12/01/2012 - River Soar

Managed to put enough flexi-time together to have a morning off, so headed to a deep, navigable section of the Soar reputed to be a holding area for pike in the winter. Amazed myself by actually getting up when the alarm clock said so and getting to the venue well before first light. Twenty years ago that sort of thing wouldn't have been any problem at all - Tim and I used to religiously drive over to Lincolnshire most weekends to fish the drains around Spalding, leaving Nottingham in the pitch black at stupid o'clock in the morning. Things were so much easier then! No kids, loads of free time, understanding partners......Anyway, at the venue I tackled up in the gloom and plumbed the depth - 10 feet in the margins and about 13 feet in the channel. Baited up the margin rod with a joey and dropped it in the side.

Barges

Was trying to put the line in the drop-off clip, but it kept falling back. Happened a couple of times before I realised that I'd already got a fish on. Doh! Soon had a pike about 9lb in the net and it wasn't even fully light. Must have dropped the bait right on its nose. I try not to build up my hopes up when this sort of thing happens, but if I'd had any expectation that I was going to bag up from this point it was dashed by the following fishless two hours, which was punctuated by some squally showers that sent me running back to the car for a waterproof. Kept busy by leapfrogging the rods downstream, one in the middle and one down the side. It was the float out in the channel that eventually headed off towards Kegworth, resulting in a fat 7lber that had taken a small herring.

Fatty

Had one further take on the margin rod another hour later, again a 6-7 lber, this time on a roach. Packed up about mid-day. Although it had brightened up, the wind had switched around and was blowing almost directly upstream, putting quite a chop on the river. Had a very red face when I got home!