I'd had the date booked in my diary for months. . . . .

I'm not the best forward planner in the world but I was pleased with my efforts. I'd been working hard on the house in readiness for our new baby due in late December. The missus had allowed me the time off for good behaviour, and my holiday from the day job had been booked well in advance.

I was set. All ready to fish the PIKE FLY FISHING EVENT - The Fenland Flyer on the river Delph / Bedford at Welney in Cambridgeshire on the 1st of November.  

I started to prepare the letter and my cheque for entry to the PFFA and I noticed the date of the competition. . . . .

8th November

8th???

This couldn't be!!!

I had the wrong weekend!!! Disaster!!

It was too late to change my plans now so there was only one thing for it. Go Fishing anyway!

On thursday I packed my trusty PIKESABER and a  small bag and made my way from Bristol to Derby where I would be welcomed by Greg and his family, to stay for four days and do some pike fly fishing, and get well fed and watered by Gregs lovely wife Kymm. Proper mans dinners!

As you are probably aware, the weather was terrible on the weekend of the 1st November, and the week running up to it was worse. We spent most of thursday tying pike flies, testing new designs and moaning. (Well actually I did a lot of moaning, Greg was still able to fish the competition, the Jammy Sod!).

On friday afternoon the weather cleared and we made our way to a local water for some pike fly fishing. We had tied up some new pike fly designs as I mentioned before, and Greg wanted to test them ahead of the competion (that I couldn't go to). I just wanted to catch some fish!

On the first day I blanked, I had a follow from a large pike but it saw me, spat it's dummy out and then skulked off.

Greg had 3. The biggest of which was about 7 lb. I qusetioned my methods, blamed the weather, blamed the flies, blamed everything. All I knew was I had fished hard, so it DEFINATELY wasn't me. . . . .

I had been fishing with a sinking line on the bottom with a booby pattern. Greg was fishing mid water with a floating line and heavy fly. It was obviously the way to fish on that day. I had picked the wrong method and become slave to it. I find myself doing this a lot. In short I had fished hard, but I had fished like an idiot.

Saturday came and we went back out to the same water. The weather was terrible, colder and wetter than the previous day but with bursting gales that made casting almost impossible. We both struggled to stand up, never mind put a line out. We persevered, fishing the margins with no success.

We headed off back home, cold and wet but not disheartened. We had given it best, but this time the weather was definately to blame.

On the sunday the plan was to fish Blithfield Reservoir, We had booked but it was so wet and windy that we had to cancel. Another ruined plan! We had been up since 6am, and sat around the kitchen table drinking tea and eating sausage and egg sandwiches that Kymm made for us. This made up for the lack of fishing, but only just!

Gregs mate Scalesy ( good fishing name!) had joined us and was desperate to get out and fish. He was prepared to get soaked, and being new to Pike Fly Fishing was full of desperation to catch his first pike on the fly. 

Around mid-day we set off back to the local gravel pits. The weather had cleared slightly, it was still wet and windy, and there were severe weather reports for most of the country but it was clearing up. It was still too wet for boat fishing on Blithfield but bank fishing, whilst difficuly was still a possibility on the Gravel Pits.

I decided to try the booby method again. The weather was definately colder and I reasoned that the fish would be deeper today. I wasn't dissapointed and on my third cast I struck into a fish about 2 1/2 lbs in weight! Not a fantastic specimen but a fish at last, against the odds, and against the conditions.

We walked on for a while, casting where we could get a line in and it wasn't long until Greg hooked into a small pike of about 4lbs. 1 each, with Scalesy still to score.

The weather started to turn again and whilst the PIKESABER was handling the conditions well I was finding I was getting my line caught around my feet and small twigs on the bank. The wind was a pain in the proverbial.

I found a nice deep pool and had to back cast to turn the pike fly over. I counted down and started a slow retrieve. A good thud on the line confirmed the take and I before I knew it I had another small pike of about 4lbs on the bank.

It seemed that today was my day as no more fish were caught. I left Derby that monday feeling happy that against the vile weather I had managed to catch, but still frustrated at not being able to fish the PFFA competition, Which Greg won by the way, as he will more than likely gloat about if you see him :)

Regards,

Ben