Dawn broke, the lines were cast out and we sat in the freezing cold sipping hot coffee from a thermos flask.  I cast my line just in front of the island Idescribed, 9.00am came and went 10.00am came and went, I looked in the direction of my father further down the bank he tapped his wrist watch a signal he had had enough and knowing my father the pubs were set to open at 12.00 midday!

Suddenly the line on my rod went tight the tip of the rod twitching, i let some line out for a good reason.  Pike will take a fish in their jaws run with it drop it so they can turn it around and swallow it.  The line stopped running then 2 seconds later the line ran again, time to strike! I clicked the bail arm shut on the reel and pulled the rod up vertically to embed the hooks into the pikes jaws.

To me at 16 it felt like I had hooked Jaws! i shouted down the bank “Dad”, the rod bent almost double it took all my strength to hold the rod and when the pike changed direction I wound in some more line back onto the reel, my father was running along the bank in his wellingtons he slipped on the frozen grass kicking the thermos flask into the willows! [didn't look that professional bless him!] after 20 minutes the pike could be seen about 6 feet from the bank wow! I shouted to my dad “Were going to need a bigger boat!”

We steered the pike into a landing net, it took both of us to lift the beast onto the bank, the handle of the landing net snapped under the strain! my father donned chain mail gloves because of the rows of teeth.  He managed to remove the hooks and we surveyed the pike.  He or she was beautiful green and gold with almost luminous yellow eyes.  Did we have a camera? nope! we did have weighing scales which went up to 20lbs we put the pike in the basket and it went to the stop way past 20lbs!  We returned the pike to the lake and it swam away hopefully unharmed we didn’t believe in hurting fish or any other animals.

We were in the local pub a little later when me father spat out his beer saying “I get it I get it, we need a bigger boat that’s out of Jaws isn’t?” I laughed too saying that is what i meant!

We told the rest of the family over Sunday lunch incredulity and laughter was all we got! the more we said “Honestly it was over 20lbs it broke the landing net!” the more they laughed and shook their heads!

Well that’s my winters tale [True tale] I do miss my father.