The last and first

The 1st of October; tradition dictates, is the starting date of the English pike fishing season - a date which was marked on the calendar with the same importance as 16th June (the start of the coarse season) and 14th March (the end) - dates which ruled my angling, therefore my life, in a previous era.
In 2013, it passed without notice; well almost! One of the guys at Dragon Carp was keen to get out on the 1st and had asked me for advice. Talking pike and pike fishing certainly did something - I found myself reading through old diary notes, looking at photos of my October pike fishing which, in turn led to my thinking about the intense excitement I felt in the build up to that magic date.

My last "double" from Tring (16th December 1992)
Pike fishing on this reservoir complex was a joy. The three main bodies of water each having
their own character and presenting their own challenges. Pike played a huge part in my life
during the mid - 80's to the early - 90's

I'm sure that, like most other pike anglers found, the reality failed to live up to the occasion, but still it was a momentous part of the annual cycle. In 1987; Barry Adams, Paul Elborn and myself did hit the ground running - we took a massive haul of pike from Wilstone Res. and made the front page of The Angling Times - "Tring Trio Top the Ton" being the sensationalised headline so there has been one time, in over thirty years of trying, that October 1st (we were actually bivvied up for five days!) coincided with early season pike cooperation.

 

May 2011 - my first pike on my return to the hobby. At 8lbs 7oz, it wasn't a monster, yet it stirred the desire to get back
into a hobby that had been long forgotten.

November 6th 2011 - a momentous day, in my life!
This is the first English pike that I'd caught since December 1992. At 9lbs 14oz, my desire for a double was ignited.
Light the blue touch paper and away I went!!

These days, I associate my pike fishing with the short days of winter, frosty dawns and a need for extra layers of thermals and the like. I am off after barbel again, this evening, my first session of the new month. Looking back through my notebooks/diaries; I have never taken a barbel after September. This is, of course, purely down to the fact that I've never tried for them beyond that month. I've managed to catch carp and tench in every month of the season, so why not barbel? Well, a phone conversation with Benno, this morning, might be catalyst to my failing again. We both have taken our eye off the ball, so to speak. Ben's PB  barbel is 11lbs 6oz and mine a stunning 13lbs 14oz - if we'd been offered that at the beginning of the year we'd have taken it. Continuing to struggle with the challenge of R. Stour or bend a rod after RMC pike? It's a toughie - have I the resolve to see my plan through, or will the lure of Esox become too much?

 

I am undecided, at present, but will Tench become a priority for the 2014 season?
I would like to think that if I spent as much time, locally, as I have in pursuit of R.Stour barbel,
I'd have more than five fish to show for my efforts?

If the post title seems a little weird - take a look at the captions on the accompanying photos; it should help.