Just to prove that the last pike I caught on Loch Lomond was not a fluke I just went and caught another one – well in fact two however the first one did not really count.
The evening was warm and rather pleasant – or at least it seemed that way after a tramp over a field filled with jumpy cows with their calfs – by the end of it I was sweating like a bull among them…
..it soon started to pee down with rain (to be fair we do live in Scotland)- miserable springs to mind – the rain was beating off the water and every passing moment it just seemed to be getting heavier and heavier.
Before long however it had passed and it was time to get back to trying for Pike.
The first Pike I caught was strange, the conversation was thus:
AS – ” That’s a Pike – ya beauty”
Fishing Buddy – ” Nice one – well done”
AS – “Oh no, wait a mo – is it weed?”
AS – “Yes, it’s a Pike – no wait I think it s a stick”
AS – ” No it is a Pike however I have foul hooked it”
Fishing Buddy – ” is that a duck in its mouth?”
AS – “Hang on is that a Salmon I have caught” (totally random comment – I thought it was a diseased salmon)
Fishing buddy then muttered something about how well pike fight after I compared it to a bit of weed – good point I thought.
However, the reason we were so confused is because there was something hanging out its mouth – I have no photo and let the Pike go pretty quickly (it flopped out my hands) however half its jaw had been ripped off and part of its gill was hanging out its mouth. I think someone had tried to remove the hooks by pulling on the wire trace, thus pulling its guts out – lovely.
The first pike was not going to survive long – especially not after I seen a Pike of around 20lb roll under my line around 10 mins later. This happened several times – I think what was happening was that the Pike were lying stationary in the shallow water (it is only around 2 foot) and when my line passed over there backs it gave them a scare – certainly I would always recast where I last seen the Pike however the big girls were not for playing – the same must have happened to the first pike however as it was injured it could not get out the way in time.
I then heard a big splash behind me next to the shore – that has got to be a feeding Pike – I cast towards it – I then had the most exciting 10 mins of the season – every couple of casts the Pike would follow the fly – a big wake swirling behind my fly – I varied my retrieves – slow, stop, slow, fast , fast – BANG — the Pike tore across the pool. Now, I have heard it said that Pike don’t fight – they just put up a couple of runs and then give up – not this wee boy – he ripped out line and put a major bend in my nine weight. He ran maybe a half dozen times and doggedly did not want to be landed.
However , the toothy beast eventually relented (and this was after trying to play him hard) – landing it was a simple matter of chinning the pike (getting good at this now) and using the forceps to get the fly out its mouth.
I would like to say my Pike itch has been scratched however after seeing some of those big doubles I reckon I may develop a skin infection.
sounds like an amazing session alistair, once i get over my perch fly fishing obsession that ive developed i’ll be hammering the pike relentlessly, got a couple of sweet new waters to try aswell.
Hi Scott, any of those Pike waters fishable with a fly?
yup, they certainly are, thats exactly what i intend to do with them!
Make sure you post photos in the forum 🙂
Nice one, I was up the Canal on Friday didn’t see nay Pike moving, it was like a mill pond. Didn’t even see any neds.
Campbell S – Sometimes I think it depends on the time of year in the canal whether you see them or not!
Who the Neds or the Pike? Maybe I need bigger flies?
I heard that they take poppers with gusto!
(both neds and pike that is)
Quality stuff the other night Alistair. It’s surely only a matter of time before we get into a really big, bad momma.
grrrrrrrr!!
Alex
I was raking a popper about but to no avail, maybe that needs to be bigger too….