New PB pike on a crazy day

I was out the other day in hope of some good perch with my mate Paul, we fished some area with not allot showing and kept moving up the canal in search of more features to fish.
Eventually we came to an area that was producing some fish and had abit of fun with some small perch before Paul finally locked onto a bigger one, it gave him a great run around on the light tackle and when finally netted and weighed it went 3lb 2oz

 

After more smaller perch we headed abit further up and I was into a better fish at last, thinking I was into the mother of all perch I took it steady and for once I was actually disappointed to have caught a pike as I'd hoped it was a large perch, never mind it was a lovely feisty jack.

 

We some more time in this area and things started to get a little crazy, we were getting takes from pike left right and centre in only a small area and all of them where like peas in a pod. I think in a very short space of time I had taken 4 and Paul had taken 3 and we had lost a few off too. It was crazy fishing not only because of the thick and fast action but mainly due to the fact that we were targeting perch and had opted for our lightest set-ups having a maximum rating of only 3grams, very soft and whippy actioned they were certainly put through there paces with these pike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was soon time for Paul to go and I had decided to fish on, we had only took the one big net and I was left with just my trout pan net for the perch so i had to stick to areas that i didn't think I'd have the risk of hooking into a pike, the banks were not easily accessible to get to the waters edge to chin a pike so I'd struggle in most places to land one without the net.

I fished on picking up a few more perch before a boat came through so decided to call it a day and walk back, half way back i came to a clearing where the bank was clear with good access to the water and there was a bench behind me, I don't know why but i suddenly thought 'I can use that bench if i get something worthy of a photo' So i thought I'd have a quick and what would probably have been my last cast. It looked a really perchy swim and i had a good feeling about it, half way across the canal and all went solid, Christ another pike i thought! It felt a better fish but started to get closer to me, in fact it was swimming right at me. Holy cr*p!! it swam right in front of me, I saw it and it saw me! It bolted for the middle of the canal, i let out a little shriek as it was huge.
realising i didn't have a net I decided the best thing to do was jump in, so i did, the water filled my wellies but I didn't mind i was in for a mega battle, remember I still have the 3gram rod...
At one point i had to tighten my drag up abit as the fish had nearly emptied my little symetere 500's spool. An epic battle, finally I got the fish in close and went in for the chin, typically i had to chin it left handed (I'm really cack handed on my left side) my hand disappeared into its gill! safely on the bank i rushed to take the photos so abit disappointed with them as the tail was curled around and it was dimly lit and raining. Not the best but i got a snap and didn't want to mess about much. I stripped off quickly and chucked my hoodie in the canal and made a make shift sling out of it, which actually worked really well...

The result was my first 20, with my scales being in 4oz increments i just called it 21lb dead as it was there abouts.

 

Absolutely chuffed to bits but to be honest still shaken up about the experience! 3gram rod! What a rod i have to say!

i jumped back in the canal with the fish and spent a good amount of time with it before letting it go, and when it did go it had one more moment of making me sh*t myself, I had it by the tail and was reviving it and thought I'd slip me hand under its chin to support it more as my back was aching leaning over, as i put my hand under it bolted off at an almighty pace kicking up water everywhere, I fell backwards, luckily onto the edge of the bank!

shame I didn't bag a big perch but after the days events i don't really care!