Predators Part Four. River Avon.

 For over a month I was keenly watching the days flash by as today approached which would mark the start of the Pike season on the remaining rivers throughout England, my opening day was spent on the Royalty like last year, I was heading down to Christchurch with the knowledge of what happened in the eve of that session when I caught my personal best of 19.5 and hoped that I would go one better with the capture of a twenty pounder.

A summer's morning in October.

 I arrived at first knocking's hoping to get a couple of Pike under my belt before the hoards of like minded Pike anglers arrived and it proved a good shout as within 10 minutes I had my first rap on my Rapala X-rap Minnow, a dour fight ended quickly as an 8.2 Pike was reviving in the net, the very next cast I had a small jack of no more than 2lb, good fun but not the size I wanted. After the second I felt a move would be good and it proved to be as a 5.11 jack was also taken on the hard body, yet the dead bait was totally neglected, it was obvious that moving baits were the key to success, but the bright sunlight and the masses of silvers everywhere contributed to a tough days fishing, pinning down the good Pike was not easy and through-out the day I didn't see any Esox larger than 12-13lb.

8.2 biggest of the day, plenty of damage to the tail.

A water's meet 5lber.

Lure nearly half the size of this little terror.

 Later on in the day I did manage another Pike of 7lb and a smaller one around the 5lb mark which both coincidentally fought much better than the 8lb fish in the morning, plus I did also foul hook another Pike of about 7lb or so under the chin, I think initially it was properly hooked but came out. Dusk was fast approaching and I got myself into a likely looking spot and waited it out for that magic moment to arrive, waited and waited some more but as 8pm came I had no choice but to square everything away and head back to London, 6 Pike to 8.2 isn't a bad return for a hard days angling but I would have loved at least a double and would have been ecstatic with a twenty but neither materialized, I do believe so many factors contributed to not catching more fish but a few cold snaps will get them feeding. Back to the Perch and the search for a 3 is on.