I have been eyeing up the River Parrett in West Somerset for a while now. A desire for wild river Pike and potential doubles has been an itch I've needed to scratch. So with the floodwater receding the hour and a half journey was made with Will, Olly & Dad. We sorted out our day tickets and headed riverside. Unfortunately the flow was still heavy and the water full of dirt and debris. We had already paid our money though so we decided to give it a crack. Dad started poorly and it didnt get much better for him... He had new Pike imitation Lures and proceeded to stick two of them in a tree and a hidden snag. As we moved further down river from Langport the River looked like it had potential for a few pike (in much different conditions), but it was running too fast and coloured for our lures to be noticed. Dad then cast his new Savage Gear Hybrid Pike into a tree and it inevitably became one with the branches. He was in a real foul mood now and I heard the classic SNAP! of a shattered rod, in frustration he had pulled his rod past it's breaking point. We were having no luck either and decided to try the Taunton & Bridgewater Canal instead (via Taunton tackle shop!),
The really quite friendly chaps in the tackle shop advised going further down the canal away from the town to avoid the cloudy water coming through from the River Tone. Taking their advice we got to the Canal to find it strikingly similar to Tiverton canal. A small shallow waterway no more than a few metres across. It also shared that Canal's predator density. The place is full of little Pike, it didn't take long for both Olly & Will to land their first Pike. Will's being a lovely fish of around 4 pounds, Olly's being (quite a bit) smaller.
We all had numerous hits and follows from small fish and I had my first Pike of the year on a classic Red & White Plug. A tiny fish but very welcome indeed!
The wind really picked up after that and we were looking for more sheltered swims. We passed a fellow Pike fisherman with his two Sons who was dead baiting. They had a couple of small fish as we passed and it was good to see young lads embracing the Pike as the fine sporting fish it is. We decided to drive on further along the Canal. There were a couple of interesting bends along it that shouted 'Pike Lair' to me. It still surprises me at the size of Lure that a Tiny Pike will attack, I was fishing with a 6 inch long Fox Zander Pro and I had Pike a similar size going for it! Entertaining though this was I desired a better fish. A better fish did take my lure but spat it out after thirty seconds after I had cast under a likely looking overgrown bush. We decided to head back as it was getting late but I couldn't resist one last cast near some more brambles... The hit was superb and the fight was one of a better fish, no monster but much more satisfying than the Pencil-Pike that had been entertaining me all day. Will netted it for me and although it was only around the 6-7 pounds mark I felt that satisfying glow only a Pike can give me. I really do love them.
We headed home having all caught except Dad, his day will come, plus now he has a lovely new rod to test out!
Thanks for reading.
The Species Total after that is:
Ben - 8 Species - Perch, Roach, Rudd, Roach/Bream Hybrid, Gudgeon, Common Carp, Rainbow Trout & Pike.
Robbie - 5 Species - Perch, Roach, Rudd, Mirror Carp & Eel.
Will - 4 Species - Roach, Rudd, Gudgeon & Pike.
Olly - 3 Species - Perch, Rainbow Trout & Pike.
Phil - 1 Species - Pike.
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