A December "mini" project

The spark for this idea came from my old mate Ric Francis, via the Blogger comments box. He suggested that the, 1959 split cane, Mk IV's might be better used if matched with my ABU Cardinal 66X's. This got me thinking about what I might do to further enhance my enjoyment of the Pike fishing whilst on the banks of the RMC, yet remaining aware that my targets have already been set. December will prove to be quite a testing month due to a medical issue which has no place for discussion in the Blogger domain. That we, as a family unit, will find a way to deal with any problem is a given. It comes of being a "Wraftie" I guess?

I cannot hide the reality of November being a very disappointing month, Pike wise. I feel that, somehow, I took my eye off the ball and ended up simply going through the motions. Talking it through with Sye and Benno, last Saturday, there were quite a few minor adjustments suggested which were felt might aid my cause moving forward. Silly things like bait size and spacing between the hooks were all talked through and it's always good to hear other anglers views on such mundane matters. I took these ideas home with me and have made some minor adjustments to my set ups accordingly. I did have a session on Monday morning but, Storm Arwen had wreaked havoc with the water clarity in the canal. It being a similar colour to "builder's tea" with visibility less than a couple of inches! I should have gone straight back home?

If I can get anywhere close to such a Pike, using the split canes, then the "mini" project 
will be considered a success.

I'm back down on Thursday, when I will get the split cane "mini project" up and running. My kit consists of two 1959 Mk IV's and a mid-1960's Mk IV Avon, which will all host Mitchell 300's as a starting point. Obviously, I do have the ABU Cardinal 66X's as a fall back, should I feel the need and I might even be tempted to use my Allcock's Match Aerial centrepin at some point during the month. As a realistic target, I'd love to land a fish in excess of 15 lbs using these rods, a twenty would be the icing on the cake. Because there is an element of the unknown involved with using these ancient relics for Pike fishing, I will be steering clear of some of the more snaggy sections of the canal until I've a better idea how they perform. Fish welfare has to be the paramount consideration after all and with that at the forefront of my thoughts I am ditching the back-biters for this project. Just for the duration of this split cane challenge, my Nash Siren R3's will provide my audible indication. They are the most sensitive devices I've ever used and I feel that they will provide me with an additional edge whilst using these very soft rods. I will still use drop arm indicators, but they are loaded and will cause a Siren to sound if they so much as move. Monkeys on angled needles remain as effective as ever when using my regular bait presentations.

Because there is so much happening during the month, be that medical, my sixty-sixth birthday, a social gathering of the Kefalonia Gang or a small celebration known as Christmas, I'm unsure how many sessions I'll be able to fit in? Add in the role played by unsettled weather patterns and it becomes even more challenging to make any definitive plans. Obviously, first things first, I need to get a bait in the water which Pike find attractive enough to produce that, long overdue, bite!