Yesterday I ventured onto the Bandon River to grab a quick and relaxing hour of fishing with the hope of catching a salmon. The wind seemed to strong to comfortably fish with fly so I decided to fish with spinner on my 9 foot spin rod and vintage mitchell reel. I started fishing the river and making my way down covering the parts that may hold a fish, but no take.
Then out of nowhere a take. I started reeling in and could see the body of a fish with my poleroids. It wasn't big but it was fighting with strength, could it be a sea trout.... I got the fish in closer. Now I could see it was no brown trout, sea trout or salmon but a very hungry jack pike!
For some time there has been talk of pike in the river bandon but nobody has ever actually taken a photo of a rod caught pike. So here it is...
Pike are not a naturally occuring species to the Bandon River. Locals beleive that this species entered the river from Chapel Lake Dunmanway a couple of years ago during a flood.