Off up Cyanide Straight.

Saturday and still big blustery bastard wind. Sat in the charabanc for  a while but it wasn't gong to ease so shouldered the gear and slid and slipped along the muddy path, up Roach Straight and through the gate. The Royal Confluence was calling but with a strict curfew I trudged to the head of Cyanide Straight, my decision taken due to the absence of  otter tracks in the muddy margins, usually it's thick with them but not today. 

Cyanide Straight? Well. It has been incredibly kind in the past, with a memorable last day, many moons back  that featured this donkey of  23lb, several doubles 

  

One of the doubles

and makeweight singles before a diversion to the pub, three pints, peanuts and even more fish from further down. into dusk.  Other times it's produced barely a squeak, but more so since otter times hence it's name. But, as above no otter tracks today. Umm, plenty of old spraint though.

Undeterred I set about my business, and experimenting with popped up baits give the level of weed and cacky chod still about. These Fox lifters have been in the leads box for several years unused. This attempt failed as the lifter came adrift.

This version stayed put and the prototype will be refined I think. No baits came back with weed on even though the leads did, and generally just sat up from the tail or nose and wafted about, in this case with half blueys no need for an anchor shot.

Just What's Apping the Essex Loafer when the float was away.

No mistake on setting the hooks and after a mad, dashing scrap this littlish feller was on the mat. Impressed the dog walkers who happened round the bend just at the right time. Big enough for them.

It had it's revenge too, gill raker rash, something I haven't had that much of this last season.

Sat out this approaching and vicious hailstorm before the sun broke again to light my way back, drenched but happy to the charabanc.