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This years pike fishing for me started on New Years Day, when I got up at 3am to drive down to Essex so I could set up and fish a couple of hours in the dark. At 8.30 ish the right hand rod baited with a popped up bluey head went off, and after a decent scrap this 12 was netted. 12.00 and the left hand rod baited with a lamprey tail brought this This fish didn't scrap so well, looking like it had had an argument with something, with cuts and scars around the head, but weighed 13lb. As I had set up in the dark, both rods were ledgered dead-baits, one fished popped up, the other on the bottom, and both produced fish. As you can see, the unhooking mat and sling is ready, with forceps to hand. I can unhook the pike, sling the trace and weight out the way (usually back into the water) so there is no risk to me or the fish, then slide the net out the way and straight into the sling to weigh the fish. Then it's already in the sling to carry back to the lake safely to be released. Tomorrow I reckon I can drive down slightly later, but still be there for an early one.

I went through a stage of threading Amnesia or Fluorocarbon through 25lb Merlin to create a semi-stiff hooklink, loop going through a swivel rather than quick link style, the inner helping the loop to hold true Straight shank hook (I think it was actually a Drennan Super Specialist) with the hair made with whipping thread,and whipped down the hook shank. I seem to recall silicon tubing made up the line aligner. It worked, but was fiddly to keep on doing regularly. By the way, like your Zippo, brass looks nicer than chrome Got one the same myself!

Blimey you have a lot going on there Neal you've made me dizzy mate . Whatever happened to the straightforward kk rig ?

There IS a God after all