Little and large

      The first serious fishing expedition of the season and it was warm without a breath of wind and barely a ripple on the surface of the drain. The banks are still smothered in reed and vegetation and should you start cutting through the vegetation for a fishing spot you'll end up in drain and struggling to get out of the water. Common sense prevailed and I headed for the old boat moorings, I didn't fancy wild swimming particularly fully clothed. In fact I don't fancy wild swimming at all. I do find the old moorings mysterious and promising, they're going to get some serious attention this winter.

      The drain appeared barren, no Roach, no Rudd  and all my tiny red worms yielded were three small perch the biggest was small, but beautiful, and the sample just got ever smaller. The colours on this little fellow were just beautiful so small or not it's still a jewel to be admired. The greenery had that tired and exhausted early autumn look to it with the rich colours gradually washing away before the big change to autumnal colours starts.

      All the time I was testing the water for silver fish I had a dead roach fishing on the bottom of the drain, once the float moved a couple of feet but it never developed into a run. After an hour of watching the float, kingfishers and dragonflies a solid run developed that got the bait runner chattering away. I didn't see the fish for eight minutes or so and at first I thought it was a Zander withy all the head shaking but it was the first Pike of the season and in double figures it was hooked neatly in the scissors and it fairly filled the new landing net. You have to be really happy with that.

      I fished on for another hour or so before deciding to go home and take the two terriers for a walk, they were as happy to see me as I was to catch the pike. My motto for this winter's fishing, don't be greedy and be happy with what you have had, for a session of only two or three hours that was a perfect result.