Dark again as I set out on another winter morning looking for a pike and a few winter roach this time I’m off with my good pal Terry and a new companion for the day in Adie1200 of this very site, So the idea was to meet up with the lads at Delves for a bit of breakfast and to try and get some local knowledge of where the toothy beasties could be found. After a nice breakfast and two cuppas the lad we wanted to see about the fish finally arrived so we asked him where the best place for pike was on the canal now we should have listened to his first answer I think now but hey hind site is always 20/20 so they say what did he say well actually he said why bother with the canal we have plenty of pike in the fishery just outside this cosy warm dry café mmmmmmm so much temptation. But ever the glutton for punishment and looking at terry’s little face and how he’d set his heart on the canal , we went with the bailiffs second suggestion and went to the other end of town and the boat yard ,after moving the bins we managed to get a parking space and then we unloaded the gear and I got a call from Adie so we gave him instructions and waited for him to join our pike party, the water in the canal was up by at least two foot and all the pegs were under water so it wasn’t looking to good for the silver fish as that much of an influx of cold water usually knocks the feeding on the head but we thought might wake up the pike as it would be easier pickings with the roach etc being a tad slow . We squelched our way along the soggy muddy toe path to the bridge we had been told was a good place for the pike and set ourselves up with our dead baits and baitrunners and I with the old Mobydick trying for the odd lost gudgeon or roach but nothing the sun was pleasant although the wind was getting up and then Terry realised he’d forgotten his brolly so he went to hide under the bridge just as the first proper shower hit, Adie and I had brollies so we were stuck we had to sit it out and that was when the bailiffs voice came floating on the wind why go to the canal we have plenty of pike at Delves and that café that nice dry warm café oh well ho hum in between the showers terry tried some spinning and then Adie tried wobbling me I tried to get warm whenever the sun came out and the huddled into the korum chair under me brolly when the weather turned shall we say a tad inclement but it was nice when it came to those in-between times when you get to see the rainbow cheering up the dark clouds or the sun streaming through the threatening clouds lighting up the bridge making it almost glow. Then there was a curse from under the bridge so I pulled my rods in and wondered over to see Terry winding in after losing what turned out to be the only run of the day as he walked forward wallop boot the thermos goes flying which he picks up before it goes in the water and then turns to pick up the second rod and boot again over goes the thermos wag as I am I ask if he is hinting he wants a new thermos for Christmas to which I get the answer that it is his new Christmas Thermos titter so we had a good giggle about testing the warrantee and as he cast his second rod out yep boot off it goes again we chatted away a bit more time and we then went and cast out again by this time I must have cast to every single part of the swim I was in I’d tried float feeder maggot feeder large small and the eel section all over but nothing not even a nibble. Terry went first and we tried for an extra hour from where terry got his only run but nope nothing doing so we slipped and slid and squelched our way back to the cars the end of another fruitless pike trip for me . Lt us hope the next one is better or I think I’ll leave it until spring. Anyway until next time thanks for the good company Gents I hope to see you soon regards the Blackcap