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A Winters Day In Norfolk by twitcher
Well the winter soon comes upon us and the smell of sweet carp baits and liquid flavours like from some childhood sweat shop fades, all because the time of year I love has arrived, winter pike time.
It’s off to the tackle shop for some lovely smelling Herring or some minging mackerel or maybe a pack of smelly smelt!! All good stuff in the pike world, a perfect free meal laying on the bed of a Norfolk Broads, all ready for that passing big lady.
Time for some homework then, getting the rods out and reels set up with fresh braid, I spend a few evenings in front of the TV watching Matt Hayes and Mick Brown fishing programmes whilst twiddle stick in hand.
Twisting my fresh sharp new Kamasan size 4 semi barbed hooks onto Drennan green 7-strand nylon coated hooklink.
Four rods to set up for the boat so with my Premier No 3 slider pike floats and pinching on 2 or 3 shot for a little resistance, I try to get the biggest one I can buy mind, normally 3ssg’s, the rigs are simple but geared up for deadbaiting from a boat.
The night before the first trip out, I check and double check then check again!! I want to get everything right and nothing must be forgotten, bait check, net check, scales check it’s all on board for the 5.30 start.
I don’t know what it is about fishing, but an early start means no sleep for me the night before, is it just anticipation or is it just the buzz from this great sport? and even after 30 odd years that feeling never dies.
Morning comes round and the flask is done, bait out of the freezer, a cup of tea down my neck and its off to the water. I have a boat already in place, so it’s just a bale out job from rainwater and the gear goes in for the day ahead.
This is a ten min job, all the gear in and ready for the day ahead as I head out on the broad in the dark with the spooking of the seagulls, ducks and coots them displacing them from there night time quarters, I find a spot to set the rods up and bait up the trebles.
Once ready with net out, forceps and unhooking mat all in place I move to the first fishing spot where I “anchor up” mud weights down and ready for the fish.
Baits cast as far away from the boat also as spread out as possible, to give myself a maximum chance of a take.
I try to put different deadbaits on every rig to give myself a good chance of a take, but once I get a fish I may well change to two baits types only on four rods, but you just have to see what happens and see what you get the most runs off, so rods into the boat rod holders and a cuppa tea in order, also a wait.
Well the thing with Norfolk is, “its History” with Pike and Pike fishing and Pike anglers, just sitting out in a boat with baits in the water is enough for me some days and the not knowing of what the next run brings.
Also who’s fished here before it could have been Pye, Harper, Watson, Flickling the history is something you have to breath in and feel.
I always feel very happy about being in Norfolk the reed lined waters the quiet mornings and the wildlife and like I have said before, just the being there is enough most days.
After a 25 min wait the Shimano bait runner (that’s set at the lightest free baitrunning setting) starts to tick away!! The responsive braid mainline working a treat, I check that float for movement, its away bobbing and sliding off to the left. When you are fishing with dead baits, hook spacing and dead bait size is key to when you lean into your fish.
On this run I had a whole mackerel on, the bottom hook was half way down the deadbaits body, so I keep in touch via the line and my fingers, leave for 20 seconds then lean in!! Fish on fish on!! My heart racing, this is what its all about it feels natural to me.
Rear drag set spot on, ready for them quick hard lunges and at this stage the fish not seen, a few good lunges, rod tip banging you have to always play the fish out in the water, if not its just going to jump around the boat.
After some good bursts of power and a lot of head shaking the fish is out of fight and I decide to hand it into the boat, the colours look fantastic this green coloured predator with cream spotty dots and flecks and a pure white belly, these fish look awesome.
Vision from the eyes down the sights of a gun to hit the smallest of targets and the vibration detection sensors around the head and body through the lateral line with an added sense of smell, then the power from the tail to pounce!! plus not forgetting the non forgiving teeth for any fish, this has to be the king of fresh water predators and for me true Norfolk Tigers.
It’s nice when the hooks are in the right place and not too deep and after unhooking the fish on the mat it is put in the wet sling and weighed a lovely 14lb pike a good start with a double.
Next I hold the fish in the water until ready, then away she goes to fight another day, fresh bait on and re-cast.
I always chop the old baits up and scatter them out of the boat for attraction as the oil and juice seeps out and I really believe it helps pulling fish into different areas.
I like to fish move fish then move I feel is key to catching more pike and has done the trick for me most trips in the past, no longer than 60 mins in a swim with four rods out, if you are going to get a take (if the fish are feeding) you will get a take within this time.
Well a look around the broad and the sky looks big and like a big painting that some top artist has spent ten years to paint, its breathtaking, but not hear it’s instant pure Norfolk beauty but no canvas needed.
After two moves with no action I have another pick up! Braid ticking off the reel and the float moving in circles with a small Lamprey section on I ain’t going to leave it to long at all, again in touch via my fingers on the line I wind two turns and lean into a dead weight and know this is a better fish, its funny that heart pounding feeling comes back and its all about now.
This feels a better lump for sure the lunges are powerful from all that tail force with one flick this fish moves ten metres amazing power but I want to win this battle, gaining braid back on the spool. I want to see it’s head I want to see want have I’ve got on!! Another lunge away from the boat and I still cannot get her to the service I don’t want to give her loads the fight and the playing of this fish is the sport and its fantastic.
But this cannot be rushed it takes time, yet another burst of power and she battles away.
Net at the ready and I turn her gliding to the top it’s a twenty a good twenty this is what I have come for, a smile but its not boated yet I check the drag again and again adjusting for that last serge away, it didn’t happen a short dive then she’s turned again. Back on the service I can see her belly she’s plump she’s a lump and the head looks big, a last ditch head shake and its over she gentle slides over the net, “she mine” I cry!!
Lifted into the boat and this fantastic fish lay looking washed up but still stooped in the art of killing a killing machine. I pull the net away from the fish and cut my mainline so I only have the unhooking to worry about my hand sliding up the v under the jaw bone pulling the head back so the mouth opens to display an army of teeth masses of all shapes and sizes.
My hookbait is just inside the mouth so an easy unhooking with the forceps and as I lay her down and look for the wet sling and scales, I zero up before she goes in.
She lay on the boat floor on the mat light a well behaved dog but I pick her up slip her into the sling hook the scales on and lift, with the scale needle bouncing I hold them tight and wait for them to settle, arms a little shaky its nudging between 26lb08oz to 26lb10oz so I go middle at 26lb09oz.
Beam on my face a fish any pike angler would be proud of, and I truly am, not a mark on her like a new penny.
Photo shoot, the trophy shot, we all pose for are CV of our fishing life and with digital cameras It couldn’t be made more easy. With my camera set up on the boat with a protective water proof cover I have already mapped out where I should be in the boat for the photos five or six shots with a remote and jobs a good one.
Time for the return I hand lift her supporting her white belly but this all get lost once in the water and her back showing. She is now a hidden machine with markings that would lose her anywhere in this big vast water system colours only nature could produce, she is getting her energy back as I hold the tail root and cradle her belly rocking her gently a few minutes more and slowly she starts to leave me.
Out of my hands she gentle vanishes into the murky water will we meet again one day on the broad I hope so, after two or three more moves the day didn’t produce nothing more than a small jack of about 6lb. It didn’t matter to me my day was perfect in everyway and I head back with a blaze of sunset to make any man look in amazement and I want to be back again before this day is done, but for now I can head home to a shower, good meal and a beer and reflect on a wonderful day on the Norfolk Broads.
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