I managed 3 three quarters of an hour on Sunday, two bleeps on one half of the drowned bluey and no kingfisher to watch but I did get to see this (in common with most of the country if Insta is anything to go by). Spectacular.
Monday, 30 December 2019
Sunday, 22 December 2019
Double bugger, double bubble.
Spent most of Saturday waiting in for the white goods delivery and and it was gone three-fifteen before I could get out so just a scout round, no rods in the car. Big water coming through Buxton Mill with more forecast so no Bure trotting Sunday.
Had to make do with the next best thing from Woodforde's Brewery. How could I resist? Helped me through Naaarich's spineless performance on MOTD though.
Just a scant hour this afternoon as the winter solstice sun slipped behind the poplars up on the ridge.
Out with the current customary halved bluey and settle back to watch the kingfisher. As usual I'm tempted by the marginal cover but overcame the natural urge to drop shot and lobbed past the next drop-off into fairly firm ground left and right. You would bet your house on just past those reeds wouldn't you?
Almost immediately the left hand float was tearing off and after a firm resistance the fish was off with a decent swirl. No sure how it didn't stay on.
Out it went and again an almost instant take, but no hook up. Bugger I thought. By now the kingfisher was just a noisy diver on the far bank and I thought I'd blown it.
Two more casts and the right hand hand bluey head was off. No sooner than I'd set the hooks the left hand rod was off. I set the hooks on that and dealt with the first which thankfully was easy to unhook. Leaving it in the net I then made contact with the other which at first felt like the friendly 20 but it shrunk at the net and together they wouldn't have made a 20 but lovely clean and firm fish anyway and not at all leechy.
Most excellent. Again.
Had to make do with the next best thing from Woodforde's Brewery. How could I resist? Helped me through Naaarich's spineless performance on MOTD though.
Just a scant hour this afternoon as the winter solstice sun slipped behind the poplars up on the ridge.
Out with the current customary halved bluey and settle back to watch the kingfisher. As usual I'm tempted by the marginal cover but overcame the natural urge to drop shot and lobbed past the next drop-off into fairly firm ground left and right. You would bet your house on just past those reeds wouldn't you?
Almost immediately the left hand float was tearing off and after a firm resistance the fish was off with a decent swirl. No sure how it didn't stay on.
Out it went and again an almost instant take, but no hook up. Bugger I thought. By now the kingfisher was just a noisy diver on the far bank and I thought I'd blown it.
Two more casts and the right hand hand bluey head was off. No sooner than I'd set the hooks the left hand rod was off. I set the hooks on that and dealt with the first which thankfully was easy to unhook. Leaving it in the net I then made contact with the other which at first felt like the friendly 20 but it shrunk at the net and together they wouldn't have made a 20 but lovely clean and firm fish anyway and not at all leechy.
Most excellent. Again.
Friday, 20 December 2019
Product testing #2
Mr Porky seems to be the main man Scratchings wise. This is his premium fare and I think is in a bigger bag too at 90 grammes. Usually £1.40 in the land of the Discovery (Waitrose) but reduced to £1.05 with a bottle of Greene King IPA at £1.25 was soon being rung through the till with the free weekend lifestyle paper and free to loyalty card holder monthly mag which is cover priced at £3.00.
Longer strips, and as a result probably more surface area for the salt to stick to. A more refined mouth feel but less goo. I wouldn't pay full whack for them. The IPA is good though and more of a session ABV than it's uncle Abbott.
Longer strips, and as a result probably more surface area for the salt to stick to. A more refined mouth feel but less goo. I wouldn't pay full whack for them. The IPA is good though and more of a session ABV than it's uncle Abbott.
Wednesday, 18 December 2019
No flies on us in Norfolk. Well, not in Attleborough anyway.
Not much to see either. February fill-dyke weather in December. That's the Fens for you.
Probably some flies on this though. Don't suppose an otter dragged it three miles from Great Massingham to Harpley. Two good fillets taken off that for a disposable BBQ I'd say. Makes a change from a kebab or a KFC and the remains are bio-degradable.
Speaking of Great Massingham no Lord Sugar in the Dabbling Duck today but there was a good doggy menu. I don't have a dog.
Standard Back to the Garden foodie porn
All that glitters.
Which all means I have had three miserable blanks in a row. But I do get to see a fair bit of Norfolk and sometimes Cambridgeshire in my work-a-day week.
Not much to see either. February fill-dyke weather in December. That's the Fens for you.
Probably some flies on this though. Don't suppose an otter dragged it three miles from Great Massingham to Harpley. Two good fillets taken off that for a disposable BBQ I'd say. Makes a change from a kebab or a KFC and the remains are bio-degradable.
Speaking of Great Massingham no Lord Sugar in the Dabbling Duck today but there was a good doggy menu. I don't have a dog.
Standard Back to the Garden foodie porn
All that glitters.
Which all means I have had three miserable blanks in a row. But I do get to see a fair bit of Norfolk and sometimes Cambridgeshire in my work-a-day week.
Monday, 16 December 2019
Product testing #1
First in what will probably be a short run. I have not really eaten pork scratchings with pints. It used to be dry roast nuts or scampi fries or moments which were cheesy umami type scamp fries with out the scampi and lemon. Then I stopped going to pubs. Well, mostly anyway.
But recently I've fallen under their spell. But only with a pint, or a good 500ml bottled beer. I blame the Horse and Groom in Tunstead. It was these Alf Turner ones that got me. It's on the way to Dangling Indirect and not too far off track for the river and the farm pond. What I hadn't realised was that along with the salt encrusted crackling were unexpected soft melty nuggets. Cost? A round fiver with a pint it seems (that's not that there London or Spoons prices btw). I didn't clock the bag contents by weight. Large pieces and quite noisy but given the reactionary nonsense the racist, misogynist homophobic "good old bors" spout in there the more irritating the better. Haven't seen them on general sale in my limited research to date.
I don't think scratchings would go with lager, either the necking fizzy stuff or that dreadful grapefruity citra "craft beer" muck. So I won't try. And I think I must limit my product testing to about three times a week. That Barsham in the Lacons glass is a bit golden to be honest.
But recently I've fallen under their spell. But only with a pint, or a good 500ml bottled beer. I blame the Horse and Groom in Tunstead. It was these Alf Turner ones that got me. It's on the way to Dangling Indirect and not too far off track for the river and the farm pond. What I hadn't realised was that along with the salt encrusted crackling were unexpected soft melty nuggets. Cost? A round fiver with a pint it seems (that's not that there London or Spoons prices btw). I didn't clock the bag contents by weight. Large pieces and quite noisy but given the reactionary nonsense the racist, misogynist homophobic "good old bors" spout in there the more irritating the better. Haven't seen them on general sale in my limited research to date.
I don't think scratchings would go with lager, either the necking fizzy stuff or that dreadful grapefruity citra "craft beer" muck. So I won't try. And I think I must limit my product testing to about three times a week. That Barsham in the Lacons glass is a bit golden to be honest.
Saturday, 7 December 2019
Early doors
A quick stop off on the timeless beauty of Selbrigg Pond dam before cracking open the laptop and starting work.
Not long till Polling Day.
Monday, 2 December 2019
Escape
Unwelcome illness and those annoying little things that crop up when you start to prep the surfaces for painting like great swathes of rotten wood have had me house bound except for DIY buying. It was therefore a relief to head off to the river to soak a few halved blueys.
River running off like a train so it was a case of finding some slacks down the edge or in to features. Two takes, two fish. The first belted off sharpish following a preliminary bang on the rod tip.
The second hummed and hahhed but gave me a right tear up in the strong flow.
The forceps momentarily froze to my fingers as I packed up, the net and mat stiff as boards.
Think I'll start on my Japanese whiskey tasting set tonight.
River running off like a train so it was a case of finding some slacks down the edge or in to features. Two takes, two fish. The first belted off sharpish following a preliminary bang on the rod tip.
The second hummed and hahhed but gave me a right tear up in the strong flow.
The forceps momentarily froze to my fingers as I packed up, the net and mat stiff as boards.
Think I'll start on my Japanese whiskey tasting set tonight.
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