Reservoir Pike Part One.

 With my Pike challenge well and truly under way, I decided it was high time that I attempted some reservoirs in my search target species, my search today bought me to North London which for me was only a short journey to the other side of the Thames by tube, the morning rush-hour chaos was what I wanted to avoid but on this occasion I didn't get that opportunity, so I crammed myself on-board, neatly packed like a tin of sardines and off to Tottenham I went.

 I arrived at the fishery to meet my recent piking partner Brian the creator of "Jack's Pike", who was to join me at attempting to bank one of the not so famous Walthamstow Pike, the fishery is vast and houses just under a dozen reservoirs in total, a massive amount of water to find a couple of feeding Pike, the odds of catching were very slim but we gave it a good go anyway, we both started using dead-baits and lures in search of them and we spent over 5 hours of unsuccessful hunting, but we were buoyed by the fact I spotted three Pike in different swims but they weren't feeding, in one of the swims though I did spot a couple of shapes on the bottom so as the Esox weren't biting in that particular swim I thought of changing one rod to a trotting set-up and baited it with bread, the first couple of casts didn't raise any interest but the third cast down and the float buried itself and I was in.

This is just one of them and just over half way up.

 My initial thought was Chub but after 20 seconds it was very uncharacteristic fight for a skelly and it wasn't long before I saw the culprit..........a Rainbow Trout !!, my gosh I have had some surprises in angling but this one has topped it I think, after a very stout fight on pretty heavy gear, a Trout laid in the net resting, fishing never ceases to amaze as to what might come next.

My PB Rainbow, photography by Brian.

 Not to mention it was a Personal Best Rainbow Trout too, I was chuffed to bits as it was one I had no idea I would be breaking any time soon. 3lbs 2oz. Get in!

 That was exciting and it wasn't even a Pike, I kept it in the net to revive it, so Brian could have a look and prepare it to go back and live another day as: one I hadn't paid to fish and take the Trout and second was the fact that I will always release fish unless there is a strict keep what you catch policy, regardless of how nice it may taste for supper. After that strange event we paired up and started fishing adjacent swims to work the best out of each one and we didn't get another sign of life until an hour before dusk.

 I had 1 rod out with a dead Roach fished against the wall and was lure fishing with the other, I was plugging away with my Rapala's for around 15 mins or so and as I finished a retrieve I looked down at my dead-bait rod and couldn't find the float, then I looked hard into the water to see it being held under about a foot, so I wound down and after all our endeavour I had one on, a good sized Esox too, she powered down into the deep water and up to my left for a couple of minutes when she surrendered, a very short scrap so I knew what was coming next and it happened, I got constantly slapped up on the bank whilst Brian tried to unhook her and throughout it's photo shoot too, crazy cow. Brian followed with some cracking photography.

What a peach, perfectly formed but had teeth marks in it's back....possibly food for granddad. 

 Another double of 10lbs 11ozs, she looks a lot larger because of her length but she was very lean but it was the best marked and coloured Pike I've ever banked although that's not many it's improving all the time. Another venue another target fish claimed, I hope this purple patch continues, just like Arsenal's season, as I finish this we just won 2-0 against Hull City, thanks to Ozil and Bendtner??, funny character. Tight Lines All.

Sunset over Walthamstow and London town.