It had to happen and has happened!! Before I will unleash a new flood of reports about my recent adventure to Rügen@Germany I do have a story that cannot be deferred.

Motivated by the excellent fishery we had in Germany I resumed the fishery here in Austria. Alone, since nobody else had time, or wanted to be bothered by the pike fishery. Can you imagine that?

The leaves changing its shading into yellow or orange, later completely falling down. The blistering cold in the morning and the change of some shy warm sunbeams during noon and afternoon. The warm thoughts about everything else than the freezing cold water. And….. the complete silence on the water, except mother nature. This is winter pike fly fishing, and I’m loving it.

Actually on that day I wanted to explore a complete new water that is available to me for 3 times a year for each fishing card owner. But I missed the registration so I was forced to fish again one of my already known waters. It it turns out that this was not a bad choice at all. The fishing started not very early but as good, as expected. On the first handful of casts I had the first take. A sold pike banged on my fly but didn’t hooked himself. The same continued a few minutes later further down the water. Uhhh, it seemed not to become my day!. Luckily the usual suspected spots offered some action, so the pikes where in good mood. I had already fish #4 when I reached the hot zone, a small canal where the structures become narrower and deeper. Three weeks ago I had with my buddies a real cool fishery here. It 1 mile long canal where the fishes swim upstream for wintering there. The shores are very much overgrown with trees and bushes. The perfect hide for pikes. Not easy to fish but very much rewarding.

So what came next? Long story short, I hooked up with a really nice fish. As usual in this canal the attacks do come sometimes a rod tip distance. A real heart attack take. And especially if it is a big fish. Adrenaline pure. Immediately the fish started jumping. This is usual to the smaller pikes but I never have seen that for a really big fish. I’m still frightened when I’ reviewing what happened. It was a very intense fight with short but powerful escapes.

The redemption came when I slit my fingers under the pikes jaws. What a beautiful lady she was. I can’t imagine what moves anglers to kill big pikes. Holding them on the tail, waiting for them to recover and swimming away. This is the best part of catching pike. What a perfect day!

41 inch (102cm) of pure beauty

As if that were not enough, the next hour of daylight offered two more smaller pikes completing that day with a smile on my face.

greets
Philipp