Yesterday in the so called "old year" my fishing buddy called me and asked if it would be a good plan to go fishing early morning on Jan. 1st.
Off course it would be a good plan I replied.
The other option would be to be bumming around in house so fishing was the thing the do.
So while all the "semi-normal" people where still recovering from their hangovers we slipped into a residential neighbourhood where Joop suspected pike.
A little stream flowed between the houses, this stream was connected to several ponds so it was very likely that there would be fish in it.
We fished the shallow stream in single file and after a while a pike jumped on my streamer, the fish went immediately airborne.
The little guy was a real acrobat and put up a very good fight.



First pike of the season.

This stream was real shallow and I guess nobody would ever suspect that there would be fish in it.
From expirience we knew better, in the colder months these sheltered urban waters where the retreat of many shiners and thus predators.
We where progressing downstream when a huge boil errupted behind Joops streamer.
The pike missed the fly, Joop promised to visit the place later when we would return upstream.
It would be likely that the pike would hit again after a while.
We fished further downstream and probed all likely pike hideouts along the way.
When the stream left the development the water suddenly became very shallow so we went back upstream.
Joop probed the spot where the pike missed his streamer while I fished further upstream from him.
I tossed the fly close to the adjecent bank and after a few strips the fly was hammered by yet another pike.


Into fish nr. 2

This time the fish was bigger and so it took a little longer to land the fish.
The fish had beautifull markings and was in perfect shape.


Fish nr. 2

We moved further upstream and fished one of the connecting ponds.
People where slowly becoming awake and traffic along the walkways increased.
To prevent fighting somebody's golden retriever instead of the local pike we decided to move to another stream in a more rural setting.
The next stream was one of Joop's favorite locations so he immediately scooted of to the place where he had caught some fat yellow perch and pike in the summer.
After 10 minutes Joop was in to his first fish of the season.


Joop busy with a strong pike.

There was a little more flow in the stream than usual and the pike skillfully made use of the current.
Joop stayed cool and fought the pike untill it was ready to land.
With a grip behind the gills I was able to hoist the pike on to the shore.


Joop's first pike of the season.

So on this grey dull first morning of the year we where able
to catch our first pike of the season.
I can't think of a better start of the season than this.