A turkey is not just for....

Every year these bad boys spring up  around Fakenham and the surrounding area. I've been searching for one that's close enough for another out of the Charanbanc window shot. Found one today....

Norfolk Black natch.

One of those days

Got to the parking spot and discovered I'd left my moon boots at home. If I'd  been fishing close to car and not expecting  a mud bath might have risked the Vans but decided I'd better go back to get them. Passing The Little Bit More Water nearly stopped but someone was in the banker so carried on.

Huffing along the muddy path felt a tug then heard a snap, snap and realised I'd shortened the tip of one of my 12 footers quite a bit.

I have actually turned back before if I've left the camera and or scales at home  "just in case" so it took a bit of self persuasion to soldier on and fish with "just one rod. I know, sad isn't it. Having cast out the  "one" rod reassessed the situation and jammed the short section with the tip ring in the blank and it would do for the session at least  so out went a tiny joey down the near margin.

A couple of bleeps on the upstream rod made me think Ronnie or Reggie might be on the nosh but  my attention soon fixed on the much shorter rod as the bite alarm signalled a more toothy critter was inspecting the joey. The float submerged and began to trundle over to the far bank phragmities. Winding into the fish  the tip section held and after  a couple of reasonable head shakes I was bringing the fish through the strong flow to the outstretched net. Being the Thing of Beauty with it's carbon arms it was hard to sink and the pike kept diving under and eventually the trailing treble caught in the spreader cord. As I dragged net and fish in the second treble was ejected but the pike had beached itself in the reed mat and I chinned it in. Looking at it now think I under estimated it a bit. Blank saver either way

As the wind increased I continued to leapfrog down the long straight and given the successful rod repair  made plans to repair its triplet that had succumbed to the Charabanc boot lid a while back. Did that over and across  smelt  rod  tap?Two sharp dips of the float then nothing. Picking the rod up to reposition in the next gap in the phragmities  it became clear that something had the smelt in it's jaws and as I tightened down the rod slammed over and the fish surged downstream then back up and over. The line made that lovely whine in the wind and the fish sent up boiling vortices's as it bored  down in the margin. I made a more concerted effort to sink the net and in she went, a great moss and primrose flank upping my low doubles estimate. A two handed heave and on to the mat.  The hooks were just in the upper jaw and popped out easily. Not quite saddle  that donkey but the scales banged round to a net deducted 20.08. A lovely clean fish and a joy to behold. Nice way to end 2018's angling.

Good to get out

Half a day pass out so headed off first to the Mill. Water coming over the second weir so a nice near bank eddy round to the white water. Set up the 15 foot Greys with an Avanta Ikon pin. 4lb straight through to a #16 in case I decided to try a small worm. Double white suspended under a 5 bb Drennan Big Stick. First run through and the stick buried as a lovely little roach grabbed the grubs just the eddy turned under the first sluice.

With the swirling current loose feeding was a bit hit and miss but if the float hit a sweet patch, held back quite hard a bite usually occurred. Mostly dace, and all put up a good account of themselves in the heavy push.

Some were starting to get pigeon chested too.

Managed a couple of little spotties as well. This one had an electric blue sheen to the head, and almost rainbow magenta flanks.

I lost a much bigger one on a worm bounced round the tail of the flush, a good 3lb which jumped out of the net after  a long  deep fight round the pool. It was a heavily marked fish, again with an almost magenta flank and a deep butter yellow belly. 

Think I will try a much heavier float next time as there were certainly fish in the faster water.

Satisfied I headed down to the lowest end of the beat for the last 90 minutes with some very stinky cheesepaste and  a festive tipple.

Fed liquidised bread in 4 swims then worked down with a decent lump of the stinky paste with one half hearted pull for my efforts. Always a next time

Mother Lode

Well, Small Lode actually. On my rounds with a swift stone throw detour (i.e: one bank of the Well Creek to the other) to  return some gift giving pulled the charabanc over to see if the light was just about good enough.  I'd planned a very brief dangle but the night's worth of rain with more forecast meant the 5-15grm 8 footer stayed tucked up nice and warm indoors. This chap was certainly struggling in the wind, in lulls his float stayed still enough to register a bite, with several small perch and a skimmer or two. No roach. We wondered of liquidised white and punch might have tempted one or two. Didn't think he was one to value a pike or a zed so didn't ask about those.  Looks like he's gone on to the inside line whilst he has a rollie. Probably easier than the full 13 m.

Some interesting frontages. 

And this must surely be a front for something what with that name and all that CCTV. Gets kinda lonely out there on those desolate Fens I'd wager. I can here Steve the Outwell Skeleton's bones jangling now.

You know it s rural when the discard is broccoli stalks.

Dace (not) Ace

Complete contrast to yesterday, no wind and no freezing rain. Spent a couple of hours watching the kingfishers and chasing off a cormorant on the Fairly Clear Lagoon before fishing a crease and eddy with liquidised bread feeder on the nearby syndicate beat. Even a 1oz quiver was a bit too stiff with the sharp  bites but had a handful of lovely clean dace all about 5oz.

Fish and chips

The Gaywood River has an urban flirtation as it hurtles towards its demise in the big, grey tidal River Great Ouse. There is a chippy and a lovely walk just right for a lunchtime jaunt. I've seen roach, dace, skimmers and pike in there. Crying out for a whip or a light bomb rod for a couple of casts. Loose feeding would be a nightmare with the ducks. I just hope the Parkie doesn't see me.....

Stop and look

Not often can I stop given the commute traffic but needs must sometimes. The Gaywood River and the ruins of St. James  (Bawsey) can be viewed  just feet from the incessant tide of traffic heading towards the Hardwick A148/A47/A10 interchange. I feel a regular thing coming on......

Wet and Dry

Significant rain yesterday so not surprising the river was up. Rather windy last night and today so concentrated mainly on the pike. A lot of debris and a lot of pace. Hope raised briefly when the bite alarm went into overdrive but only to signal a rather large mat of reeds was heading seawards with my float in attendance. As is often the case optimism meant I didn't leave before the rain set in again.

Well, there is always a chance....

Game cover

Not much of that sometimes brilliant low winter light today but this one sneaked  on a pee stop somewhere near Downham Market wasn't too shabby. Suppose this is still Breckland though the sugar beet chimneys and their plumes of steam at Wissington weren't far away. Stands of game cover and more planted cover in the copses on the brows of rises show that   the landscape is nowhere near natural virtually anywhere.

Some of my current reading pile. Apart from the Olsen which got done staight off  I tend to snatch a few minutes at  a time these days. Bookmarks come in handy.

You blanker.

Rain all day from the off on Saturday but by 3 it had turned to mizzle so spent an hour working a boilie and paste round a large far bank feature. Lots of crap on the bottom and being washed  down but did get one tap tap and slow pull which I missed. Did  have  a sizeable brownie or possible sea troot boshing around below the feature.

Little Un had helped clean off some maggots which I'd hoped to use today to trot along that large bush. Quite a hoolie blowing down Cyanide Straight, too much even for the little fixed spool and 15 foot Greys combo I'd bought along so back in the charabanc and up to the lower beat of the syndicate stretch to present some static and wobble deads. The river is around two foot down and on its bones. The otter runs are everywhere (handy little gaps in the scrub though) but no cormorants or crays today.  A couple of nods and bleeps either side of one feature almost at the same time was as good as it got. Everything dry though as a bonus.

I think a good walk with a bag of crust to see what silvers may betray their presence as the crusts drift over them is in order.