A game of two halves and a little wander

Did the usual last night and fell asleep at the start of MOTD. So I missed Man City tonk Stoke but woke to see Chelski and Arsend Wenger get turned over by the minnows in the pond. Which made me smile. A lot. That Erikkson at Spurs has got a wicked pair of feet btw.Whipping it  in on the run on the voley, dead ball and everything.

No minnows on  my local river Bure but a lot of fry which is good to see. Thought I'd start off on the river after lunch now my pin is back in service.  Bright and clear so I wasn't expecting the better fish to show, and that was how it turned out. A lot of very small dace on the bait straight way even with 5bb just up from the hook. Sometimes a bit more of a pull back and that lovely twisting fight of  a better dace..

the flash of red and lovely blue sheen of a roach..

the bullish charging about of a perch, all hump back, spiky dorsal and stripes..

and the more determined dash for cover of a chublet.

And on the bluish lagoon as the clock struck 3 (always 5 minutes late) and hemp and caster or bust. I
I'd gone back to the stage to give my corner patch a rest. First cast and it seemed  I had chosen well.

Despite dotting right down with enough down below to also register a lift it was hard going.

Of course looking back given the warm wind I should have sprayed the remainder of my reds and fished up in the water.  But I didn't.  An hour to go and I dashed round to he corner swim, amongst the thickening carpet of falling poplar leaves. No dotting down here given the tricky dark and light fishing into the sun but increasing the feed and moving the droppers up did result in more  and better fish as the light went.

The bigger ones often have this golden cast but there are no rudd to cross with.

Not enough time to fish today but had to get out to feel the sun in my bones and my upturned face .

Oi oi Mr. Roach

Now, for that wander, and wonder a bit further afield. 14 fish there at least, and not much change from 75 pound. Probably a bit more.You do the math.  Slightest sound and they are all under that overhang, all tucked in and nothing to see. Verbotten unfortunately. Isn't that.always the way. Just like those chub in that millpool that always  featured in Lewis.

Sloppy seconds

A little longer on the blueish lagoon (3-6) and though I  had plenty of fish to hemp and caster nothing of yesterday's stamp. They seemed to be moving from the shelf out deeper and back again. Still it was a mild and drier afternoon and had a nice chat with the blueish lagoon bois.

Pretty little hybrid and those all important telltale shot.

A sample of the better fish from a very mixed bag.

Casterama

Had an afternoon pass and was on the blueish lagoon by a little after 3 having taken a detour to try and source a replacement screw for my pin.

Had some scrummy shop turned caster, some much defrosted and  refrozen hemp/corn and back up maggot should I run out of the autumn angler's staples. I have had a few fish out of the blueish lagoon but not many of the bigger roach for a while and was hoping to  put that right before we get any frosts.

More rain forecast and certainly quite low light levels. Just right I thought. Not much tow today and I seemed to be able to hold the double casters nicely over the dying weed. Thee or four small roach fairly quickly then a decent fish  had me zeroing the scales. A gnats under 13 oz.

Despite some wayward feeding soon got into a good rhythm and a mix of roach (several netters), skimmers , hybrids and perch kept me busy in the increasingly heavy rain  culminating in this absolute stonker of  a roach, coming in at 1.05 and a reason to stop and retreat. 

Must of had a stone of fish in less than two hours. Had thought of the river tomorrow but weather permitting I might just have a longer bash on the blueish lagoon. Just can't turn down the prospect of  a possible bagging session, as long as my gear has dried out .

Gudgeon pie

Had the trots again today, well an hour on the way home anyway. River in perfect shape and I dropped in below the bridge  in a  short deep and  slightly tricky run. The bow saw will have to come out as the willow is encroaching.

It was a veritable gudgeon nest down there and every chuck a small coconut. I did let a few plod about to see if I could entice  a perch to strike, the only one that did was on the legit maggots. Which by the way at only 2.50 a pint are a steal. (3.30 in Dangling Indirect and small as pinkies to boot) The casters were hand turned to. They are for tomorrow.

5- 6 oz ish  and brightly marked as ever on this river.

Just a 15 minute  sample of the hour or so.

261. INGREDIENTS.-- Egg and bread crumbs sufficient for the quantity of fish; hot lard.
Mode.-- Do not scrape off the scales, but take out the gills and inside, and cleanse thoroughly; wipe them dry, flour and dip them into egg, and sprinkle over with bread crumbs. Fry of a nice brown.
Time.-- 3 or 4 minutes.
Average cost. Seldom bought.
Seasonable from March to July.
Sufficient, 3 for each person.

THE GUDGEON.-- This is a fresh-water fish, belonging to the carp genus, and is found in placid streams and lakes. It was highly esteemed by the Greeks, and was, at the beginning of supper, served fried at Rome. It abounds both in France and Germany; and is both e

Think they had bigger gudgeon in mind, 2-3 per person?

Troot alors

Had to have a few trots today. Well you do don't you. Especially when it remains so mild. Rain did threaten and indeed end the brief foray but not enough to dampen my spirits. Went with red maggot and whilst not  a coconut every chuck fun enough. I have had to retire my pin whilst I track down a spare screw for the reel seat. Definitely less control with a fixed spool but a lot quicker to retrieve at the end of the trot.

Best roach of the session just before I called it quits. They do pull in what is a good flush of water through the pool. Had some decent dace, a tiny perch, some tinier gonks and two fecking  crays.

A lot better marked and  a fair bit more solid than the fish last weekend this spottie did a good tour of the pool before hitting the net.

Speaking of spotties The Essex Scribbler did a great double on the fly recently, a mullet and then this  fantastic silver tourist from a localish estuary. Bet it went well on his 5 weight.

You nasty little fecker.

Well, Jasper Farquhar has let some pesky little oiks muscle in on his turf since the spring. This absolutely vile thing actually stuck its great red signal claw right in my finger. Good job it wasn't one of the big ole daddy craws that are like lobsters. Drew blood and everything. Look at it's left tiny claw.

Fish wise perch, dace and roach kept me busy, particularly as the light levels dropped once evensong bells had called in the faithful and the dog fox began his barking behind me. Nothing knee shaking but a few did need the net. Most came on the drop so little need to feed as they kept coming. 

This triploid really did go well on the end of my line, a  bit skinny though. 200 of these pellet guzzlers will help keep a few pike in good trim though.

Something else went well on the end of my line, so well it went right down to the spool knot, I couldn't get the rod up, and over the big reeds to my right to follow it and could not turn it, even with everything locked up and the cork groaning under the reel seat.  I have only felt such inexorable power once before on the river, that time it was a mid -20's pike on meat that I did eventually get to the net twice, in heavy flow on 6lb line, only for it to shake it's head and bite me off. I didn't see this fish but it only could have been a big pike, carp or barbel I suppose. 

Chard earth policy...

Day out with littlest un today. Weather kind and out of the wind it did feel more than 18C.

Request to see the deer at Gunton, the stags are getting ready to rut in  a big way.

Always have to stop at Morston (Blakeney Harbour) to see the goats and of course the view.

Lolly stop at Sheringham Park, one of Repton's finest..

Happened on an outdoor photography collection in the Bower Garden, a stunning array of images. Worth a look to be sure. (£5.50 to park if not an NT member though)

A stick is an essential object in any wooded area

And a final request to drive over the cattle grids  at Felbrigg Hall. Autumn is officially here and the colchicums are out (and so are my nerine lillies).

Chicken checking is a must in the walled garden and bee orchard

The colour on that chard though....

I hear whispers of roach in Jasper Farqhuar territory so hope to be on the river  for a few hours into dusk tomorrow.