Pike for all seasons

A fortuitous diversion provides inspiration to try for a pike but will this notoriously tricky adversary play ball, wonders Jamie Tusting

- Jamie Tusting

The clocks going back at the end of October confirmed the change of the seasons, and the hour difference brought in the proper English autumnal weather.

The rain was falling and wind blowing hard when I set out on a walk with some friends one Saturday, and as we trudged over Bow Hill on the South Downs, Max and I jabbered away about the one topic we like to talk about more than any other: fishing. We were still on the subject as we stopped for a well-deserved pint at the Hare & Hounds in Stoughton.

The following day, Max and I were rather reluctantly dragged into Chichester for an afternoon of shopping; not an activity either of us were keen to partake in, but probably the least we could do after the numerous weekends away fishing over the summer.

Fortuitously, the heavens opened as we meandered down the high street and the closest shop to take shelter in happened to be Orvis. Our luck was in.

Heaven

I find it almost impossible to walk into a fishing shop and come away without making a purchase. Like children in a sweet shop, we were drawn to a huge display of flies at the back of the store. It was pick-and-mix heaven and while the rainstorm battered down outside, we discussed each fly in detail and agreed the fishing trips we could use them on.