Nostalgia for days yet to come

Even with the big St. Jude wind it is still so mild. Even though we were being warned the week before that we have this to look forward to this winter....

Before the storm

A touch of autumn colour, before the levee breaks.

Prryhic victory

Small window of opportunity: too short for the river and anyway, haven't replaced my mice nest polyballs yet. So off to Captains then. Damp but very mild. Some openish water in the Big Gap so started there.

Swim, like most of Captains is very shallow, but good value for a fish, or sometimes two. Two halves of a small mackeral, one to left and one over the small clump of lilies  mid swim. A lot of activity in central strip of weed, sizeable fish. Line tightened to drop-off on right rod and into a fast moving, heavy fish. I had not flicked off the anti-reverse and got pointed before I could, or think to slip into baitrunner mode. Think that if I had let the rod absorb the power might have avoided it. Leaving hooks in a fish is never pleasant and this was a good fish. You expect that normally a carp or tench could cope with a single left in, but a two treble trace is very different. I did once land a pike with a large goldstrike that had worked it's way out of the gullet and out around the pectoral fin. I only use the anti-reverse when I am casting to stop the bail flipping over and cracking off but these cheapo reels are not totally balanced and when not using baitrunner sometimes it is  difficult to stop the bail spinning round under it's weight with out locking it first  when slipping line in to the drop-off clip. Get floats and  use baitrunner....

Leftie was away next and again a fast moving powerful fish but able to backwind, and use the rod to absorb the lunges. Did get a knuckle rapper as the fish motored off in the margins. In the net first job to check if a second trace in fish but sadly  no.  A sturdy fish around the 12lb mark.

Looks a little leaner off the mat.

Hope the lost fish turns up soon and the captor can get hooks out.

Gratuitous and conspicuous consumption

Not a bad drop of local stuff. I always prefer draught and this is available in good old Narrrich from a hand pull but I was out of town so needs must ..plus you get a pint not a miserley 500ml or worse 330ml for the same money

Footwear is very important

Public notice, especially for the attention of Essex Scribbler.

I have never, ever , ever owned a pair of these :

As Peter Murphy once sung: "Shellys Shoes, shoes no man would want to wear". I second that for Derri boots... and socks with Crocs

Winter on it's way

The start of the week saw temperatures around the 20C mark but that has been well and truly blown away now. Walcott Wall closed on the big tide with waves crashing over the roads. The garden  is somewhat windswept and standing water on the roads. Perfect conditions then for my annual October trip to An East Midlands Stillwater with Essex Scribbler. 

A chance of decent fish, plenty of tea (one of the only times I can be fagged to cart round my stove )and talk, well mumble in my case, and lovely scenery. What is not to like?

Essex Scribbler can explain the wind directions (over our shoulder) but a reasonably dry start was made after the tramp over the dam wall and we were fishing just after 7.30. Big winds and very wet was the forecast for the day but not too challenging for now...

Water several feet down from last year's trip with a big fringe of weed, quite busy with roach, then a drop into deeper water with a firm, clean bed, fishing from an obvious point feature. We have found an early morning spell usually occurs with a lunch time then early afternoon burst, often with 2 or three runs in succession to be the order of the autumn day so no need for lots of moves, hence the stove. Scribbler had a couple of line out of clips, we thought perhaps liners given the activity in the weed in front of us before my half mackerel,presented some way out was away. Probably not quite doubles but lightly hooked and gave a good account of itself in around the weed fringe.

The weather deteriorated and possibly due to the rain the action did not really happen. I had one further missed take on mackerel again and Scribbler a couple more out of clips.

This looks bleak but does not really do the worsening conditions justice and we decide to give it best by 2.30pm. The last rod left in was mine and a sardine, that had been recast several times was finally away after nearly 7 hours, the pike unhooked itself at our feet at around 6lb we thought. Came away with a pile of books, and rather wet gear. Another trip pondered before the fish do their deep winter hiding job.

Looking at rivers

Balmy October continues. Walked a section of the syndicate stretch  this afternoon, taking advantage of the clear conditions to suss out some piking spots. A lot less weed other than the cabbages than I would have expected. Similar story on the Wensum this year. I think some jigging and wobbled deads  before the proper flushes of winter and more colour  give me the confidence for some more standard leapfrogging.

Whilst not deep anywhere the dredged channel down the near bank still remains a prime area for a sardine. Must get some traces ready, and paint up some replacement poly ball floats/drop-offs to replace the entire collection chewed off the lines by the mice in the garage this spring.

An acute bend and a much bigger willow just downstream and as much of a banker area as my ineptitude will allow for.

That's a proper man cave in the boat house peeking through the trees.

Usually bypass this bend but did have a couple when I did drop in on it at the end of last season.

I do think that this s-bend section may be a reasonable area for roach or bream. The stretch was famed for it's very dark bream but I have not heard of many bream at all over the last few years.

Seasoning

October, though a little wetter is still unseasonably warm. Afternoon swimmers at Sheringham yesterday, our afternoon stop in search of ice cream to celebrate the formal recognition of the addition to our ever increasing tribe. (Little un , who will be next biggest un soon).

I am not sure these two rather resigned gentlemen were of the mind to dip a toe..

The light was ever changing: as the sun  begins to have less height contrasting light plays open up. Not the acidic limeness of emerging spring but still mountains of looming grey against that huge, massive bright sky. Chalk does throw up some interesting sea colours especially with the added interest of the turbines on Sheringham Shoals catching the sun.

From the Mo

Looking towards the Runtons (round the corner), ancient home of the woolly mammoth and sabre toothed tiger, lion and hyena.

Some additional decor on the  beach huts is beginning to feature..

The hard defences, shipped over from Scandinavia are showing signs of patination.

To match the varied  additions to the home made Canutisms below. This edge of England is fast losing it's mass as the North Sea continues to reshape and swallow up great gouts of land on each good blow. The Broads system is at acute risk of fatal salt incursion, Hickling and Horsey only have marram and sand holding back the sea, bureaucrats quake and prevaricate over a tidal boom for the Yare and Bure whilst  allowing the white elephant of Yarmouth Outer Harbour and the incinerator at Saddlebow, spending millions in the process.

Heading back towards the beckoning soft ice cream and cone..

My camera has some problems with washy skies.I have a UV filter always on, more as a lens protector and really ought to be a bit more adventurous with such a rich tapestry to capture

 No need to push the saturation on this one. Shadow tool  a boon for foregrounds

The massed older tribe bredren, gathered for our celebrations (reporting restriction remain, no chance Daily Mail) are joining me for a trip down the A140 in our trusty Charabanc for  League One clash of the titans, the mighty U's vs Wolves later this morning so it will be stocking up with fizzy, sweets and Yorkies for half time and fighting not to be a backseat rider..it remains our proud right to stand right from. " the referee has rung the bell, the teams are in the tunnel." to kick off.  I do resent sitting to watch footie... and we still have goal music. Which doesn't get played much.