Snapped off

Drove past Captains yesterday, the last vesitiges of ice were still valiantly hanging on in the shade of the conifer belt on the Norwich bank. Bure had been up again  and was chocolate brown.. 

Just had to get out today despite the rain. No one in the car park at Captains and there would be some shelter under the rhodos so that's where I stopped .

Still some weed but too shallow to pop up a bait. halved sardines as per usual,oily slicks calming the occasional chop. Rain petered out. Patches of wraith like misting off the surface. Pair of buzzards in the wood opposite. 

Got to Big Gap before the recently moved closer in poly moved sharply away. No fight at all unfortunately but  blank broken. 9 ish? perhaps a bit more. Note the new net. Wasn't til I got it out of the holdall today that I noticed that Angling Direct (we'll get you one out of the stock room Sir) had swapped the 42 incher for a 36.. Bastards. 

Farting about with the phone and What's App and the baitrunner on the further out (technical stuff) rod was ticking away. Much more spirited this one and  certainly worth a weigh. It went 15.5 which needed a re-check but it was solid rather than plump which is where the weight came from.

Was a bit lively so got it back in quickly. In doing so slipped and stood on the ferrules of my remaining North Western.  2.25tc but very fast taper  so no good for keeping hooks in carp at the net

but ideal for firing out small deads  and big bombs but equally good down the edge. I got the pair 2nd hand from sometime Layer legend in his  lunch box Zenon "Cliff Richard lookalikee" Boyko via Radcliffes. This was about 1983 and the £250 I shelled out was the best part of a months wages. The first one is about 4 inches shorter, and waiting  for a new tip ring and the one below moving down. Don't think I can salvage the one broken today but best get Len Head's Rod Building out of the Library before Cameron closes it down to resurrect it's twin that has sat waiting for me to act for 5 years....