Is happiness Pike shaped?

It must say something about my mental state when that recent Pike capture has still got me grinning, like an imbecile, days later. It seems unbelievable that I caught my first Pike well over fifty years ago, yet still get excited by such encounters in 2023?  Should the day ever dawn when such emotion is not aroused I'll know it's time to pack it in. Until then, however, I remain fully committed to the pursuit of enjoyment via this angling journey.

January 19th 1987 - 18 lbs 7 oz
British Aerospace Pit, Colney Heath, Herts.

At this present moment I have no concrete plans for how this current Pike season will unravel. Yes, I have some unfinished business down on the RMC and have also gotten the spark of an idea (from Brian over at the Pike Blog) to capture a "double" from two venues that I've not fished previously. The one thing that has obviously impacted upon this planning aspect has been retirement. Time is no longer a major issue. If conditions look favourable, then I can get out on the bank under most circumstances. There is also the distraction of wanting to complete my "double in every month of 2023" Carp project. I did have a short, two and a half hours, session down at the local Carp Puddle resulting in two Carp, the best one tipping the scales at 9 lbs 8 oz - "close, but no cigar!" so I will be back on Sunday, weather forecasts being accurate, to see if I can draw a line under the desired November statistic?

The Pike that set the ball rolling?
November 8th 1981 at Kodak's Water End Fishery, Herts.
20 lbs 3 oz - my very first "double" - how's your luck?

The first 2023/24 Canterbury/Thanet PAC Regional Meeting takes place on Monday so will provide a good chance to exchange opinions and assess the options moving forward. The motley crew is made up of a very diverse mix of characters, thus just the ticket when wishing to explore thought processes "outside the box" I'm pretty confident that somewhere, amidst the piss taking and shop floor banter, a few ideas will be formulated?

Loch Awe - April 2016
Wild Pike, from wild places, don't come much better than this!

Having spent the vast majority of 2023 in pursuit of Carp I now recognise the addictive nature of such, single species, angling mentality. It's been a wonderful experience, especially because I've done my level best to remain on the outside, looking in! I dearly hope that I complete my challenge and, as a result, seek adventures with other species. What won't change, however, is the role that Pike play in the annual cycle of my angling year. Wild Pike, from wild places, will never cease to hold a fascination for me until such time that my body tells me otherwise.