Not long

Back down to the RMC in the morning for another pike session, I'm on my own because other arrangements ensure that the Sunday morning is out of the question - Benno and Luke are working; shit happens?
I still haven't decided on my final destination, there are four areas which all have the potential to produce a decent fish, in my opinion. Any pike in double figures is a good fish from the venue, a fifteen plus is a very good fish and a twenty is the stuff of dreams. Since we started to seriously fish the canal, we have, between us, taken our fair share of decent pike. Doubles are a very realistic proposition during any visit, a mid-double is a fish to be expected during the course of the season, the chances of a twenty is always present, but has only happened once since I started to fish the water. However we have taken three different 19's and two 18's plus a handful of 16's (no 17's?) during our campaign - the prospect of something very special turning up is not beyond possibility - we've got photographic evidence of a 28 taken a few years back. When Ken Crowe gave a talk to the Canterbury and Thanet PAC group he spoke of the potential of the RMC, and he knows a thing or two about the conditions to grow big pike.
The water levels on the western side of West Hythe dam are now back to normal winter height and, as such, I feel a lot more confident than I did when they were three/four feet below the bank and I was forced to fish from the exposed, and very smelly, muddy margins. The strange thing about fishing the canal is that I very rarely encounter other anglers - pike fishing or pleasure anglers? Dog walkers and bird watchers are far more familiar company on the banks, not too bad, but it would be nice to compare experiences with other guys fishing this particular stretch of water. One positive from this situation is that I have never been in competition for swims - the canal is an open book and I can choose where I start the next chapter in my story.

A scraper double, from the RMC, which saw me end the season on a high in March 2014

The weather looks horrible and, if I'm to remain consistent, a blank should be on the cards! If nothing, but the eternal optimist, I am going there with high hopes of a fish - my efforts are due a result and, as everyone knows, effort equals success! If all else fails - I'll have my binoculars in the bag, so birding might come to the rescue - the Romney Marshes are a fantastic place not to catch pike; I've blanked in far worse! The English pike season finishes, for me, on 14th March - I haven't got much time to rescue what's been, up until now, a very poor season.