Canal Pike

Last Sunday saw me driving up to the Exeter Ship Canal. Mike was busy, so I was alone.

I haven't fished it before, so it was all new to me. Here I was, with a box of lures, new water, and mental images of the monsters that the website and rumour mill told me about.

It was a bit chilly, but at least the broken cloud was allowing rays of late winter sun to peek through on occasion. The most annoying thing was the wind, whilst not too bad, had occasional gusts that stopped me casting, and put a right riffle on the surface.

Apart from the wind, it was very pleasant, and its always exciting exploring a new water.

The Exeter ship canal runs for six miles, and varies about 5 to 15 feet deep, and wide at some points, with a much narrower section further up. Plus there's the Double Locks pub halfway up, that's very nice indeed :-)

I parked up in the middle section near the old lime kilns, and walked down flow about a mile, then back up the other way the same. The lower section seems very reedy, and good for pike, but not as easy to fish. A small boat or skiff would have made all the diff, and in fact I saw a couple guys Piking in one. The section above the lime kilns is far more picturesque, and easier to fish. In fact one old chap explained that up by the lifting bridge, was usually a good shoal of roach, meaning the Pike aren't far behind.

At the last point in the day, and having a chuck here and there, I noticed a little concrete ledge with a bit of dry earth below it before the waters edge. I dropped down, and chucked the lure sideways down the reed line.

At this point I was retrieving very slowly and daydreaming about a cup of tea and taking my boots off. I felt the usual little knock of a rock on the bottom or weeds, when I realised the reeds were pulling back. This woke me up, and a tingle of 'yes!' ran though me and I'm sure I grinned like an idiot. It was only a little jack pike of about 5lb maybe, but at least I hadn't blanked.

Id tried big spoons on a recommendation, and fished them deep and slow, but no joy, so I started to try others. The jack came to my Megabaits Charlie, in trout pattern, fished very slow.

This lure has the most amazingly realistic action, and for all the world looks like a trout in trouble.

Unhooking was a nightmare, as I suddenly became all fingers and thumbs, and must have looked like a right nancy, plus I had 2 lads watching me across the water, with great sickly wafts of their 'Colombian roll-up' blowing my way - the audience putting me right off and making me uncomfortable. With this attention, I quickly slipped the little fella back into the water, forgetting to photograph it, hence the lack of a piccy.

I wandered back to the car, happy to have caught, and making plans to return and fish the other bank, which seemed to have better access.