My worst season for more than 30 years

WEST AND THE FENS: Things must be picking up if even I can start catching a few. The pike were on the feed on three out of four trips last week.

This, of course, is what it used to be like a lot of the time – ie you caught them more often than you didn't.

Let's hope it's more like that next season. Or even next week.

One swallow doesn't make a summer.

There can't be many people who'll say they've had a good season. I'd rate it the worst I can remember in more than 30 years of pike fishing.

Pike anglers from all over the place turned up for a Pike Anglers Club event at Bluebell lakes, near Peterborough, on Sunday.

All said the same, from the Yorkshire rivers to the Sussex Stour. The jury's still out on why. If treble hooks were to blame, we'd have wiped out the pike more than a century ago.

Many who've given it a break for the last couple of months will be thinking of dusting off the rods now the milder weather's here.

Things have been looking up on the carp front at Pentney Lakes.

Darren Anthony from Shouldham had mirrors of 23lbs 12oz and 23lbs 8oz on the Cabin Lake, in a four fish haul that also included commons of 18lbs 2oz and 17lbs 4oz.

One or two day anglers have also found them on the feed around the back of the island.

Pike-wise things have been slow on there this winter, but anglers targeting perch have scored fishing the margins with wriggly worms.