Pike fishing in Ireland...the story of my last trip here with Fermanagh/Monaghan Boarder Fishing Guide

16lb pike on 28g Illex Element Rider lure rod

So yess this was it, my last trip done before I will move away to the Channel Islands for a while. And  decided to book a trip with http://www.borderfishing.com , chasing big pike on big waters. I mostly does my fishing in lakes and have pretty awesome results at the past so I was like my last trip has to be big. I had one of my best experience on the water for 2 days, learned a huge amount of how this style of fishing needs to be done. However good gear I take with me it wasn't really enough for the really big girls, I lost an absolute monster because of that, but its proofed that my lures is slay fish big time but need the big boy versions of them for this job. We had not really the best weather conditions, 30 mile/hr wind and rain showers non stop, but I put my in it and fished really hard to catch some beauties. My guide Gerard Smith does an absolutely awesome job, he did everything what was possible to get me fish in this bad weather conditions, and yes I had my fish. And I also set a record up on the boat straight after a few cast, I landed the smallest pike ever it was around 20cm and my lure was 15cm, well I wrote a history just from the other end of the game :)

Big or small, we love them all as they said, well that little micro jack was actually super cute. This place is just absolutely magical and breath taking. My accommodation sits in the heart of the country side, traditional Irish beautiful farmhouse run as a family business nearly 40 years. I booked together when I booked my trip with the guide. When I arrived I was too exited to put my bag up to my room , my blood was boiling to get out on the water so jumped in the car and ready to rock, but a lovely lady runs to the car and introduce herself and ask me that what I would like for dinner, I was delighted, what else could you wish for after 12 hrs on the water than a home made meal when you arrive! When we arrived back after the first day I had a warm shower to heat up and dinner was ready, the lady explained that they have a separate dinning room for guests but she made the table in the kitchen because I was  alone and not nice to eat alone, so she take me to the kitchen and it was really lovely and friendly atmosphere and I had my dinner with my guide, sharing good stories and had a laugh and my 3 course meal was delicious traditional Irish dinner, I tell you now that lady really knows how to cook ;)

The pike fishing in Ireland is more like a feeling, I would say if you are a really serious pike angler you must do this trip in your life. The fishing is simply will blow your mind away there, could catch them in any size and if you are in good hands you could hit your fish of the life time easily. And the place is just magnificent, when you get up on the morning look out on the window and the whole country side wakening front of your eyes, dress up quickly and the hot full Irish breakfast ready waiting for you on the table, hit the road arrive to the water get on the boat and the sun comes up while you raping the waves to get to the destination is just pure priceless and if you didnt find that a miracle  just dont go fishing any more because this is what is  all about. Old  enchant churches in pieces and some of them renovated and kept the way it was hundreds of years ago, castle towers visible from the forests and the huge rain clouds front of you gives a dark angry shades for all and when is the sun comes up everything sit around you in peace the way they sits for long long time........

And you knows that in the deep under your boat could lurking the same old angry green irish monster waiting to take a lure or the bait , every pike there what I caught between 2 days it was an awesome memory even the smallest witch sets the new "boat record", a great laugh what we have about, the swearing words when I lost my big one and when the stormy rain hits us. Well this is all about and i couldn't wish better company and host to do my last pike fishing here for a while. I definitely will be back and thank you for the awesome memories for Gerard Smith I really enjoyed my trip, first class!

Sad but happy.

Well tight lines and keep tuned for my new salt water sessions :)

And some more pics bellow ;)

Perch fishing with Pezon&Mitchel Hiker Micro Check rod combinated with 2" Molix Freraky Rock

   Pezon&Mitchel Hiker

For one of my last trip in Ireland I choose to be a river session (we have no close season here). Bring two rods one for pike the Illex Element Rider S230M 5-28g and my Pezon&Mitchel Hiker Micro Check 270 5-20g for perch. Around lunch time when pike fishing going all quiet I was into my perch mission. The river was flowing medium fast so I try a whole  range of weigths and technics to find out witch depht the perch lurking and how fast my lure need to move to make them interested. Also great test for the rod too, made to work the light soft plasics with it. The winning choice was 5g jikka rig, bump it on the bottom dead slow in the current of the river. Because of the solid tip the rod is extremely sensitive, soon as the led touched the bottom i felt every single rock down there. Takes a little time to get use to figure out witch bump is a bite and witch one is just structure of the bottom, but once you get the hang of it this rod will give you super awesome perch fishing. I cant wait to try it out on salt water  next. First class soft plastic rod for the "current job".

2" Molix Freaky Rock (june bug colour)

The lure witch does the damage on this session is a 2" Molix Freaky Roock in june bug colour. The water clarity was pretty stained but the perch seems wasnt interested in bright colours, so I decided to go dark then and boom fish on. Its a really special little lure, in the two long tail  have a built in air bubble its keeps the tail pop up and gives a lure non stop movement in the water.The two flat "lobster claw" imitation on the side is flapping all over the place when the led knock the rock on the bottom. The other two chunkier , perfectly round shaped fin on the top bring the weight to the head, gives the tail and claws more movement with every twitch you make. I set it up with weedless hook and 5g jikka led because the bottom structure was pretty hard to fish with open point jigheads, but works extremely well if you choose the jigging technic.

So at the end I have one of my best perch fishing experience on the river screen yesterday with this rod and this lure, they just really does the job in finesse fishing, give me over 20 perch and some was in  quiet nice sizes as well. The part 2 of the session will be about the morning and evening piking of the same day....coming soooooon, keep tuned! 

Tight Lines ;)

First impression of using the Pezon&Michel Hiker Micro Check rod

Been quiet at the last few weeks because the conditions of the weather unfortunately. Plus I catch a very bad flu witch tie me to the bed for pretty long time. But in between I manage to put my hands on a Pezon&Michel Hiker Micro Check rod. As probably many of you knows its so hard to get rods and goodies from france , mostly long waiting game with the postman but when its finally arrives totally worth the feeling. Last saturday decided that cant wait any longer I need the hit the bank so badly no matter what, well when I said no matter what I mean ready to face 50+mile/hr S/W wind right in the face where the spot, spiced up with rain and ice showers. Roughly all week was the same so kinda expect that water levels will be high and hard work to find a place to put the line in, some lakes/rivers we tried had swells like a sea, but fish was in my mind so put up the "lets do this" emotion on the face witch changed very quickly after 10 min to the "f....k this s....t" face.

However the conditions pushed us to the limit to try everything pretty much where we find H20 in the area. The bright side I could play with the rod lots of different ground, but firstable back in time a little when I unwrap the stick at home. First thing when I grab the parts "wow this is heavy", well the weight of the blank is heavier than what I expect under the "Street Fishing Concept", but thats not a bad omen at all. Put the parts together and get a usual wiggle with , felt  tiff and so soft at the same time, weird i didnt find the balance at all in the rod, but still no reel, line or lure on it. The lenght of the rod is 2.70m and rated 5-20g and these details made me so courious, sounds perfect for my soft plastic fishing but I didnt connect with the rod......yet. Take another closer look and yeah its has a solid tip on it.....light bulb in shine and then I start getting the concept ;)

And now back to last saturday when the magic begining and this rod is deny nearly everything what I wrote above like first wiggle and handle (what you normally do in shop) and let you to feel what is the Street Fishing Concept by Pezon&Michel . Arrived and start put the gear together, screw my little Pezon&Michel Luxor 2500 reel on first hahah keep it in style/ and I need slow reel for cold water anyway.  Booom yeah put the reel on and the rod is in total perfect balance, the end of the handle sits just right above the elbow a little, for perfect cast and a rod weight is just disappear to your forearm without feel any heavyness. Put the Sunline Superbraid 5 braid trough the eyes, leader tied on and the lure at the end 3.8" Molix RA Shad. Now the first cast with ........cast the lure out like a rocket 30m without any huge power cast, just like a catapult, with a little more power in it 50m bang on with 10g led. Actually because the solid tip the rod feels like super fragile, I had a good few cast before I was confident enough to give a big wack but the rod handle it no problem. On the river screen out in the current the sensitivity is outstanding when bump the lure along on the bottom feels every single rock. This was one of the reason what I was looking for in the rod, if I bring it out for salt water for bass in ashtrays......will be super fun.

And finally against all the weather procedure I hooked a little jack. Really made my day after all, take my lure just right about 2mtr front of the stand and when the fish realised the hook set did a straight run right under my feet.....i was like " noooo dont do this to me that I gonna loose it front of my legs" than looked up the rod was in perfect circle and I started to work the fish out from between the wooden legs of the stand.  Super that the real power of the rod comes from near of the handle, its like when you driving a car and turn the wheel once i was feel it and have confidence of the power what the rod has I easely could turn the fish with it the way I wanted. The pike was around 2kg not a monster at all but the fun was super on that rod. I can imagine for a good perch or zander fishing too in light style and even if hook a big fish its dont gonna be a problem to land with. One thing what I didnt try and I dont feel its gonna work at all if wanna over load the casting rate even just a few gramms. At the end im super impressed and love the rod.........5* soft plastic fishing, 5* on light plugs and 5* for power and sensitivity........i just could recommend!!

Tight lines ;)