"What's next?"

Back at work for 06.00hrs, this morning, I was still buzzing from the events of yesterday (or was it the Champagne?) - two pike of that size, from a canal, hasn't featured regularly in any of my angling exploits. Of course I can recall some fabulous fish, taken by friends, my brother (Simon) and myself, yet none of the memories are as intense as the events of yesterday. I'm probably looking for something that isn't there, but I'll take my chances with that one - it's rather spiritual.
So there I am, back on the packing line, Durst inks being dispensed into some rather new, technologically advanced, packaging when Stuart, my colleague, having heard my news asked "what are you going to do now?"

I have an idea, in the back of my mind, to chase another river twenty
This fish is from the R. Thames and checked in at 20lbs 1oz
Sadly the Kentish Stour is not a venue where I have any realistic chance, at present.

I couldn't give him an answer at the time but, with the ticking of the clock, I have spent some period mulling over the question. Quite simply, I hadn't given it much thought - until that moment. I have no plans to stop fishing for the pike of the RMC until the 14th March 2013. The venue has, in my opinion, all the ingredients to produce a pike in the 25lbs class; a thirty is a dream too far, I feel. Where do I go after this? Well, as I haven't got Tring Reservoirs on my doorstep, I'm going to have to search elsewhere for my angling challenges.

A bank caught pike of 18lbs+ - from an Oxfordshire still-water.
I would love to return to this type of angling if I didn't have to
compete with other anglers. There are such venues, but do I want to travel?

I would love to discover another small drain, out on the marshes, where I could undertake a campaign against an unknown population of pike. Failing that, I quite fancy a crack at Westbere Lake, a Mid-Kent Fishery, which has the potential to turn up pike in the 25lbs+ bracket. The only problem with the last option is that I will competing with other anglers, for swims, as well as with the pike - not a situation a particularly relish. I still have a Scottish twenty on my "bucket list" which will, hopefully, be removed during our annual pilgrimage this coming May. A PB carp is always an obvious project, given that I live within virtual casting distance of several fisheries which have fish to smash 23lbs 14oz! I haven't given up on my search for a R. Stour barbel and I've seen two chub, in the river, that would knock my 5lbs 2oz PB into a cocked hat! And what about perch? - a 3lbs+ fish is very much on the cards, without leaving the county.
 

A magnificent pike of 22lbs 3oz - taken from a day ticket venue in Hertfordshire (Jan 1990). I feel sure that many of today's
carp puddles have populations of pike that have never been fished for. It would only take one
adventurous angler to try his luck - who knows what might get caught!

What about tench? - my favourite species; I haven't a clue - I do know that cat biscuits and "zig bugs" will feature at some time during the summer; centre pin carp fishing is just the best fun you can have locally. So, yes Stuart, I do have the basis of a plan, but can't see it being anything more than a wish list - I will go where the flow takes me! (To quote the late George Harrison - "If you don't know where you're going - any road will take you there!")

 

Absolutely no way would I return to the crazy days of bivvies and extended sessions. There are, however, enough
good tench waters within the Thanet area, to make morning sessions a worth while project, providing some pre-baiting
were undertaken.