IT'S ACTUALLY THE perfect venue. A stretch of almost wild river (I say almost wild as old Vermuyden mucked around with it in the 17th century) full of roach and pike, a classic old English Inn and reasonable access to the banks.
Christmas on the Idle
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Our first FM fish-in on the River Idle in October proved so successful, it wasn't long before many of us wanted another one, and so it proved.
For myself, I also spent the Friday afternoon there. The weather was ideal and I finished up with 14 nice roach, all caught laying on with casters and the lollipop float.
By 9am on the Saturday, most of our intrepid little band was on the water fishing. Roach came steadily to a number of us, but nothing big. Wendy decided to fish for pike and it wasn't long before she hooked one, being helped with the landing and unhooking by that ever attentive man from The Black Country - Paul 'Brummie' Williams.
Ron gets the first tot
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Knowing that they were to spend the night there, it didn't take long for Graham and a few others to get stuck into the Whisky (and Ron was the first in the queue!). The result of this was that there appeared a few scenes of hilarity taking place, no doubt caused in the main by various raucous comments concerning Brummie's ancestry from none other than Scouser Ed. The only problem was understanding what they were talking about!
Ed and John
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Then Wendy hooked into a really good pike, a double figure fish of 12 pounds which I think was a PB. Further raucous howls from Ed and Brummie, and squeals of delight from Wendy!
I spent some time talking to old FM stalwart Cakey. Now here is a man with an excellent angling pedigree - a Hertfordshire man too. Cakey told me of the demise of the little rivers of Hertfordshire, wrecked by borehole abstraction. The Hiz, Oughton, Flit, Hit, Beane and in parts, the Ivel, were the waters where angling legend Dick Walker had learned his fishing.
Cakey caught pike
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Although Cakey is mainly a big carp man, he loves to do a bit of pike and perch fishing. I spent some time watching him trot a roach for pike, but the fish were not responding. However it was really nice to talk to, and to meet the man himself. His name is not a FishingMagic pseudonym by the way. He has been known to all as 'Cakey' for most of his life.
Wendy nets a pike
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The best roach catch of the day went to Sean Meeghan who walked quite a distance to find a nice quiet spot where he took 30 roach and a nice pike.
Most of us agreed that it had been a real fun day, but for those who stayed night at The Haxey Gate Inn, they best was yet to come.
I'll not waffle on any more about the evening's events, other than let the pictures tell the story.
And a Very Happy New Year to you all!
A Very Short Note From Graham
Sorry, the only thing I can remember is that I caught 30 to 40 roach but the rest has been lost in the ether, and whatever I got involved in later in the pub, well, all I can say is…. it wasn't me!
paul williams 2
