Suddenly I caught something out of the corner of my eye!

A tiny little mouse! It had appeared out of the bank and was crawling towards the edge of the water. By this time I was holding my breath not to disturb the little chap, as it neared the edge of the water it must have caught site of me. It turned to look at me and then something extraordinary happened – it dropped dead!!!!

Now, I am not known for my medusa like qualities, and I don’t think I was particularly wearing a loud shirt that day (!), but this little creature had gone to meet its maker.

I wandered over to where it lay, and just to check it hadn’t just suddenly decided to sleep, I gave it a few little nudges, but sure enough it was no longer with us.

Hmmmm………….. Makes you think doesn’t it!

Ttfn Skipsea Gnome

I got the spinning rods out, a couple of dead baits from the freezer (always have some in stock!), and put the fishing tackle in the boot of the skipsea mobile.

On arrival at the canal side, I was greeted with a few impolite quacks from disgruntled ducks, but other than that I had the canal to myself (well this section of it anyway) – perfect!

Within half an hour I was frozen like a brick!! However the quality of the pike fishing more than made up for it, and the days fishing certainly warmed my heart, even if the tootsies were screaming out for heat.

I don’t think there are many better tranquil experiences than an early morning start at the canal on a beautiful winter’s day.

Ttfn, Skipsea gnome!

First of all let’s picture the scene.

A log cabin two metres from a lakeside in the middle of the Yorkshire dales, total tranquillity reigns.

The lake is natural and is surrounded right down to the water’s edge by mature oak and willow trees. Lilly pads around all the margins and plenty of bulrushes add to its beauty.

The depth of the water in front of the cabin is about one metre deep one metre out, falling sharply to four metres deep three metres out. The lake contains bream, tench & carp (to 30 lbs +), roach, rudd & perch (to over 4lbs) and pike. Big pike. And for the next week this log cabin will be my mine (and the wife’s!).

Onto the downfall of the lazy pike.

Saturday evening started off with a nice relaxing session of float fishing. I was using a Leda assassin 11 rod and Okuma interceptor 40 reel loaded with 3lbs bayer line, fishing just over depth at 4 m with a 4 bb waggler. At the end of the line was a size 14 hook with a  juicy redworm as bait (the skipsea gnome never uses maggots,but that’s another story). The session went from strength to strength as I regularly pulled in small roach, perch and some nice bream (all under 3lb). After bringing each fish into the landing net, unhooking them and releasing them back to their freedom, there would be an occasional swirl, and despite the size of the swirl (I would certainly describe it as “large”) there was nothing to be seen.

Throughout the week the “large” swirl would happen many times and still I could not catch a glimpse of what was the cause of this (despite wearing my Scierra Polaroid glasses).

Then THE day arrived – Thursday; I was up with the lark, about 6 o’clock, sat next to my log cabin, hot coffee in hand, bleary eyed from some magnificent scotch whisky the night before. I was still using the same tackle as before with the exception of changing the hook for a size 16. Again I was reeling in the small roach and after popping one back into the water there was another large swirl and try as I might to catch a glimpse, still this intruder evaded my gaze.

About 8 o’clock the wife came to the bedroom window (which was directly behind where I was sat) to ask if I needed another caffeine injection (which I did), as I stood up I glanced down into the water and for the first time all week I could see it – laying close to where I was fishing was a pike that looked to be about 20lb. This particular pike must have been having a field day next to me as I had been returning the small fish back “to freedom” only for them to be getting released right next to this large predator (cheers Skipsea Gnome!).

I pointed it out to my missus; who remarked – “let’s see you catch it then”.

The challenge was set, the gauntlet thrown down – and for a split second I contemplated jumping in and grabbing the thing! Instead I grabbed my Fladen carp rod from behind me, the Shimano gtec reel was loaded with ten pound line, I tied on a wire trace with a single size 6 barbless treble hook – great, now all I needed was some live bait.

Casting out the float rod (still set up beside me), I immediately caught a small perch about 2ozs (the poor fella was to become my ticket to catching the lazy pike). I lip hooked this onto my treble hook on the carp rod and dropped the fish in the edge. Again there was the large swirl as the lazy pike thought it was getting yet another “free” meal – but not this time – with a firm strike, another frenzied swirl and me bracing myself, it was game on.

Well for a fish that had spent all week being almost spoon fed and showing very little activity, my “lazy pike” took off across the lake like a torpedo, diving deep as it went – “so much for lazy” I thought. As “torpedo” pike continued its journey I shouted down the lake to a couple of the other fishermen who I had built up a friendship with throughout the week that I had a “big pike” on. They dashed around (well hobbled around as fast as they could muster, after all they were in their late 60’s!) to watch the events unfold.

“Torpedo” pike then surfaced right in the centre of the lake, firstly running off to the right as I fought to keep control of the it, whilst simultaneously trying to make sure the line wouldn’t snap by adjusting the clutch none stop, then running off to the left in a wide ark, using all its skill and survival instincts to free itself. All the while the pike remained on the surface and I was applying as much pressure as I could muster with the rod (now bent over at a 90 degree angle) – thank goodness for my caffeine injection as I would be needing it.

After realising that he wasn’t going to out-muscle me, “lazy” pike now decided to become “tactical” pike and headed in toward the tree overhanging the banking to my left. The tree was a big old willow tree, half submerged in the water, “tactical” pike could sense victory and as it was swimming faster than I could reel in (to keep the pressure on) it made it to the roots of the tree and at that point everything went solid.

Now every pike fisherman knows that the last thing you want to happen with a pike is for it to get to the roots, reeds or weeds. You know that once your pike has made it to one of these places the chances of successfully landing the creature have reduced significantly.

Firstly I decided to try brute force and after heaving and pulling in different directions nothing would budge, so I decided to go tactical as well, letting everything go slack to see if “tactical smug” pike would come out of his own accord . After waiting for about 10 minutes it became obvious that this “lazy” pike who had spent the last few days at an aquatic equivalent of McDonalds (fast food, not farm) was not coming out, obviously satisfied that it had won the battle.

Barry, (one of the seniors) decided to go into the bush with the landing net and poke about in the water hoping this might scare “lazy” pike from its place of safety. As he got well down into the bottom of the bush he gave out an almighty scream – “Something’s bloody bit me!!” – shaken (but still stirring!) he continued to move the net around in the water, seconds later another scream (slightly too high pitched for a man of his age) – “It’s a bloody duck!!!” The savage beastie turned out to be a mother mallard with chicks in the nest and (as Barry’s leg was proving) she wasn’t too pleased about being disturbed!

Thankfully, Barry’s plan (and pain!) hadn’t all been in vain and after all the commotion in the bush – out came “slightly less smug” lazy pike. Another 10 minutes of “play” – this time managing to avoid, tree roots and bushes – the fish was on its side, having accepted defeat and was in the landing net and on the bank.

Fortunately the hook dropped out of its mouth meaning no risk of losing a finger and after a couple of photo’s we popped it on the scales – 18lbs, what a beauty! It had taken 55 minutes to catch this magnificent fish and it had been well worth the fight – at this stage even Barry’s throbbing leg had been forgotten about.

Happy with the events of the morning I returned “lazy” pike to the water and in its own casual style the fish just slowly swam off as if nothing had ever happened.

The Skipsea Gnome     xxx.