WHEN LESS IS SOMETIMES MORE
- by Johnny Price
Johnny Price, Cumbernauld pike angler, discusses the value of short sessions for pike where the timing of the trip is important if pike are to be caught but ulimately it's the 'enjoyment factor' that supercedes all else !
A recent angling trip left me pondering two important thoughts which may (or may not) strike a chord with other pike anglers.
The trip in question - was made to Loch Lomond in early October and although it did result in the capture of several large pike, the importance of the excursion was that it led me to consider, firstly, how lucky we are to live in such close proximity to waters such as Lomond. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, how vital it is for an angler to actually enjoy the time spent on the bank, rather than merely going through the motions of some strange habit formed over the years.
The trip was one of those 'half-arsed' visits to the waterside which in recent years I haven't been bothering with. The reason behind this gradual change in routine, I believe, stems from being more and more immersed in an area of specialist angling (piking) which views trips as worthless unless they are proper dawn to dusk affairs. This trip set about reversing this routine - hopefully permanently.
The day began with me tracking about the house trying to avoid working on my University dissertation. At 2pm, Stewart Mortimer gave me the excuse I was looking for ..... when he phoned and enquired whether I fancied an afternoons fishing. 'Fine', I replied, 'Where ?'. 'Lomond' was his reply. 'What ! For 3 hoursfishing ... what's the point ? After catching sight of my University notes in the corner of my eye - I hastily agreed. 'What the hell ! '.
I arrived at Balmaha at about 3:30pm accomplished by both Stewart and John Mortimer. And following the obligatory 'hellish walk' we found the loch brimming full and looking rather good. Indeed, whilst wakling to our chosen swims a large pike swirled yards from our intended spot. Confidence was high and, for the first time in ages, I was excited about what the next 3 hours or so could involve.
Nothing much happened during the first couple of hours, save John spotting a Hen Harrier hunting in the marshes opposite our swim. However, at around 6:15pm my alarm informed me that my half-mackerel had been abducted by a large pike. After a hard fight, a nice fish of 17lb 15oz hit the net.
I was well happy ! My delight increaded about 15 minutes later when I also had a handsome fish of 13lb excatly ...... and then turned to ecstasy as then, just as darkness was descending, Stewart Mortimer, struck into a cracking 17lb 12oz fish at exactly the same time as I bent into a 14lb 11oz specimen.
I will long remember the two of us laughing hysterically whilst clutches screamed, rods doubled over and John ran up and down the bank, waving the net around like a man insane !
However, as I have already indicated, this trip stood out for reasons other than the actual success on the day. It left me with two impressions. Firstly, of course, how fortunate we are to be able to make such short notice trips to waters like Lomond. Secondly, how important it is to actually enjoy fishing for what it is. The reason I emphasise this point is that is that I am 'scunnered' with piking.
The source of this disillusion, I think, is the weeken or week-lond trips I make during the long daylight months of late spring and summer. These invariably result in very little sleep, very sore heads and often a great deal of boredom. The consequence of this being that I begin to associate piking with 'feeling like shit' !
What this trip proved to me is that by breaking-up the habit of marathon sessions, one can easily discover the excitement which is often lost in the 'super-serious' (successful) but undoubtedly boring approach to pike fishing which so many of us pursue. As I have revealed, the quality of sport enjoyed does not always have to suffer as a result