Mudpig.com

Sunday was a corking day. On the beach at Walcott Wall by 10 with ice creams and splashing in tidal puddles under the slipway. Barbie without the smelly old barbie in the garden and then a drive along the coast to Blakeney. The sea, usually muddy grey or brown, was almost Med like, blue with dark weed/rock shoals in the sunlight. over a passable blue bed.Cock-on for mackerel. Treated to three harriers displaying over Cley Marshes.

On Captains by 7pm. Had thought about a two rod attack off the island for the bream but given the time and with the rumble of thunder approaching headed on to the jetty where I had raked through yesterday. Chilli and ginger hemp spayed into a clearing and a juicy prawn was soon cast onto the remaining weed and silt under a home made (Shanus) reed waggler fished lift style. Used a Kevin Ashurst 12' match rod, Cardinal 154 and 6 lb straight through to a size 8 sedge hook. Lone buzzard over the pines.  Mud pigs every where including the yellow carroty koi and a very fat across the back common.

Just about to reel in to check the partially frozen prawn had not come off when a small fizz of bubbles showed just by the float. The red tip slowly sunk rather than lifted and I was into what clearly was not a bream. It moved off to the right with several bow waves ahead of it. The fish went into some of the lighter lillies, and with a lot of steady but through to the abbreviated cork pressure the fish was out and circling in the clearer space just off the jetty. It did not look too long in the water, with a distinct lighter underside and until I saw it more clearly  like a mirror.The action of the rod meant I was able to keep it in a tightish area and the biggest worry was the act of getting the net out far enough without toppling off the staging.

I finally got him in the net and what a fish. Like most of the older commons very dark, almost black with a gold edging of the scales, a very distinctive lighter creamy underside and an absolutely huge tail, definitely  a male as shedding milt. First cap from the Captains and although 6lb line is not gossamer quite a feat given the weed. Just over 14lb.  Not a bream though..

John boy shirt. Weed and rake to my right. What a fecking big tail.

Now this is hardly a bream either but too dark to be a skimmer. A lovely lift bite though. Hook pulled out of another mud pig  not long into  the fight and home in time for a nice chilled Chardonnay. Missed the charity football as well on the box. Result