February is not my favourite month, in fact, I think it’s bottom of the pile. In the last couple of years I’ve tried to come up with new ideas to fish through the month and find some fishy fun but it’s been a struggle. That sound a bit dramatic doesn’t it? But you know what I mean. It’s dark, the weather generally a bit pants, and the fish, quite rightly, are cold and resting. Nature needs a bit of a rest and winter is how it does it.
This year however, I followed through on the New Year’s resolution cliche of pulling my finger out and getting myself back to something that resembles fitness. I found a challenge to work towards (swim out to sea, round a rock and back again, pointless but brilliant) which helps me keep my motivation and focus. And, as is the case, feel fit, feel good and feel motivated.
January offered very little chance to fish but, as was hoped, things improved and the chances to get out fishing again came through. After an enjoyable bit of fly fishing in December I was keen for another go. I felt like I’d improved my casting after stopping to really consider how I was casting (and watching a couple of excellent YouTube guides). The forecast on my available Friday afternoon was for easterly wind. I hate easterly wind but, if there’s a fish that will keep feeding in cold winter conditions, it’s the rainbow trout. I won’t pretend they are a difficult fish to catch, but for me, casting a fly is a fun challenge and a fish on the end of the line suggests you’re doing something right.
The wind was fresh, no, when I arrived is was bloody strong! No one else was daft enough to be there and when the fishery owner wondered round with a rod and quickly declared, “bugger that, it’s howling” I did think it might be a tad tricky. I was at least confident that when the light faded, the wind would drop quickly, east wind does that. Comes up and goes down with the sun.
I opted for a catch and release ticket, I didn’t want to take any trout and maybe, just maybe, I’d catch, and catch a few! All that exercise was making me optimistic! Into the wind the casting was tough, really tough, but given the conditions I was happy that I was casting a line that was fishing reasonably well. A fast lap of the lake and a few casts yielded nothing, not a sign of a fish. Was the wind easing a bit? Maybe a tad. Second lap and the casts were definitely going out a little easier. Soon after, the first little fish grabbed my Cats Whisker fly with a gold head thing, I think that’s what it was anyway. Chuffed to bits with my hard earned fish, I carried on with a spring in my step and a breeze that was definitely now easing. I tried a sheltered corner where I’ve never caught from before but felt they’d be holding in there. Two casts and bang, second fish. Super happy, and being on the catch and release ticket, I was off looking for the next one. I tried essentially the same spot but from a different angle. Again, not long after another fish! All on the little white Cats Whisker. Fortunately I had more than one in the fly box as one, as is always the case when I fish was destined to decorate the foliage. The fishery owner came round for an update, “good effort in that wind!” was his appraisal. He left me to it and in the last of the light, and with confidence high, I bagged a fourth and final fish and called it a day. A few hours on a Friday afternoon in a cold and howling easterly wind in February and I’d had fun. Perfect!
Next came a couple of weeks of feeling rubbish. A horrible bug that knocked me for six. Proper aching bones stuff. A measure of my feeling a bit rough and feeling properly crap is whether it not I still want to go fishing, and for a week or more, I did not have the energy to go. Serious stuff, ha ha!
Feeling better, towards the end of the month I opted to try for a winter fish that I’ve not fished for, for years, the Pike. Pike are a fun fish to catch. They feed in the winter months as they prepare to spawn early in the year. They are fairly easy to catch and, whilst size isn’t everything, they can grow quite big.
I love float fishing in all forms and it’s how I like to fish for pike. A bait drifted around a couple of feet off the bait the comes to rest against a marginal shelf is very effective. It covers lots of water quickly, and if there’s a pike there that’s hungry, they will often take quickly.
It was another Friday afternoon when I could get out and try. Dusk would be the best chance of a bite and so it proved. In the second swim, but more importantly, as the light faded, the float bobbed and waggled away under the surface. A strike met with a good weight and a lovely fight ensued. It’s not always easy to tell with a Pike how big they are until you see them. Some fight really hard and some just roll over. This one was around ten, maybe twelve pounds. Just like the trout, it was fun and in February too!
And to cap off the month, in some later winter sunshine, the boys fancied an hour by the pond before we had to go to a birthday party (there’s always a birthday party!). The fishing was very good. The boys were a bit rusty but soon got back into the swing of things. Some beautiful little roach were their reward. If it weren’t for the birthday party we would have stayed but they do love a trampoline park!
Let’s hope the good start to the year continues.
Good luck!
