I managed to get out for a day on the Avon with my dad on Saturday. The day started badly in that I managed to miss two runs within the first 10 minutes of fishing! But it ended with an amazing monster pike... what a fish!
thanks lee ;) i'm absolutely lovin the pike fishing at the moment. the river avon is just stunning and as far as i can work out, stuffed full of fish! not sure what kinda fishing you're into, but if you're predominately a carp angler like myself, you've already got the gear: 3lb+ rods (or if you're using heavy baits and casting miles, you're spod or marker rod work a treat!), bait runners and a big landing net. apart from traces and bait it's not a million miles away from carp angling! the only thing i would advise would be to spool up with braid. i used 15lb mono to start with and ran into real problems with snags on the river... i now use 50lb braid meaning if you do get snagged up, you're more likely to get the trace back than pulling for a break (i'll virtually pulled an entire tree in a couple of sessions ago!). get out there and give it a go! it's the best winter fishing you can get ;)
Absolutely beautiful fish!! Even 3 years on this video is awesome. I'm new to pike fishing and this is my main stretch I fish, never caught anything as big as this tho! Great job 👏
thanks mate! yup, it was one hellova fish... i do rewatch this video from time to time to remind me! crazy thing is i've a friend who regularly swims in the river avon... i have shown her the video and some pics of the other pike i've caught a long this stretch but she's convinced her toes are safe ;) good luck with your fishing, if you're new to targeting pike you've got a great stretch to go at: defo check out the swineford end of the river too, it's a little harder due to the steep banks but early in the season it's a winner!
@@jakewilliamson we are going on Jim's lure challenge tomorrow with Jim down the kennet! I love watching your videos, Jim helped my hubby catch his pb pike down the first part of that stretch, on a random meet and have stayed friends so I am super looking forward to that!!! His Experience will be invaluable, esp as a woman angler.. (my hub got me into fisjing a few months ago and safe to say its taken over my life 😂) Ur pretty famous down on the keynsham stretch! Would you mind if I added you on something? I know ur not in UK anymore, but any extra advice you had would be awesome. 😊 x
@@toniiif1 no way, can't believe you met jim! that is excellent, you're in good hands 👍 just be warned though: he will turn up when you've blanked all day and catch on the 2nd cast 🤣 and yup, i'm no longer in the uk... i miss the river so much, during the season i'd be down there at least once a week for pike in winter or chub in summer - happy times! the best of luck with the lure challenge, i'm sure you'll catch - if all else fails get jim to take you to the 'best spot in bath' (he'll know where you mean 😉). and yup, add away 👍
@@jakewilliamson haha! Awh awesome! That's sooo how it happened aswell, my hub dan had blanked all day and bumped into jim (about a year ago) who had caught about 9 pike right infront of him in just half an hour 😂, he got dan back in the water and in a instant he landed his pb pike 😂 I am yet to meet him in person but am super excited for our kennet trip 2mrw. He always talks about you to dan, and i was up on that second cow field last week and 2 different guys were taking about this very video of this epic catch of yours! Cool I will have a look for you now 😊👍
Wowza! Great fish and so pleased you were able to get that old trace out too. I blanked this weekend chucking lures into the Glos/Sharpness canal so seeing you catch that beauty has cheered me up. WELL DONE!!! ......Simon
thanks simon ;) sorry to hear you blanked but glad to hear you enjoyed the video! is sharpness canal just off the river severn? i've a mate who's been on at me to do a session up there with him as he say's it's loaded with monster pike..
Hi Jake - yes, the canal runs right alongside the Severn estuary. It's a very long, wide featureless place but I've heard tales of big pike. Lots of zander at the Gloucester end apparently, although I've never fished for them. Give me a shout if you and your mate are planning a trip - I'm still learning the dark art of pike angling, so always up for meeting fellow pikers. Cheers.... Simon
thanks denis, it was a hell of a fish ;) i'm constantly amazed by the sport on the avon, it really is top notch - get out there and get amongst them i say!
Great video mate, congratulations on that pike. definitely looks like a mid double to me. Well in mate, I bet that made up for missing the first two. I cant wait to get on Avon piking this week, hopefully i can have the same luck as you!
thanks jack, it was a beast of a fish! i wonder if all the people in the boats on the river are aware of what's swimming around?! there were a lot of canonists and paddle boarders out over the summer... i think i'd be nervous about loosing a finger or some toes! and yup, it did make up for missing the 1st two runs (although watching that float disappear was quite something!). if you do manage to get out, best of luck - the avon is such a great river ;)
Well done - that's a beauty! There are some great fish in there - hard thing is finding them, but looks like your resistance has paid off. Hoping to get back down there myself soon.
thanks jason, it was one hellova pike! it's been great catching loads of jacks over the last couple of weeks but to put a fish of this size on the bank was something else. the avon has been so good to me this year, the summer fishing was just great and it looks like the winter is going to be just as excellent - can't remember the last time i fished a lake ;)
Dannys Angling Blog thanks fella ;) i'm hoping with those deep trebles removed she'll go on to be a 20lb+ fish - which'd be an amazing capture from a river! just subscribed to your channel, great pike videos ;)
Well done on getting the other set of trebles out. I always feel that the stretch could produce a monster but can't help feel that it gets too much pressure from people that have no idea what they're doing. Great fish. I've yet to get a double...
keep at it, you'll get one! i was always amazed by the size and quality of the fish in the avon - there's some real monsters. defo worth getting up early, putting the leg work in and switching baits. i started with mackerel but found that herring and sardines were consistent winners for me. and yup, there are a lot of people who have no idea what they're doing... my take on it was we all start somewhere and a bit of education and experience goes a long way. i quite often found myself either sitting in a swim helping someone out or taking people out for a session and hopefully that helped. it's a shame the various clubs who 'manage' the stretch didn't put more time in patrolling the banks - i didn't get my ticket or licence checked once in the 4 or so years i fished the river and i reckon i was out there 3 times a week on average! if there were some rules in place similar to the carp waters (e.g. the bailiff checked your ticket and if you were pike fishing made sure you had a decent size net, unhooking mat and all the right tools to unhook a pike) things might be easier on the fish? there might also be less rubbish left lying about... most sessions i'd go home with a bin bag full of discarded tackle, bait tins, bags, beer cans and on one memorable occasion a bloody great big knife! the river is a beautiful place and it's pretty much the only thing i miss about the uk! good luck with you quest for a monster, it happen when you least expect it!
thanks fella ;) it's by far the biggest fish i've had out of the avon... who knows, there maybe bigger in there... can't wait for the water levels to drop so i can get out there again!
Nice video mate, enjoyed watching that. Lovely pike and well deserved. I think it's always better to hit the runs early myself, so although you dropped to runs in the 1st swim it's better that way then deep hooking fish. So ten out of ten mate. Tight lines
thanks wes, glad you enjoyed the video ;) you're very right on the deep hooking of fish, striking early is the best way and it's better to loose a fish than harm it hooking it (even though it's frustrating missing bites!). thanks for the comment!
thanks mate ;) really want to get back out there and try for another! unfortunately, it's rained so much here in bristol that the rivers are now in flood... just going to have to wait till the levels go down :(
England is like that, isn´t it? I you want to come to Spain you are very wellcome :) You are wellcome and if only you enjoy my vids as well that would be really a pleasure for me ;) Have a nice day Jake!
ha! yup, that's england alright ;) planning a trip to spain very soon to fish the ebro. my parents live in tarragona so i'm putting together a cats and carp session sometime real soon!
thanks mate - watta fish?! yeah, i guesstimated it at 16lb ish. very long, massive head and a bit of a belly on it - feel very privileged to have put it on the bank! and sorting that other deep hooked trace was a real bonus too, hopefully that fish will go on to have a long life and get even bigger ;) itching to get out there again but it's raining cats and dogs in bristol... never sure if it's worth piking when the rivers are in flood?!?!
Great fish care for sure, it's belting it down here to so the river Severn has risen 6-7ft. I guess it depends what water you have, if it's pushing through hard the pike will hold up in backwaters or slacks.
Is that bit of water part of a club at all? I know it differs along there quite a lot. But I’m coming up for a couple days this week so wouldn’t mind giving it a go
hey fella, sorry only just seen this... i used to fish that stretch on the keynsham aa ticket which was all of £20 for a season. bit of a bargain considering that some carp lakes charge £24 for 24 hours! you should be able to pick up a ticket at premier angling 👍 good luck!
thanks mate! i was guessing it'd be somewhere around the 16lb mark but really, weights don't mean much when you get a fish like that on the bank! and yup, the confidence is building and i'm feeling far more comfortable holding them. interestingly, as with holding carp, the bigger they are the less wriggly they seem to be which makes it a bit easier to control them? fingers crossed i'll get even more practice as the winter goes on ;)
have a chat to the chaps in premier angling over at keynsham and they'll put you onto some spots 👍 they'll also be able to advise on which ticket to get (i used the keynsham aa membership). good luck!
