August 2010 ~ Bikers World

A truly spectacular pike lured from the River Thames. Just another half a pound and Rhys would have had his "20"! This fish was thin and will surely put on 4-5lbs later in the season. Hooked at a confluence, in a text book ambush point, the pike chased the large lure across the river in the crystal clear water before engulfing it close to the side of the boat. Needless to say the fisherman in question nearly suffered from a heart attack!

Beautiful sunset over Frensham Great pond. with the traps set hopes were high for one of the lakes much sort after carp!

A superbly brightly coloured Broads pike caught by flicking lures.

2nd time lucky! I watched this fish shadow my jitterbug from down below before it turned and made off back to it's weedly hideout. However, the spluttering pop of the surface lure couldn't be left alone and on the next cast the fish hit it hard with a flurry of white water!

A selection of likely looking candidates for a Pike's lunch.

Although rather sweet and fluffy the bain of my life while fishing for carp at Frensham Great Pond. These seven cygnets seemed to have a sixth sense whether i was by the water or not. At least my prebait didn't go to waste!

A fine specimen that decided to give me an early alarm call at around 2.00am. A dead mackeral did the buisness and a superb fight ensued; surely one of the hardest fighting pike i've had the good fortune to land in a while. The hardest part was coaxing Rhys from within his tent at this early hour to snap a shot of this fine fish!

A small one caught soon after I had lost the monster of the trip!

It was 6.00am, June 16 and our first session on the broads. A chug bug crawls across a large bend of the wide river, occasionally emitting a splash; a swirl behing it and Rhys raises the alarm. I turn to see a bow wave and a large lunge directed at the little lure: nothing connects and Rhys keeps his nerve and continues to wind the little black and red bug towards the boat! Third attack, the rod bends, the drag screams and the season is declared open. Of course we can't stop grinning like a pair of idiots!