Just trying to remain focused…

The trouble I have when fishing sometimes is remaining focused on the task at hand. Take the other day on the river, I allowed other species to distract me when was I supposed to be there barbel fishing. I had no intention of catching perch when I set out of the house in the morning but once I had put out a maggot feeder and started pulling them in one a chuck I soon became tuned into a rhythm of cast strike, reel in, unhook etc, the other rod out for barbel relegated to simple sleeper duties at my side whilst I concentrated on the perch.  Now none of the fish  more than ¾ of a pound but I was enjoying myself just catching one after another until the my time was up for my mornings session.

Earlier that morning I had found the well known “barbel swim” occupied by someone on the opposite bank and, being the courteous angler that I am, I nodded  good morning then headed back down stream to find another spot. I had no sooner baited up with a bit of hemp under a tasty looking raft and overhanging tree, ready to cast in a lump of meat in hope there would be somebody at home under there,  when I heard voices approaching along the path. Two anglers stopped in the peg next to me about twenty yards downstream. Now in a stretch of about 20 odd pegs why they had to pitch up right there was a little annoying to say the least. I soon headed off down stream to another area well away from the “crowds”.

At my new spot I organised my gear and set the rod in the rests. I was just fiddling with the baitrunner when I felt a tug on the rod tip and looked up to see a large long fish, up on the surface back out of the water right under the rod tip. My senses took a second to work out what was happening, but then the realisation struck. A feisty pike had launched itself at my rod tip when I must have dabbled it on the surface while I was messing about with the reel at the other end.
I instantly regretted not having the lure rod with me.  Had I done so it would have been lifted straight out the quiver, and a lure flicked out after the pike in no time! There are always these opportunities to exploit but you do have to come equipped to take advantage of them !

Now go find yer mum !

 I spent the rest of the morning catching perch from the middle of the river while the barbel rod sat silently by my side. The barbel will wait of course, maybe I’ll be back another day armed with just a rod and a bucket of bait intended only for them in an attempt to keep my attention away from all the other distractions, then again ....?