It still looked very "Dirty" with plenty of floating Leaves, weed and other rubbish on the move. With this in mind a slightly different day was planed for the Sunday, that is, staying outside the city limits in the wider reaches of the rive where there is more chance of avoiding all the rubbish catching on the lines.
The weather is fairly mild, +4 c and also there is no sign of any rain which had been threatened. Myself and brother Neil load the boat at around half Five and with at least another hour before first light, we set off. It only takes us around half an hour to reach our first swim which is close to the outer railway bridge near Carrow road football ground.
By the time we have set up Two rods each, its light enough to start fishing. We spread out four rods, three with different dead baits on plus one roving Livebait rig. Everything is looking good and we settle with our first cuppa of the day. Its so different fishing outside of the city, hardly any man made noises just the odd bird or fish "topping" to spoil complete silence.
I start searching round the river with the live bait rod and am expecting the float to shoot off every time i re cast.
Two hours fly by without any interest on any of the rods and as we have already decided to move swims fairly regularly today until we contact a few fish, a move Five hundred yards downstream is our next stop.
It literally only takes Five minutes to get the rods in, move down and re cast all the rods fishing like this, so we are not wasting loads of time.
The new swim is a deep Chanel just opposite the Norwich rowing club, Trowse.
Its just after 9am now and already the sun is starting to get out, the sky is clearing which brings a few rowing boats out onto the river too.
We only spend Forty Five minutes in this swim as it starts to get busy minute by minute.
Another move this time a good half a mile downstream to an area with a natural reed fringed bank and loads of Pike looking "Features" including another deep central Chanel. Baits are placed both on the top of the ledge and at the bottom of the shelves. This spot also has an old wooden mooring next to it so we decide to use the extra room to cook an early lunch.
The Sausage sandwiches go down without touching the sides. Only wish the Pike were as hungry as we were. After the lunch i re rig the livebait rod and flick it out mid river. I don't even have time to close the bail arm and the float shoots away. A welcome 3lb Jack is soon boated. With our spirits lifted and Neil quickly changing one of his rods over to live bait, we settle in for more action. Its not the start of Pike Fest just yet, but as we are moving the live bait rods around the river, my Half Herring dead bait comes to life... another pluck and it slides under. I tighten down and lift into a reasonable fish which takes some line on its first run. I soon have it on the top next to the boat and its ours. This fish goes 8lb 15oz and has come only Twenty minutes after the first one.
As you can see from the photo, by now the sun is doing its "July/August" impression and we are starting to think some suncream might be needed soon. As the Two fish had come fairly quickly we decide to carry on in this swim a little longer but no more takes are forthcoming.
The final move of the day will be down to the outfall near the boatyard, a place that nearly always saves the "Blank" . With the warm sun and clear Blue sky, its hardly the best conditions to catch Pike.
We spend just over Two hours at the outfall, try everything we can to tempt one but admit defeat around 2:45pm and head back.
Neil did catch in the end , The SUN........ Roll on next sunday
