Des Taylor’s
Diary of a Countryman
REMEMBER when I wrote a few weeks ago that if you see big flocks of fieldfares and redwings in December there’s a good chance a bad winter is on the way? Well, here in the Midlands we have seen the worst weather with snow and ice for many a year. It’s so easy to use the weather as an excuse not to go fishing, but me and my mates are out there and still catching the odd fish or three…
THURSDAY
A phone call from Steve Greenway! The river was looking good and there was a window of good weather on its way that would see us catch a few pike.
Before I’d put the phone down I was heading to the tackle room to get the pike gear ready and sort the deadbaits out.
Next morning we were on our way in the dark and casting out at dawn. It was a lovely winter’s morning and we both agreed that we just had to catch pike today.
Unfortunately, as we set up Steve spotted the tracks of an otter. Now I know anglers who do not want to believe there are otters everywhere might say these were the tracks of mink, badger, fox or dog, but sorry, they were 100 per cent otter tracks. For the next three hours we never had a touch.
We were fishing a swim from which Steve has had numerous twenties in the past with lots of back-up fish and never a blank, but that was now three sessions there without a run. Despondent to say the least, we headed to another of Steve’s banker swims, but a couple of pleasure anglers were there fishing for barbel and chub so we left them to it.
So now it was a move to another area with another fair walk, but it was worth it! First cast I had a 16-pounder, soon followed by an 18 and then a 12. Steve was struggling but another swim move produced a 12 and a 14 in double quick time. As I landed the 14 for Steve, a fish of well over 20lb followed the smaller one in. The big fish did not attack the smaller double, but it was half interested, I can tell you!
Steve is an excellent piker and said: “I’ll have her later on a big herring!” Sure enough, it went quiet for an hour and then right on dark Steve had the run from the big ’un. In a few weeks it will weigh over 25lb, but this time it went 24lb 10oz and was in mint condition. Top angling Steve!
It’s so easy to read Angling Times when the trout reservoirs are open and think that pike over 20lb are commonplace. Believe me, away from these waters, and especially on a river, a mid-twenty is still a very rare fish indeed.
MONDAY
After two days of snow the weather was perfect for a photo of a ‘snow carp’, but after my mate Ray Cutler and I had made the effort to get out of bed early and travel to the pool, we were dismayed to find a frozen lake. This was a great shame, as the countryside looked wonderful.
Later that day I had a phone call from Steve Greenway who told me there was a water close to him that was partially clear of ice, and that we’d have a good chance of a pike in the snow. Snow pike are not as rare as snow carp, but I still wanted a photo of a fish, no matter what the species or the size!
I hastily removed the carp gear from the car and replaced it with pike kit. My hands were killing me in -6ºC.
I called Steve to tell him there was no way the water would be clear tomorrow and he promised to get down to the lake at 7.30am and ring me. Deal!
TUESDAY
Fast asleep, dreaming of pike and Carol Kirkwood when the phone rang. It was Steve to say a third of the lake was still ice-free. It had to be worth a shot. Anyway, I hadn’t the heart to say I fancied it like a kick in the head so reluctantly I donned my thermals and drove the 40 minutes to the lake.
The roads were very bad and I was constantly asking myself what a 66-year-old bloke was doing at this time of the morning in -10ºC. Oh well, I was feeling alive, that was for sure!
When I arrived, Steve told me the lake was ‘closing up’ and by the time we cast in there was only a few feet of water open. It was not looking good, but almost
unbelievably, five minutes after casting out two baits each, one of Steve’s was away. A snow pike of about 6lb! Size didn’t matter. All that mattered was that it was a snow pike. Soon after returning that fish, my ‘Billy Biter’ dropped off, line peeled away and I was also into a fish – a little smaller, but again it was a snow pike.
Photos taken, Steve cooked up one of his famous breakfasts which included a piece of proper Black Country pig’s pudding. What a day!
By the time we had eaten we noticed that our swims had completely frozen up and we made the decision to throw bricks in to break the ice around our mainlines, reel them in and clear off home. It had become impossible even for two old nutters like us. But we had a great day and something to talk about to the grandkids on a winter’s night in years to come.