A pleasant morning out

I returned to the drain, that I'd fished on Boxing Day, purely because I'd deposited the remaining dead baits into the swim(s) before I left on Saturday - thus I had pre-baited? It is something I haven't used with my passed pike angling efforts, although Neville Fickling was extolling the benefits of such actions, way back in the 1980's - he actually used these tactics to create his own "hot-spots" in some of the gravel pits he fished.
Any how, I struggled today and yet feel that I can answer most of my own questions? As I stated, on Boxing Day, the venue is not one where I expect to catch any really big fish, thus I might have already given this population of pike more food than they require - it being unfair to expect continued action when the fish have recently fed. The wonderful clear blue skies and bright sun-light didn't help and then there was the general lack of a breeze, thus rendering the surface of the drain glassy calm, although a breeze picked up later in the day. I saw two Barn, and a single Short-eared, Owls; obviously taking advantage of the calm conditions to go looking for a meal in the half-light of the pre-dawn period.



Pike monkey, on an angled needle - Optonic bite alarm.
This is my idea of pike angling perfection - Duncan Kay and a Mitchell 300 -
what else could I desire (apart from a big pike?)
 

I had three rods fishing before 07.30 hrs but didn't feel particularly confident, for the reasons I've already mentioned. With my binoculars around my neck, I spent the vast majority of my morning watching the local birdlife - un troubled by any action on the rods. A superb adult male Marsh Harrier drifted past, causing a mild panic amongst the Tufted Ducks which were settled on the drain to my south. Little Egrets, Fieldfares, Kestrel (2), Stonechat - a pair and my first of the winter, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Gadwall (4), Common Snipe and two Common Buzzards - it was all rather enjoyable. By 11.00 hrs; I made the decision to pack up and had already got two rods away when the remaining rod indicated a bite, via the electronic alarm. It was a spirited battle with a lively little "jack" (probably that fish that I "bumped" on Boxing Day?) - and so I avoided the dreaded blank.



A scrappy little jack!

My journey home incurred a slight detour as I used the remnants of my bait to pre-bait another drain, in the hope of getting a session after eels on Wednesday evening. The unseasonal mild temperatures are all assisting in my quest - the lowest temperature during the past week has been 8C! The coming week has predicted highs of 14C and lows of 6C - of little comfort to those in the northern counties of the UK?