Train did come

In between weather chasing did get this train coming out of Sheringham.

Variable weather

Wildly varying weather in an hour on the North Norfolk coast today. 

A higher vantage point would have shown the contrasting sea colours much better but  the road was busy and stopping places limited.This is between Weybourne and Cley.

20 minutes later and Blakeney Harbour in a wild mood with a hard running tide, snow and wind

Heading back towards Sheringham in bright sun and wind dried, bleak fields

Wait a bit longer next time

This shot could have included a loco in full steam but I drove off 2 minutes too soon! 

Finding Windows 8 a nightmare too, I hadn't ever wanted to have an app if you must know, especially as my PC deliberately hasn't got a touch screen. (Old computer died) Bah humbug.

Last day on the river

After some prevarication I opted for a compromise..piking and finishing off with chub, maybe.. River more coloured than Tuesday and   more pace. Had to  look about a bit for some less boily water at the top of the stretch though  less turbulent as the river straightened and widened. Colder today I thought and the bank wet and muddy.

First of the day from a small slack about the size of a pool table on half mackerel.

Just answered a text from the Essex Scribbler when I had this little'un, again on mackerel section. Quite a tussle in the strong flow

And quite soon after had this  belter. Covered in leeches and spawned out but still a hefty 23+, this was the 25 I had in the snow a month back.

Dropped out of two more fish, one of which was a reasonable double and a couple of  indications that I didn't connect with as well. Did  fish meat in two swims but no joy and off the river by 5. No doubt the chub will be evident on the gravels  and in the mill pool within a week or two as is usual, a good chance to assess likely stock numbers.

Icy blast subsides (a bit)

Although it was still raw this morning I psyched myself up to a bash after lunch. Plumped for somewhere not too far from the car and ended up below Mayton Bridge on the Bure. It was not quite as cold and the river, though coloured looked quite promising. Probably the pace more to do with the gates down at Horstead than the amount of water coming off the land which is surprising seeing just how much was on the fields and on the roads still yesterday.

Second swim and an inconclusive take on half a small mackerel, float dipping but not moving saw me wind down to no bait, and no fish. Scouting down a couple of swims found what was left of what I judged to be a perch given the colour and nature of the fins and the roe (early spawners). One the otter ate most of this time.

As ever barn owls evident, a pair quartering the flood plain. Managed this reaction shot, not too bad given it is only an 18-5 mm lens and the owl had just appeared in the gap. Glimpsed a jay and heard a buzzard. Rooks enjoying the wind.

Last swim before the stile and another tentative take, again on half-mackerel, the float dipping with a  little more vigour and this was the culprit. Didn't weigh this one but knocking on doubles.

Not to sure about the last day, having seen the river today if there is no more rain then maybe I will have a go at the chub...did snow quite hard just as I got to the car.

Too cold to fish?

Back end or no, today has been positively Siberian and for the first time that I can remember I chose not to go fishing because of the weather. It doesn't look like this lot are gonna get an airing till June now.

Cold but not as cold as today in this oldie: Biked up to the Match Pitch to find it a complete ice over. In one corner the fronds of a willow had kept the ice to cats ice thickness and with plenty of encouragement I smashed a hole big enough to drop in a herring (not much further out than the broken ice you can see). My confidence was minimal, particularly as something clearly spooked had bow waved off with the first crash of the landing net pole/brick combo used to to break up the ice. However it didn't take long for the line to tighten and this was the culprit:

An earlier capture of the same fish from the other side of the Pit. Spot the bike, we all used them at the time. That might be the Essex Scribblers bike, it's not mine. Someone used to get a take and we'd all buzz round to see what was going on,  or if they'd gone home for dinner and left rods out we'd wait to see dog walkers looking at the indicators dancing up and down the needles (Gardner monkey climbers or Lobkin's resin specials) and bomb round to hopefully hit the run and play the fish in. (Carp, not pike on trebles I hasten to add)
                         

 I do remember once getting to the Match Pit on a day like today where the wind had kept an area free of ice but the windchill  was cruel.  It took ages to warm up enough from the bike ride to be able get the rods out, only for me to feel so sick from the cold I straight away had to repeat the torture of tackling down and biking home, this time against the wind and hail. Down hill though.

I think I will get on the river tomorrow,but not chubbing, and hope Thursday is bearable too.

Best laid plans

Looks like nearly 5 days on the rivers may not come off....hasn't stopped raining or snowing since 6pm yesterday, the land is sodden already.

Otter or what?

Shame about the state of this pike that put up a good account of itself today. Otter damage?

Found an owl pellet on the  flood bank.

 And watched  a pair of buzzards

Had saved two of the best swims til last but so had  a couple with two splashy dogs and lots of stick throwing so packed in early and had a wander below the mill. Spring certainly stirring, but a cold wind coming up from Hautbois Hall

Best looking public toilets in Norfolk?

You can see where the design idea came from for these toilets....

Street/sea art

There are some interesting things to see on and around Sheringham sea front as heralded below. Taken from a British Rail poster I believe.

Saw these today on a part bright, part cold afternoon in early March.

Continues on some of the commercial property too...

As well as the civic ameneties:

Being a sea side town, with sessional employment and damp, salt incursion there is some un-intended visual interest too...

Abberton

Old days not always the best days.......Dropped off at Abberton Reservoir at about 7am by "Don't say that Wak to me" Baines Senior for a full day, as his car drove off I realised I had left all my bait in the boot. No mobiles in those days, not even the yuppie bricks wity the telescopic ariels.  Lobkin had a mackerel I think and we must have shared it for bait.  Rules in those days one rod only. Long, long  walk to anything even resembling a fishmongers. Lobkin caught, I didn't. A long day. A very long day

Quick sticks

Short notice pass out today.. quite warm by the time I got to the river at 3pm in distinct contrast to this morning which was grey and cold.. Spotted someone was  further up with my bins so went to check on their permit, they had just had  a 17,  from the description was the same fish I'd had last Friday, and a good distance upstream.

Had to negotiate a treacherous deposit of thick clay by the little brick bridge half way up the stretch. Double size, double weight moon boots, not pleasant!

Had a small fish on whole sardine but off  the river by 4.30 as Wak Lite called with a possible trip down to Devil Dog Land on offer Monday and I needed to get some bait bought and in the freezer as I had thought about a day chubbing, not piking originally on Monday so hadn't stocked up in the week.

Saw a nervous shoal of small dace or roach (2-3") in the little stream behind the flood bank. Not sure where it joins the river for the fish to get in to to spawn, must be the little stream that runs under the bridge below the mill which in turn comes out above the rail bridge so that's a long way down from where they were today. Egret in flight seen at distance and a large hawk which was tantalisingly just too far for the bins to really make out detail. I don't think it was a buzzard so possibly a harrier? Never fail to spot a barnie or two on the stretch though, what ever time of day.