Cast of the Week 1 - Casting for Gold

Week 1

Cast of the Week

Some good news in from Casting for Gold regular, Neill Stephen. Seems he had some great end of season perch fishing down south. Several threes and a couple of fours. Sensational. On John Bailey’s TCF piece up in Norfolk, he went to one of our favourite lakes and picked up a belter of just under the magic three mark. Why is it that perch seem to be coming back everywhere? We can think of at least a dozen waters where twos are pretty well guaranteed and much bigger fish exist. Can we rely on the fact that the ravages of the Perch Disease of some thirty years ago are consigned to history? Are enough of us taking full advantage of the perch boom that appears to be with us today? Or will there be another calamity making us wish we’d concentrated more in this fine species?

We’re only three weeks or so away from our spring pike fishing adventure. Of course, twenty years ago, the idea of hunting stillwater pike in April would have been out of the question. Today, it’s legal and it’s often hugely rewarding. What you’ve got to do, though, is put the pike paramount. At this time of the year, if you can avoid taking fish from the water, this is so beneficial for them. To do this effectively, you’re far better off fishing with single hook rigs. Our favourite and most used method by far on these April trips is to use single hook rubber fish. Most of us crush down the barb. If the day is warm and bright, fly fishing with streamer lures works almost as well. And if you must use a dead bait, why not a big single through the back? Hit a run at once and the chances are the only fish you will miss are small jacks that you don’t want anyway. This really is something for all spring pikers to bear in mind. You can be on Loch Lomond, in Ireland, in England, the Baltic Sea, anywhere…put the pike first and just try using a single hook for the good of this surprisingly vulnerable species.

There were even one or two end of season barbel reported, even though water temperatures were only in the low forties. Casting for Gold stalwart, reported a nice fish from the River Wye with plenty of barbel activity to a variety of baits. On the Wensum, at Lyng, a seven pounder was taken on a cold, unforgiving type of day. A real achievement. It’s hard to estimate where Wensum barbel are actually heading to. A twenty pound plus fish caught recently indicates that the British record could soon be going east. Of course, growth rates will have to slow down soon. And there is the continuing problem of otters in this part of the country. There aren’t so many of these massive Wensum barbel that the loss of even a single fish isn’t a tragedy. Barbel fishermen, it often seems, are living through times which are both exciting and frightening. Where do YOU think barbel and barbel fishing will be in five years time?