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| Small jack pike sulking after being returned to father Thames |
A nice close look at the striped camouflage markings of a small jack pike. This one sulked after I had it out of the Thames on my small firetiger pikie plug.
Eventually its lack of movement worried me so I poked it with my net handle and it shot off, splashing me as it departed.
Eventually its lack of movement worried me so I poked it with my net handle and it shot off, splashing me as it departed.
Another fish using my rather ace home made wire traces. A word on those.
I make them 12-14" long out of 35lb 'knot 2 kinky' wire with light snaps and swivels.
I make them 12-14" long out of 35lb 'knot 2 kinky' wire with light snaps and swivels.
This wire is amazing single strand nickel titanium that does stretch by 10% or more and is stiff, springy and cannot kink or twist. It is very thin and far less visible than the 30lb braid I use. The stretch is uncanny but means it naturally gets thinner as it does so and can pull out of crimps so must be doubled over through the crimp. This is tricky to do but the end result is the best lure trace I've used. When it stretches there is a strange crunching feeling and sound but a bit of stretch has got to be a good thing as the braid mainline has none. You can even knot the wire but I prefer crimps as its expensive stuff and I don't want to waste an inch. Drennan slim crimps attaching dinky swivel at one end and 30lb crosslock snap at t'other give an almost invisible setup that must give an edge in clear water.
*Update*
ReplyDeleteDon't go too light on the snaps. I lost my small 'alien eel' on a big cast when the 25lb snap straightened out. Twas my own fault as I'd just manually reformed the snap after pulling out of a snag.