After so much anticipation, I guess it was always doomed to end in disappointment.
I managed to get out for my first proper pike session in ages on my new local river – the mighty Wye.
Home to pike of genuinely leviathan proportions, with fish approaching 40 pounds in weight, the Wye is certainly a mouth-watering prospect for anyone interested in pike fishing and indeed many other aspects of coarse and game angling.
But my inaugural Wye piking trip resulted in nothing in the way of pike related action. In fact the river, despite seemingly good conditions, was very quiet.
I found some wonderful slacks and eddies away from the main, relentless flow and yet the various tasty dead baits I offered up remained untroubled by old esox.
Of course I’m under no illusions that such an untamed and unforgiving, wild old river would give up even a modest pike easily. All rivers and their inhabitants are unpredictable and contrary by nature. But I know they’re in there! And I can’t wait to get back.
Mean, moody and magnificent; the Wye at dusk. Spot the pike float...
I’ve been painting tench recently. Another species I’ve not had the opportunity to fish for properly in recent years.
Tench sketches using mixed media
Tench over gravel. Mixed media.
Ah the wonderful, infuriating Wye… With snow and salt in the water at the moment the pike have got their heads down so don’t be too disappointed. They’ll be back on the feed at the end of the week, hopefully you can get out then – look forward to reading about it.
Thanks for the kind words Brian. It did seem strange as the river looked ‘sock-on’ but with snow and salt making their way into the river, it’s not surprising it was hard going.
I’m not sure when I’ll get the opportunity to get back, but hopefully I’ll get one or two trips in before the end of the season.
Tight lines mate. Ben.