More stuff.

Been stopping to smell the cow parsley a little bit and it's helped my lack of mojo a bit as water of some sort is  usually involved even the path there is often a bit bendy. This road name is true Norfolk.

It was arrived at via the Alan Sugar frequented Dabbling Duck in Great Massingham which has an interesting line in bog décor.

As well as it's well (risers in the case of the Little Lord Sugar) heeled clientele the surrounding greens have some lovely ponds one of which can be fished and I think it might have recovered a bit from the black plague invasion as the trees have lost their guano covering. Must investigate on or just after the hallowed 16th .

A little closer to home this pretty little pond has a spurious no fishing sign that has probably no legal backing. It used to have  lots of pretty small rudd, crucians and tench, after almost drying up two years ago a lot of encroaching reeds were taken out and there are lots of small commons now.

A lot closer to the sea than it used to be is the iconic Happisburgh Lighthouse. This part of England is  under (un)managed retreat  from the cruel sea now just over that skyline.

 

Stuff

Not fished much lately, or done much more than work. I'd heard about  a dewatering from Robbie of the North on the top beat of our river ticket, went to check the next day and saw this, much to my resigned horror and that of several canoeists. Not to the horror of a wild swimmer who was practising her best bedroom noises every time she dipped her head into the shrinking muddy ditch.

A regular occurrence, even Bailey wrote about it in one of his Anglers Mail columns. Rang the EA, no fish in distress so not top priority but they had tried to ring the mill after my call. Wonder how many fish were left to be distressed?

Went on to fish a local water but I knew as soon as I set up I should have bought just a waggler rod and built up the swim. One tench lost on a shoddily fished flat bed feeder. Went back to check on the river later, the slices had been shut and it was filling back up slowly. Boils my piss.

Headed off to the land of the chocolate box picture pink cottages with roses round the door (or hollyhocks) on Sunday. 

Mooch around Thorpeness Meare

Picnic including fresh prawns and garlic mayo from one of the Aldeburgh fish huts. Flippin gorgeous.

Getting ready for Madge's big day.

Back to the glamour of North Walsham LIDL and library.

The world is still turning..

Plenty of insects down at the Mill in the week but not a hirundine in sight  or sound. Wrong kind of insects? Perhaps they like the sort that used to encrust our wind screens and number plates.  

Thought I ought to get back near some water this weekend to see if any had turned up on my patch and whilst setting about the shoal of bream I imagined 10 feet down in front of me I heard an unkingfishery plop, more of  a plip and yes, a martin skimming over the pond line joined briefly by a further two before they retired to a telegraph wire then after some preening away they went hawking over a nearby field. They didn't seem much impressed with the swarms of black midges. Perhaps they are the wrong sort of insects. Hope they don't assume plague and pestilence proportions. 

There were  a few bream out there, and indeed some a bit closer as I had several liners but 3 proper

runs connected with on my standard flat bed set up and this time the pineapple peril out did the tuna pink'un 2:1 before early tea curfew. Bream in stillwater at least don't really fight but the do bend the rod, and plod about nicely. They must be spawning soon surely?

Out in the garden this morning and in the low hanging murk that was carrying spots of rain that sudden wheeling screaming sound of  a squadron of black sickle scythes. The swifts were back. My first of the year and yes the  world must still be turning. The year they don't come back is the year we know we are done for. 

With an improved sense of well being I made the short trip on to Golden Pond and another swarm of midges, no avian pest control but the small roach and rudd were having  their fill. I think the bream were chasing each other in front of me  looking for breamy love which is possibly why I only caught a tench, a bit further out. it took me to, but not quite in three sets of pads, even on an avon rod and 6lb line, before doing a decidedly bream like swimmers roll into the stink net and nearly out again through a large hole in the bream and tench slime rotted mesh.

A lovely buttercup belly and the saddest face you ever did see. They are so grumpy looking. I had to put it in my lovely carpy net to rest up so it looks a bit lost too. Rain stopped play shortly after.

No one likes a blanker

I had a very short window this afternoon so I did  chuck a puddle chucker about on Golden Pond to see if I could turn the mainly half hearted lifts I had yesterday into more positive bites.

I did but I couldn't get then to come closer in the hour and a half I had so my ham-fisted gumby striking only produced this bream scale. Nice and warm though.

Colour me

It has rained in North Norfolkcestershire, twice in fact, which has made the garden sparkle when the sun comes out afterwards. 

I got myself on to my Island Paradise this afternoon down in Golden Pond and despite missing several bites on link ledgered Source I managed to get three bream into the stink net. Water, weed and fish warm to the touch for the first time this year. First few rhodos out too. Think I'll try the puddle chucker next time to increase the chances converted ratio.

The Source of the Nile and The Duck Egg Blues.

The Source. I've banged on about it for ages now but what a bait. I use it in 12mm size and a kilo bag lasts and keeps for absolutely ages as I usually top up the loose feed with 6-8mm pellets, and usually those would be Spicy Sausage as the Source ones are  bit more expensive. I also have the wafters in about 15m.

And such is my faith that's all I used today for a brief excursion to Golden Pond and my Island Paradise. The mallard that has a nest in the bush seems to have deserted her post or been snaffled by a fox or similar. The greylag still sits on her clutch.

The rhodo buds are fit to burst and soon this will be a riot of purple.

 

It was a brief session as I had chores to attend to so just over 2 hours door to door. Two light link ledgers and bobbins today and it was the left hand rod nearest to the newly emerged pods that was the busiest being bent by three scrappy little bream. Small but I'd say fairly old fish these ones. It is really nice to strike an actual take, not simply engage the baitrunner now and then. 

Shorts again today, and the fiery ginger beer to celebrate not turning into a goose pimpled  block of ice.

Quick shot behind whilst Ms Greylag  stretched her wings.

The fourth just on curfew and no need to strike for this one as it was  a proper churner and it was the biggest of the day, perhaps 4 lb. Happy days.