Pike Fishing, River Rother, Iden Lock

About time Mr Pike!!!

River Rother, Iden lock, East Sussex. UK

roach dead bait

This trip was important to me for many reasons. firstly, a chance to catch a pike, not just any pike but my first of the season. Secondly I would be accompanied by my fishing senior and mentor, Dad. And thirdly the venue held a special place in my heart, because it had produced some prolific pike fishing for us in the past.

We arrived at our mark at 8.00am, although it was early the sun was out with a few clouds and with a gentle breeze was a lot warmer than we expected, The river was pushing through gently and looked perfect, which made a nice change to some previous visits to the river when it was raging like Niagara falls making the 2 hour drive pointless. Ironically we both decided to fish the same way, father like son, each putting out a dead bait on float and lure fishing with a spinner rod. My father opted to use herring and was working the far bank along a reed bed, whilst I was casting with all my might and just about able to reach the mouth of a lock further to the right using float ledgered roach dead bait.

Ledger float rig

An hour had pasted, no runs or takes, but it had become clear that a very large snag in the middle of the river was making lure fishing very difficult, so it was time for a tea and a think. I decided to leave my float out in the mouth of the lock as I thought that many fish would venture into the lock to get out of the main current of the river for a rest. I took the spinning rod about 30m downstream using plugs and spoons. I had about 20 casts and then I notice my float move a meter towards the far bank, I ran! the float then stopped, I continued running and as I watched it started moving the other way, this time with speed, I reached the rod just as the float disappeared under the surface, I immediately struck. 

10lb pike, first of the season

It was fish on! I was concerned about the big snag in the middle of the river, so I played the fish hard trying to keep it up in the water to avoid the snag, and surprisingly it came quite effortless across the river and over the snag, at this point I remember saying to my Dad "its only a small one". But then it surfaced, it was a lot bigger than I thought, not a monster but a very nice surprise! And more importantly my first pike this season and ended a 8 pike session blank.

lure of the day

The next few hour were very quite with no runs for either of us, the river had stopped moving and without the bow in our lines going around the snag we had both caught the snag, but this time we won! with two rods we was able to land it, It was a tree branch! about 11" long and as thick as a human leg, with about 5 other smaller branches coming off it! It was decorated with a assortment of lures and rigs, which my dad helped himself to.

Bonus jack

 I moved over to the other side of the river for a few hours but after being plagued by a mink, that kept taking my popped up roach on a leger, and how I didn't hook the furry bugger is a mystery. I decided to pack up the rods and gear, putting it away in the van. I took a slow walk down the river spinning for pike for the last hour of daylight, which had me hook and land my second pike of the season. a 2 lb jack pike taken on a small silver spinner. Although I've known a lot of pike to come out of this venue, it didn't today, but still produced the goods for me. I couldn't of asked for more, well maybe one for my dad, next time!