The curse of the guide

My first fish of 2015 at 20lb 3oz!

Hi guys....

After a few weeks of crap weather, crap health and being stupidly busy.....it felt like time to wet a line. Only trouble was that the session I had penciled in the diary with Joel had to be canceled due to bad weather and my inability to move my car because of a light pasting of the white stuff on my hill at home. The snow renders our road totally impassable with just millimeters of the stuff covering our 45 degree hill, thus making it like a skating rink with a stone wall to stop those stupid enough to consider driving on it!

Anyway, by mid-afternoon last Sunday it had cleared and I was due to help my mother-in-law move house on the Tuesday. So I decided to get an early start and popped down to see my mother and step father for the night first. It was great to catch up as I only get to see them once or twice a year at most. I then set off to my mother-in-laws on Monday morning and spent the next 3 days lugging tons of furniture and plants between Lymington and Salisbury in a clapped out old van! Great fun!

On my return I released I was totally exhausted and ached from head to toe. This made any thoughts of hitting the bank between then and Saturday almost impossible. Now, Mathew had been badgering me about taking him piking on the River Wye for ages and after I'd had to let him down the week prior due to a double booking him, I felt it was time I paid my dues and got him his pike.

A stunning fish in so many ways......very pleased with my 4th twenty pound plus fish from the River Wye!

We set off around 8am on the Sunday and after picking Mathew up, we ventured up to a great little spot I've had much success from in the past. In fact the spot that Joel had his 20lb 2oz fish from on New Years day. I put Mathew in the same swim and dropped below myself as I was not officially guiding on that day, I never fish with clients unless it's a a day out with a mate. I'd got great hopes for Mathews rods which were bang on the money and right in the firing line for all the usual suspects that inhabit that particular swim.

It took a few hours before the first piece of action was had. And you've guessed it....not on his rods either. Typical that it was my right hand rod that started to twitch around. I got over to the rod and let off a little line before pausing a few seconds and then setting the hooks home. A solid resistance was met and a good first run bent my Infinity rod double! The fish made a couple of powerful runs before finally giving up and rolling into the net. I think Mathew thought it was a low double to start with and it wasn't until he went to lift it that he realized it was a bit bigger than he thought!

On the scales she went 20lb 3oz and after closer inspection of the pictures it became apparent that it was the same fish Joel had taken at New Year. A great fish in wonderful winter fettle. Just sods law that it fell to my rods and not Mathews! Typical or what? Never mind at least he got to see what a proper croc looks like! Might have a few days carping in Ross next week if it's not too cold. In the mean time there is lots of rolling to be done for clients including my first European order!

Tight lines all
K x