Pike season starting 1 Oct

Hi All

1st October is the start of the pike fishing season on our waters (through to 14 March). And the pike in MBL are very active at the moment.

A few quick reminders for you:

• Only Malcolm Barker and the Stort have pike in them. Beggars Hall and Hall Farm large lake do have perch in them.

• Always use a wire trace - at least 12 inch/30 cm is recommended.

• Do you need 2 trebles? Single circle hooks are becoming very popular as they make unhooking a lot easier. We also recommend barbless/micro barb hooks. There is lots of great info on YouTube and the Fox Rage channel is well worth a look: https://www.youtube.com/c/FoxRageTV

• You must not bring live baits to a water as this counts as a live fish transfer for which you need an EA licence. This includes MBL to the Stort and vice versa.

• Do make sure all your kit is in good order as it may be a few months since you last used it and you want to make sure that one take counts on a hard day.

As an exception to the usual Club rules, braided mainline, with a wire trace of course, is permitted when you are pike fishing. The braid needs to be at least 30lb breaking strain. The aim is the hooks straighten and release the rig if you get snagged up.

Good luck all on your fishing.