Vandals strike at Chew!

The 2nd session of Chew Valley Pike Trials were marred by vandals who set fire to some of the boats on Sunday evening, causing over £25,000 of damage.
Six boats and 5 outboard engines were totally ruined by this senseless act of vanalism.  Thankfully, a visiting pike angler spotted the fire and called the fire brigade, otherwise the result could have been catastrophic.

It was a sickening sight on Monday morning, seeing the burnt-out carcasses of the boats, with charred remnants of the wooden gunwales and transoms floating around on the surface of the lake.  The fibre glass hulls burnt so savagely that the engine mountings disintegrated and the engines dropped into the lake.  The recovered engines were ruined.

Pike session number 2 off to a great start.

The previous 2 days had been excellent, with light winds and warm air temperatures.  More pike fell to deadbait tactics than in the first set of trials, but still the lure anglers were making the headlines.

Two visiting lure fishers drifted over the deep water on Monday and although the winds were near gale force, boated fish of 22lbs and the biggest so far at 32.08 - both taken on spoons.

I fished the first 2 days and had 3 twenties - a 20.08, 23.04 and at last knockings on Sunday evening, a fin perfect fish of 24lbs 8ozs.  All took slowly fished soft plastic lures using a Greys Prowla medium Lure rod, a Shimano Rarenium reel, loaded with 50lb Power Pro braid.

Tight Lines Pod Cast

I really enjoyed being on Sky TV's Tight Lines programme last friday night.  Keith Arthur and I chatted about Chew, Blagdon, trout and Pike - both with flies and lures.
If you missed the programme, then you can download the entire Pod cast from the Tight Lines Website.