One stretch in particular seems to be producing good nets of roach, so this might be the bit to start on for the first few hours at least. I know the swims which did a few pike at the start of last autumn, while I was twiddling my thumbs on a different stretch a couple of miles away.
This was because I headed for the areas where bream were shoaled up. On one of the feeder rivers bream shoals were the key to finding the bigger pike a few winters back. This time around I'm going to steer clear of the bream areas and concentrate on fishing where people are catching roach.
One or two drains elsewhere in the system look a good bet. The main reason for this is they're not covered in azolla because they've been running them off. The water's high but clear, meaning there's a lot more weed in them. One of my favourite areas is barely fishable, but the growth's sparser on others.
You can fish in a fair bit of weed as long as you float fish and let the baits sit once you've tightened up to the lead.
There's also that new water, with as-yet unknown potential. So one way and another, it's back to the usual dilemma of where to make a start. Early days, so no big drama if I end up giving two or three waters a quick hit tomorrow.
I'll also have a lure rod with me. If I had any sense I'd probably leave the bait rods at home and go for a wander with lures. But bait fishing's my comfort zone, despite my ambition to catch my first twenty on a lure this season.
Just going pike fishing again feels good, as I pack my kit; checking and double-checking I haven't forgotten some essential item or other. This is it. So stay tune between now and March 14, because who knows what's going to happen out there in the big bayou this winter.
+++Click here for a review of last season's pike fishing in the Fens.
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