"That's a ******* Eagle Owl !"

Chatting to Matt as we waited for the third pike of the day,  he looked up and remarked "That must be a b-i-g bird up there on top of that pylon!"

Even though we were piking I always have my binoculars round my neck. You never know your birding luck! Expecting to see a perched buzzard I looked skywards to the top of the nearby pylon.

"That's a ******* Eagle owl!", I screamed  "..though god knows what it's doing up there! It's too high up to be looking for food" Matt got his bins and agreed with my I.D. Stunner!

A couple of minutes passed as we admired the world's heaviest owl. Hang on....something's not quite right....the bird was stock still and it's perch looked like it was a piece of wood attached to the top of a 150 foot pylon??  S-t-r-a-n-g-e. Suddenly the light came on....it was a sodding bird scarer! Its purpose, to stop ducks, geese etc from flying into the high voltage cables. Damn!

Back to the fishing. By the end of the day, we had caught three pike between us and all of them doubles. Matt was first to catch with a 13lb 12oz. Ten minutes later I had a 10lb 8oz and shortly after I had a 12lb fish which would have dragged my rod in if I hadn't have left the bail arm open.

I have decided that I will go piking for two sessions next week and then leave them to get on with what comes naturally until my second piking season starts next autumn.