Six of the best

The arse end of Arwen had filled up my river so it was time to find some stillwater pike to go at. Somewhere not to far from the car as rain was forecast, and with some shelter from the wind. I 'd planed to take the stove for  fresh victuals but the forecast put me off. It was gone ten before I'd squelched down the sodden clay path to the last swim on the river bank of the pond and got the bank sticks in. I had  half a bluey and 4 pollan  and a back up lamprey pack (I'm too mean to use them) and planned to work them back to the first shelf, twitching the float ledgered baits every so often as the weed was minimal though the leaf debris not quite so much. 

I'd bought the big coat today but I've got too big for it and ALDI don't do 2 x's up so it wasn't that comfortable but required anyway what with the wind and later the rain. I'd even donned a thermal layer. I'd just bought the right hand rod in a nads when the float dipped and line began paying out from the baitrunner. A spirited tussle and  tail walk before it was in the onion bag, my first fished for pike from the pond for quite a while and conveniently it had shed the trebles in the skanky onion bag. It hadn't shed this tiny eyed hook though. Very nice fish to kick off with. Plump. Like me

 A recast and twitch later to the same area and the right hander was away again. But so was the left. Set the hooks in both and concentrated on the right hander which really ripped my knuckles a few tines before it was safely tucked up in the skank net whilst I made contact with the second fish which felt a bit bigger  and it proved to be once it was in my shiny carpy second net. Again both fish had dropped the hooks in the net, not so nice in my shiny carpy one! Three doubles and it was only 11 ish

I lost a smaller one in the next swim and set about eating my pack up and that lovely LIDL tomato and chorizo soup, piping hot from the flask. Cheese and pickle in the roll. Sorted. But hot from the pan bacon and sausage with fresh tea would have been even nicer.

Rain commenced and it was proper rain, and  before I could nip back to the charabanc for the umbrella so it was a case of covering things up and hunkering down. Which was rudely interrupted by a run in the 3rd swim of my leap frog. Not sure what number swim it was from and I couldn't possibly say even if I did know..

Probably not quite a double but a nice long fish either way

A brief break in the rain and into the 4th and last swim, and a recast saw an instant take to he left hand half pollan. This one really tore about, and though short it was very fat and was the first on the Korum digital scales and went 14.05. They do seem to be feeding well. 

Back on then spot and something must have taken it's place damn quick as the line was snatched from my fingers as I see the baitrunner. Deep surging runs and dogged resistance spelt a bigger prize and so it turned out as I really struggled to lift it out of out of the water. One of the units at a very satisfying 20.09. Would have loved  a self take but the rain and a knackered remote meant  mat shots all round. 

Lovely ole job

Gated community

 A lot of Norfolk is still owned by a small number of people. When I first started work up here after moving back in the early 90's I was staggered at first to meet families still living in tied houses under a feudal landlord.

I guess these days its the car washers and land workers that are being trafficked and under the thrall of their robber baron shady gang masters so that puts it in perspective.

And they don't add Capability Brown and Repton grandeur to the landscape we have come to love. I pass this gate most days on my long commute and it's a handy stop to relieve myself of the boujie coffee and check my tasks  for the day or log into the tyranny of the morning check-in.

And sometimes the home drive  sees this.

Witches curse

Them witches must have been hiding in plain sight yesterday and put a hex on (no such word as enduction Buh), I went back for the last hour today and the course of the glide had changed a bit, strong enough to pull the line off the pin but there seemed to be a surfeit of much smaller fish which grabbed the double grubs and drifted down in the flow. It didn't rain which was a bonus but it wasn't as much fun as yesterday, most of the time it  was like batting a small leaf back up the flow. Same mix of roach, dace and a pair of gudgeon again.

Witching hour ( 45 mins to be precise)

 The Saturday blues had me in their thrall, almost constant light drizzle with sharper bursts of rain. Two fresh pints of reds from Dangling Indirect and a few turning not so fresh ones burning a hole in the fridge and no prospect of pressing them into use despite the forecast showing 12 % chance of rain. 

Dangling Indirect though..currently victim to a cyber attack that diverts browsers to the long stay carp angler's favourite Porn Hub. Delicious irony there I think. And many a meme spawned. And of course since most of their online ware  is famously out of stock anyway no change there then....

All that aside I wanted to go fishing but not get wet and miserable. Chores done then a late lunch in a bowl and not the bankside flask. LIDL Deluxe Spicy Chorizo and Sun Dried Tomato (with added anchovy paste).  Cheap but lovely.

It wasn't until 3.15 that I was at the bridge pool and looking at a longer slack in the almost spot on conditions. There were even fish topping amongst  the drips from the poplars which were holding off the breeze. Banks slippery so standing to trot not really on and the dying back rosebay still obscuring some  of the trotting eye line making it a little difficult  and as the drips turned to rain the line began to stick a bit to the mid section where one of the flimsy single leg eyes had broken so it wasn't a well oiled machine in action but good enough for a bite somewhere on the trot. If it was as the bait was still dragging behind the float  as the back eddy straightened it was from a gudgeon and as I began to be able to effect some control down the glide it was from a roach or occasionally a dace, seemingly freshly minted with a roach like blue sheen and red rather than toffee fins.

I gathered a few in the shallow pan net  for  a farewell shot which came prematurely at 4pm as I got in in a tangle and rain robbed my enthusiasm to re-set the rig for the last 20 minutes.

As for witches in their hour of gathering, only a few bedraggled dog walkeresses but not  a besom or black cat to be seen.

I'd only used the old bait so that fresh two pints of grubs remain cosseted in fresh maize meal in the bait fridge. If the rain hasn't really affected the flow too much it's trotting again today, either back on the bridge pool which is obviously chock full of fish or perhaps prospecting for roach down on bungalow bend or a safer bet at the bottom of cyanide straight for  a chance of something bigger. 

Looking

Just  a quick walk around a local estate lake today, brisk cold wind but the beech trees still hold their burnished copper leaves.

One chap on the dam piking whilst being talked at very loudly by a passer by for an eternity and this neat and tidy bloke netting his 4th bream on a helicopter rig frame feeder and worm.

A cracking lunch was partaken of courtesy of Oldest. And that's yer lot.

Neon Sunday

One late hour on Sunday, almost out of the boot of the BureBoi Charabanc. Little to report apart from a distant tawny owl, a kingfisher that passed twice and a proper clamour of rooks put off their roost choosing in the Great Wood by a very sharp downpour. The sky though, one of those neon affairs that seem to suggest snow is coming. It wasn't.

One Horse Town

Rare cross border skirmishes on Thursday as we headed off to that there Suffolk for a half term day out. A cold, blustery day so no beach activity for us and Southwold Pier was only briefly trod on and not by me. It does offer some fabulous panoramic views  on a good day but this was as good as it got for me on this particular day.

Two things dominate Southwold and wherever you go they seem to be peering over you. One is resolute and firm, keeping our mariners safe with Wikipedia tells  me flashes every 10 seconds, and the other is simply everywhere, maxing out the brand. Southwold really is a one horse town. An Adnams town. I don't think there are any non Adnams pubs in town anymore. 

Probably because it is the home of their brewery and distillery. On a good day (I suspect everyday) you can even smell the beer being brewed, especially by this either distressed chic or forgotten about signage and the nearby vents pouring out that warm hoppy, malty fug.

We of course  had to sample their fare, the Little Un's are becoming a little less feral when eating out as long as they have lots of drawing material and of course chips and were on good form. Shandy for the Commander in Chief, a grapefruity lager for Leeds Lad and of course a Broadside for me. I actually prefer Greene King Abbot as the Adnams bitters are usually more caramelised but no hope in here. I had to force this beer down as you can imagine...

Eats  perfectly adequate, a burger for me, real fish and chips for the Commander in Chief and a fake fish and chips for the vegan Leeds Lad ( Banana Blossom apparently). All featuring some Adnams product. Natch. Burger v. nice.

Time for a rush round the charity shops via the imposing church of St Edmund, Martyr and King whilst I slunk around with the BureBoi Nikon

Posh fish and chips, I didn't check if they used Adnams in their batter or vinegar but I suspect it would be a good possibility.

Pies and stuff through a window darkly.

One thing I did notice was a strong representation of local ahem..Cornish branded outlets. Surprised Rick Stein hasn't got a foot in. There was one import worthy of a mention though and a plug: the mighty Bray's Cottage Pork Pies from God's Own County of (North) Norfolk. Damn fine pork pies they are too.

Local? Certainly closer than  Cornwall and in fact  I drive a few miles further to work each day than the trip here today which is a sobering thought given that diesel is as much  as 1.529ppl at the moment.