Gotcha..! A pike at long last

I haven't fished this bit of the drain before and the first few casts see the lure weeded. There most be three or four feet of the stuff growing up off the bottom, as well as great patches of cabbages where the lillies never quite made it to the top.

It takes a couple of swims to suss out I can fish a Shad Rap over the top of it, tapping it down a couple of feet, then pausing to let it rise slightly before the next twitch and a couple of turns on the reel handle. I can see the lure flash and turn under the surface three quarters of the way across.

I get quite immersed in this, watching how the lure responds to different movements of the rod. I can even see why people like doing this. Then there's a swirl behind the lure and I see a shape launch itself at Mr Rapala. Up comes the rod and I've got one.

Into the net it goes. I drop it on the mat and snick the hook out of its light scissors hold with my fingers. A quick snap for posterity and back goes pike number one of 2012/13 - all three pounds of it. Mustn't grumble though.

I can't remember when the last time I caught one was, off the top of my head. But it feels like  long, long time as I watch the little pike swim off to become a twenty.

+++Monster pike in village pond mystery solved - click here.