Union Canal : Pike hunt.

On Tuesday Scott had an encounter with a beast of a pike in the canal and after a brief fight lost her.

He estimated it to be approaching a double and although gutted he took solace in the fact we knew where she was hanging out!

So on Wednesday when we had a couple of hours free we decided to head out to see if she was still about. It was a couple of miles up the canal from where we normally fish and after a bit of crosstown traffic arrived at the stretch.

We were both using heavier gear, I was using my Wright and McGill 9' S-Curve Medium drifter, Shimano Aernos 3000 loaded with 20lb Sunline Momentum 4x4. On the Business end I was torn between using a Popper or a savage gear 4play, in the end I opted for the 4 play in dirty Roach rigged on a 7g 2/0 decoy ball jighead. Scott was using his Abu Garcia Blue Max baitcasting outfit and went with the same lure as me.

We started fishing up the canal and my main retrieve technique is to jig the minnow up with a couple of twitches then let it fall whilst retrieving slowly.

We had travelled about 500 metres up the canal when I was hit by a big fish. I was casting around an overhanging tree on the far bank and as I was lifting the lure to recast everything went solid! There was a brief feeling of pressure then slackness as my lure pinged out of her mouth. Cursing my lack of concentration I recast and brought the lure back towards her lie. Again she seized the lure ,I struck and pulled the lure right out of her mouth!

Doh!

First too slow and now too quick. The next cast saw her come up after the lure, spy me, then shoot off in a big flash of green. From the brief glimpse I saw of her and the feel of her attacks it was a big fish. Possibly approaching a double and maybe the same fish Scott had lost the evening before.

We walked another 1/4 of a mile and I had a couple of fish attack the lure but didn't hook up. It was soon time to turn back just as we got to the van we decided to have a wee fish in the stretch below where we started. The canal narrowed under a bridge and this gave the perfect vantage point to cast along the edge of the reeds. I cast then began the jigged retrieve. The lure had travelled about 6' when it was pounced on by a feisty wee jack. Not big maybe a couple of pounds but very welcome all the same and was our first pike from the canal for a couple of months.

The only fish of the day. Lovely markings.

We fished on for another 10 minutes but then had to call time and head back to the van.

It was an interesting quick session even though Scott blanked and I lost the fish. It was very nice to see some bigger Pike inhabiting the canal and we hope to find out how big soon.

Tight Lines, Schogsky.