Holland

Twenty minute drive to Harwich, a long but relaxing ferry crossing to the Hook and after a stock up at the  supermarket we were on our way to a campsite adjacent to the river Lek.

No great plan, I stumbled across it on the boat when looking for somewhere to spend the night.

The Lek is another monstrous Dutch river, eventually draining into the Waal and three to four hundred yards wide where we were fishing.

Huge reedbeds and flooded marshland prevented me fishing right in front of the site but we drove the camper five minutes down the road to an area that screamed fish.

A sluice fed coloured water into one of the bays off the main flow and the depth twenty yards out dropped from six to fifteen feet. Got to be fish there, right ?

Six feeder fulls of seed and corn were deposited in the deeper water and first chuck the tip whacked over and a cracking silver bream just shy of two pounds ended up in the net.

S and me fished three or four hours with breaks for tea, thunder and lightning showers and grub and in the end I had over twenty very big silver bream, with six over two pounds with the best at 2lb 6oz, plus several proper bronze snotties.

Incredible wildlife round here. Storks , heron, crane, kingfishers, several species of warbler, cuckoos, hares, loads of frogs and toads, hedgehogs and lots more.

I'm sure you could get a 3lb silver bream with a bit of effort. They really do fight and are beautiful looking fish, I love 'em.

Next morning I ditched the feeder rod and loaded the fishing bike with a light lure rod and a few bits and pieces and off I went. You don't half sweat cycling with chesties on I can tell you.

Well, I only had one fish, but what a beast it was. A clonking great pike of just over 19lb, in absolutely mint condition. It actually looks like a late winter fish, not one from May.

I was chuffed to get it in on the light rod and tackle chosen for asp and zander and to squeeze it into the somewhat undersized net.

It really did fight, using its bulk and speed in the flow and fought for very much longer than any pike I've had before.

What a beauty

The fishing bike. Two rod/landing net holders and not at all gay basket on the back.

Fantastic DIY work from myself.

Two great sessions. On to the next river tomorrow.