Head above the clouds

The Loafer was booked to be ghillie for Bully but the forecast was for rain later so I got down to the rolling hills of Devil Dog and Roses Round the Cottage Door Land an hour or so earlier and headed up past the pre-baited spots into new territory for me. An abundance of skylarks and the occasional peep and brilliant azure of kingfishers.  A chub day today. 2SSG or less in contrast to the bank-topping of the last trip down. Meadow sodden but green. Water clear and a mean down-streamer. Second swim and only a brief shifting of the lead to note and I was eyeing up the next good looking spot.  Everything tidied up and rucksack on my back. Rod last to be picked up and a fish pulled back hard. Decent scrap but no netting dramas. A bit more of a struggle to pull the net back up the bank than I was expecting. No wonder, it was an absolute belly buster all you can eat breakfast of a chub. 4lb 10oz of prime Essex (cast landed this side of territorial waters) lard. 

So good I posted it twice....

Could have packed up there and then but when the fish are feeding you down turn chances down. 

I was contemplating life on this nice bend when a strange tapping on my left ear with the aftermarket white tip of a Fox Specialist 12 foot 1lb tc announced that the Loafer had arrived and not long after Bully bought the rain with him.  Wet through in minutes. My temper worsened by the appearance of  a small dog that ran off with my weigh sling, it's owner totally oblivious.  No recall at all.  Another 'I didn't see you there' excuse. 10 minutes of trying to get it on a lead them another 10 trying to disentangle it. When she had she dropped the sling at her feet  and of course the dog picked it up again

Headed back to the car with the intention of dumping the mountain of wet stinky tackle and bread slop in the boot and come back down with a flask of soup  to watch the Loafer expertly guide Bully to a netfull, the rain stopped as I got to Dead Cormorant swim and I seized the opportunity to winkle this smaller feller out  all bronzes and coral pinks.

The rain retuned with a vengeance so I headed back up the steep steps to the charabanc . Got up to the village and the top of the cloud was down below.   Steak for tea so a wet but happy day in the end.