River Dove - 10/03/2011

What was meant to be a pike trip turned into a double-header on the Dove. Drove down to a club water near Rugeley for first light to find it more reminiscent of an inland sea. Waves were rolling down the lake that I could have surfed on (well, my 11-year old son possibly could have!). With it being quite shallow, the wind action had stirred up the bottom and turned the whole lake a nice shade of chocolate brown. Couldn't see any point in casting my (expensive!) deadbaits into that soup, so got back onto the A38 and was in the carpark at Tutbury just after 7 am. Wind hadn't abated at all since yesterday, in fact it was probably stronger. Struggled across the field with rods and landing net waving around all over the place. Swim was just about fishable, so dropped in some chopped worm and maggot and set to work. Was amazed to see the float disappear first trot down and even more amazed to feel a perch on the end. Got the fish in, did the honours with the scales and found it just scraped over the two pound mark at 2lb 2oz. Result! Now for the rest of them!

At last!

Unfortunately, the fish had other ideas and I didn't have another indication for two and a half hours. Whilst I'd arranged to meet my friend Tim at the venue later, I didn't really fancy being battered by the wind all day, so went back to the car for breakfast and to formulate a game plan. Two bacon sandwiches and two mugs of tea later I was back up the A50 to drop off any non-essential tackle, re-stock on bait and re-charge the camera, which had died in the cold. A little after 3pm I was back again. No sign of Tim, so walked over to the river. Chap was pike fishing downstream, but well away, so slid into the same spot. Had spent a biteless couple of hours when the chap came over and introduced himself as Andrew and we had a chat about perch and pike fishing. He'd literally just gone back to his swim when the float bobbed under the surface and held there. "I know what this is", I said to myself. Wound down to feel a lump on the end that grudgingly allowed itself to be pulled from under the bush. Half an hour of dogged resistance followed where the fish just refused to get its head up and shot off every time it saw me or the net. Thought it was going to be my "old friend" again, but when it did eventually roll into the net it turned out to be a nicely marked pike of 9lb 15oz. Another one with a taste for lobworms.

Not a perch!

After the protracted fight and having to sort out tackle, I was left with about 10 minutes of fishing time before it got too dark to see the float. I wasn't really expecting anything else and so it turned out. Don't know what happened to Tim, but had another long chat with Andrew before once again adjourning to Hatton Fish Bar!