Cold, wet and windy

This picture, taken at 3pm today does not even begin to depict just how dank, windy and miserable it was on Captains this afternoon. Suffice to say no fish to liven up things either.

Gastro-schmastro

The tribe had a meal at a very well appointed gastro-hotel on the coast road near the Burnhams during our stay-away Christmas. Beautiful decor, the food was really good and so was my Abbott.

Why then, over a not very full lunch service did it take nearly an hour for the mains (that's with  no starter) to arrive, not all together and not with a smile? And though this may show my lack of sophistication, just how much for a loaf of un-asked for bread and butter?

They are in this guide and you may have a better time but I am not going back which is a shame. (and, if you ring on the off-chance, with a large party as we did on a reconnoitre the year before, don't be surprised if they ask you not to order just soup.)

Probably less glamorous food served here at the Edinburgh in Wells but equally good beer (this time a Woodfordes Christmas Nog I think) and bar games as well. Not a bad way to spend an hour before Boxing Day lunch.

Not sure if these two had anything on the marshes.....

Wells doesn't look particularly wintry in these shots, but it wasn't raining for once.

Wells at Christmas

Christmas spent in Wells-next-the-Sea this year. Couldn't resist this.......

Cranes in the rain

No picture I am afraid but driving along the coast road past Horsey Mill today on a very wet and dreary morning saw 4 common crane feeding on a roadside field. I knew a colony lived in the area but had never seen them before. I had not realised just how big they are, or how loud their call is. Did have a camera but for some reason no SD card in it and seemingly no internal memory. Only got an 18-55 mm lens on the Nikon so would not have been very clear anyway. One of those chance, rare and golden moments.

Ancient and modern

Ancient and modern. We are blessed with many windmills and wind pumps in Norfolk. To many, the electricity generating wind vanes are an eyesore, a blot on the landscape, not in my back.......you get the point. These two structures were  perhaps 200 metres apart, just off the coast road near Ridlington.  One of course is without its working parts.

 

Both have grace and command the eye, especially against Norfok's big skies. This is edgelands here. A higher vantage point, perhaps  atop either of these would see a rounded corner of England, the Cromer Ridge and the shingle through to Blakeney Point to the West and the dunelands round to Yarmouth to the East. There are  even taller structures to be seen studding this grand arcing panorama including many church towers but what caught my eye today was Happisburgh Lighthouse, repeated in this field edge puddle.

Stopped at Walcot Wall again.  I don't know how many weekends have seen the Wak mobile pulling in at the "Little Shop". Ever present on the wall are these scurrying, hurrying little fellers.

  

At the end of the rainbow is...Cromer

Driving to the coast to send the littlest one to sleep this morning I followed this rainbow all the way to Cromer and then back along the coast road to Walcot. Perhaps it portends the coming of the Beast from the East?

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Being there

The Bure again has been up, but looking a lot nicer than last week. Fished down from the rail bridge at Buxton . Looks quite serene in this view.....

Mostlly however the volume of water made finding some slacker water quite difficut,.Both the mill and leat sluices were well open and though it was not difficult to hold with about 2oz it was hard to read what what it was like was under the surface turbulence. Fished half lamprey and a smelt on the bottom through about 5 spots but no takes at all. Just after taking shot below a pair of kingfishers sped down stream in that shocking azure and chestnut blur out of nowhere that never fails to excite.

Back to the car and caught a glimpse of a barn owl quaterring the meadow below the mill.  Paused for a while by the syndicate pool in the gathering dusk. Third fishless trip.but a joy to be out today, certainly more so than last week which was somewhat grim.

After the snow....

December has arrived and we've had a half-hearted flurry of snow to top the heavy rain. The Yare was still over it's banks on Friday at Harford Bridge but as usual the Bure around Mayton kept just under the brim and inded was  a little down by Sunday.
Quite why I tried some far bank spots I don't know given the pace on the river but it was the nearest section to the car as I had to be off the water by 4.30 from a 3pm start.

Fishing here means sitting on a pile of dredged crap that has been here for at least a year and is still as manky and sloppy as when it first came out of the river. Bit of a test for the rover chair combo I have acquired but the chair is light to carry. Worm not troubled.

Slight change of scene but by now a lot of weed coming down which made it difficult to keep the bait in for more than a minute or so which was a bit tiresome. Did get across to the slack below the bush and this kept the line out of a lot of the flow but I would think will look a pretty shallow, unfishy spot when the water clears. No takers anyway. Did see a barn owl at close quarters and I think a couple of days will see some of the crap washed through.