The one that got away!

I went piking this morning. I was on a drain, out on the marsh, and have to make a very sad admission. I was using the, recently acquired "Big Pits" on two of my shiny new 2 1/2 lbs t/c broomsticks. I know what I said, and promise not to use this combo again in such a situation. Basically I just wanted to try the reels out and have to say that first impressions aren't too bad.
I was fishing by 06.30 hrs, a bite on my left-hand rod (Bluey dyed yellow - isn't that a Greenie?) some fifteen minutes later resulted in a small jack of 4 lbs-ish. There was a ferocious SW gale howling across the mashes and my rods were fished using my back-biters to eliminate false bleeps; which occur when using monkeys and front runners in these conditions.
At 07.30 hrs I had another bite on the same rod/bait which resulted in my hooking and loosing the biggest eel I've ever seen in Kent! Now I know that I wasn't fishing for eels, so the capture wouldn't have been deliberate, but having got this fish to the net before it did me in the adjacent reed bed, I'll readily admit that I was gutted. It was a very big three, if not a four! At 08.45 hrs I bumped a small pike on my right hand rod - this time on a 1/2 Mackerel dyed red; I wasn't having a very good day up to this point. With the wind intensifying, I was treated to a display of aerial mastery by an adult male Peregrine. I have no idea for what purpose, the bird almost looked like it was playing, although some type of territorial display would probably be the ornithological explanation. It was scattering birds - mainly ducks and pigeons, as it marauded across the skies. Twice I watched it chase pairs of Mallards, in level flight, passing them with ease before banking away sharply and careering off back over the marsh. At no time did I witness any attempt at hunting; it certainly lifted my spirits and just before I was due to pack up, so my left hand rod registered another bite, this time on 1/2 Mackerel dyed yellow.

A rather chunky little fish, for the time of year. Just what I needed after loosing that eel.

As soon as I hit it, I knew this was an all together better fish. A spirited battle, even on that seriously over gunned kit, resulted in my first double of the campaign. A scraper, of 10 lbs 3 oz, graced the mesh of my landing net. Nicely hooked, right in the scissors, I grabbed a quick record shot before getting her back into the water. So it all ended up rather nicely. Before I left I cut up, what bait I had in my cooler bag, into small cubes and introduced it to two adjacent swims. If all is well, I will be back in the week for a deliberate attempt at that bloody eel - the unseasonably mild weather doesn't look set to end just yet and I still need a November eel for my challenge.