Well, out fishing we did go! Perhaps it was foolish to negotiate country lanes the day Storm Eunice was forecast, but just post-dawn the sky looked quiet and the team went for it.
Fortunately, Ian caught this croc, and there were several other impressive back-up fish. Bond, who also had a big pike, reminded me of a long ago October session in 2002 when we fished an equally (if not more) stormy day and had extraordinary piking. That year, as the trees fell, the pike fed ever harder.
I also recall a certain January 3rd, back in the Eighties or late Seventies when a freak storm of huge violence provoked a feeding spell, this time with roach. I can’t off hand remember the weight of the best fish, but it was a big two I remember.
So, is there a thread here? Does extreme wind stir a water into life? Is it something to do with a plummeting barometer? Is it something to do with an injection of oxygen? Are relatively torpid pike simply stirred into action as the water rocks around them? Your ideas and experiences would be welcomed.
We obviously got home safely, or I wouldn’t be writing this! By dark, the worst of the wind had abated and we had fished through the eye of the storm. We took care through the day, obviously. We certainly did not stand next to trees! We lost a couple of bait buckets but they were a small price to pay for a thrilling day… in so many ways.
