepared and cast out, one with a roach on the hook and the other with a smelt and the wait began in the not so ideal conditions but no moaning because your out in the peace and quiet and loosing some cobwebs.

      To liven things up it seemed good idea to catch some fresh bait for the freezer so the whip was put into action in the margins to catch some small roach and rudd. First cast a fish fish and it's a perch, I love perch they're beautiful fish and I will not use them as bait but it was a perch every other cast.
      The perch started really small and gradually got bigger, up into the 12 ounce category, not huge but fun and I was delighted that they were providing plenty of entertainment, the smallest ones are like little jewels and feisty with it, the beauty of small things.
       I've decided to have another go at the weekend to try and find the larger specimens, I know they're there because I've caught them before so I've decided to take one rig for the perch and another rod with a different set-up to fish for the pike.

      The pike stayed elusive, I had one run and connected with what felt like a low double figure fish which set of on a charge down the drain and after around forty-five seconds or so the line went slack without me even seeing it, just swirls on the surface. So, it was to be a zero in the pike landed column but well into double figures in the perch landed column, suits me, there's no disappointment there.

      Saturday or Sunday will see full engagement with the perch population in the drain and to be honest I'm quite happy catching them they're beautiful to look at and they are as stroppy and feisty as a Jack Russell Terrier, perhaps that's why I like them so much.