Travel Man

Been out in the charabanc, called in on TT, Sue and Lucie, star of this lovely TT print. Hope to get John out for  a Fen pike in the New Year. Thanks from me and the Loafer for the wine.

Caught up with my  dad and brother, in the Greyhound for a change. I'll make sure he gets fed next time. The Loafer, The Canadian Giant and Lobkin and I used to wind up Tom, the grumpiest landlord in the world up by ordering scampi in a basket at 1 minute to 9pm. Wonder what happened to the bloke with a gammy eye, a roll up permanently glued to his lip and always wore a blue parka?

Then onto the Stour flood plain with the Loafer. He is loving his chub/roaching at the moment. He did his best to put me in some bankers, how I missed that bite I'll never know..

He jammied one out on the crumb feeder, a lovely stamp roach. 

And I came away with these cracking floats to field test and some local colour to soak up.

Stout Doubts?

Never been one for a Guinness, bit like some Adnams beers when the toast taste is that little too burnt. I've been working through my excellent birthday beers and as well as the current fad grapefruity ales in the  Kirkstall Brewery box were a few stouts. The pick of these was their Drop Hammer. Which the label probably told me referred to a heavy pressing tool in the steel industry. What I did knew it told me was the ABV. 10%. Not one for  a chaser night cap before an early drive. It (they,  I had 2 cans in the box) was absolutely blooming gorgeous. Even more gorgeous than a Champion. So, if you come across some, buy some.

 

I even got out for a short fish on Saturday. The mill  looked ok on my recce but so did the Aquarium.

A pint of some fake Spanish lager and some quite nice nuts by Nobby first.

Quite acceptable but no Drop Hammer, though at a fairly reasonable pub price of 5.75  probably cheaper than the Drop Hammer would be in a craft beer outlet for a single can.

I did give the pool a whirl but too much floating debris. I did winkle out this brownie though which went well on the end of my line.

Bit more action on the Aquarium, a lot of small stuff but  a couple of better roach and dace. Corn and hemp and bait dropper next time  I think. Oh, and I'll have to knock up a little bait waiter to hang on the railing as it's a stand up jobbie.

Woke up alive again today

 61 yesterday. Don't feel it in my head even if I do do everywhere else.  The classic Mousehold Zaks American Diner for a lovely family meal.  Nice Lacons lager too. Gonna get me some Frickles next time. 

Anyhoo, woke up alive again this morning so upwards and onwards. Roach to think about catching. Big fat river roach. I blame the Loafer.

Getting a few trots in

This BureBoi's weekends are mostly spent taking Youngest to football. Beats staying at home and helping Next Eldest with her homework. High school now and the amount they get set is shocking. Two aways this weekend. Aylsham have a very good set up from tots to seniors and a lovely setting. Take cards for the bacon rolls and teas as well. 2 goals for Youngest to take the points

  

Shipdham was a very long drive and it was absolutely fooking freezing this morning. No card machine so no hot goodies for me and it was very basic. Bad tempered draw and Youngest got an assist and hit the post. What is this two defenders and keeper in 6 yard box for goal kicks rubbish? All you do is invite a press. That's my sports report for the season.  

Which meant little time for fishing. The river did look spot on and I gave it  a good go for an hour but not a bite. Again. Car was parked right by the tidal pool and though it was nearly dark and now raining had just six trots back up the eddy before I couldn't see the float any more. This chublet..

 a small dace, two nice roach and a decent trout. And a better roach lost.

I'll keep an eye on the flow patterns over the sluices and set about getting amongst those roach again. when it's running right. And I have an hour to spare.

A tale of one river, two days

I had most of Saturday afternoon free so went prospecting on the Bure. Some decent rudd, roach and perch have been coming out of the tidal round Wroxham but being a Saturday it was packed out, mostly pike boats and Day-Glo orange floats were everywhere. And being tidal the flood run-off  was being held back and the moorings were mostly underwater. Corn and worms not required

Back up the valley to the town stretch just above the last of the tidal trotting maggot where I'd had my last success but trotting line and depth changes couldn't buy a bite so dropped down 20 yards and three dace in three trots. 

I coaxed then up with my feed strategy and pretty soon they were under the rod tip. And every drop-in a coconut. Dace twisting in the flow and the roach making me yield line from the pin. I just love the direct feel you get playing a fish off the pin.

Enough action to warrant digging out the neoprene fingerless as my wet hands began to feel a nip for the first time this season. I'd moved behind a treeline and despite the last of  the low sun lighting up the beeches I also had to don the big coat.

Not everyone went in the net for a piccy but enough for it to feel quite heavy. Putting this sample back killed the swim and I slid back along the muddy path in the gathering gloom a very happy Bure Boi.

Today (Sunday) and I headed further up to the next Mill which was a mistake as it was being run off and the level was down a couple of feet.

I worked hard but nothing took a fancy to my trotted reds or bounced along dendros  but I did spend a bit of time watching this (distant) dog otter below my swim.

A tale of two trains

 Tuesday night and heading up the city to see this. I said Tuesday....

On the train and everything, going out out etc.  (I do like going on a train).

Someone pointed out the date. I was going tomorrow (Wednesday). What to do? Coach and Horses till the next train back.  Pint of Chalk Hill Brewery CHB and then one of TAP for £8 all in.

Now it's Wednesday. Meet the Eldest in the Artichoke as Norwich's smallest pub (Malt and Mardle) unsurprisingly is full. Arti lager is £5. Not bad and we had two. Mostly discussed the hateful Braveman.  

Epic Studios and to the bar. Pint of Stella. £6.80. How much?    No thanks, I can get 4 pint cans for less. What's yer cheapest? AKB Hells for  £6.

 

Jah Wobble? A big bloke with a big face. Proper Cockney showman. He did spend a lot of time playing his bass sitting down as he was old he said. And so were most of us. 

Poptones a stand out for me

Drive to the forest in a Japanese car The smell of rubber on country tar. Hindsight done me no good
Standing naked in this back of the woods The cassette played poptones I can't forget the impression you made you left a hole in the back of my head  I don't like hiding in this foliage and peat It's wet and I'm losing my body heat 

Back to the station crossing the Wensum on Fye Bridge

Last train home, not the Friday/Saturday Vomit Comet

A tale of two rivers

Down in Devil Dog Land to see the Old, the Loafer thought the lowland border defining river might be ok but it wasn't. By miles. Several meadows wide anyway, as far as I could see anyway.  So the rods stayed in the Charabanc and I made do with a pint and scratchings in the Anchor.

Said rods remained recumbent in the Charabanc  for a 'just in case' which was just as well as a 'just in case' clear, within bank upper reaches of a Norfolk chalk stream was on my well earned shorter day commute home. Urban, but chalk. The clarity in the low, bright sun conditions would mean searching out darker (deeper) water. So clear you'd swear there were no fish in the stretch.

A small handful of red and white grubs followed up with two impaled on a #16 B560 trotted on a 2 swan chubber told otherwise. Legions of these gorgeous fantastically painted wild brownies beat any nearby roach or dace to them every time. I did loose count and only one spot was biteless. Need to find the roach and dace next time.

It wasn't that long a session but just long enough to miss most of the carnage of heroic Maxwell's demolition of  an Afghanistan who must have thought a highly unlikely skittling out of Australia was within their grasp. 202 not out,  mostly whilst rooted to the spot racked by dreadful cramp.

Changing places

Fancied a trot, and  a new row of bushes to look at. Had some better than usual Dangling Indirect maggots, dendros and hemp but only used the maggots. Fished above the last mill on the tidal, river still up and pushing though but steady. Scared off a poxy cormorant on the way up the stretch, not many spots opened up so came back down to where the Black Death had been working, mainly because there was a steadier glide and someone had cleared a small gap. There was a slacker pool across but this was shallower and I'd not bought a fixed spool, just the pin.

Bites straight off but only from a short length of the glide. Dace at first and then some nice roach including this dog roach which had an escape from the Black Death

I'd get a few  then have to ring the changes depth wise to get  a few more. It's really nice playing better roach in a good flow on the pin.

There were fish over in the shallow bay and a pike or two chasing them and I guess they'd come into the glide for refuge. I'd like to come back with some caster/worm slop as that has tempted some bigger roach and very decent perch in the past, and have a few into dusk sessions with bread on the tip.

Piking it was

Rivers might have been ok (full and brown but not a raging torrent) but I didn't have any lobs to drown so headed off to Golden Pond. Seems I got as caught out by the heat of the sun as much as England did yesterday, pathetic excuse for a pathetic shower) and I shed as much clothing as decency allowed in full sight of the road.  Sardines popped up over the silt  was the plan.

The slit was quiet handy as I saw the shape of  a pike puff up under the 20gm Esox float which began to slide to the right. Quite a good scrap; even with the trapped in a car door sawn off  rods (3lb tc before the loss of a foot). 8 or so pounds, lightly hooked that took it's revenge with the first raker rash of the 'winter'.

Had a couple of trembles on the close in rod which didn't develop and that was it. Chased off a cormorant and was treated to a zephyr of long tailed tits as I packed up. Known hereabouts as bum barrels. 

Forgotten fungi

Fungi got boring overnight the kids said so we did something else.  Then I got the last hour on  a dropping river. Had to fish for bites but found a few below "my" bend. I'd probably have had more with  a mini feeder but I like to trot when I can.

Standard roach and dace. Nothing nettable but lovely bright fish. Here's a few.

That was last week. Missed a mild dry window midweek. Now bloody Babet has put somewhat of  a damper on things. Possibly still water piking tomorrow.

Get the big coat out

River still bombing through so headed down to Golden Pond to let my arms recover from a double flu/covid jab attack. Mean wind so Big Coat over the bib 'n' braces 

Fished back to the gate with sardines wafting above the silt (in theory), twitched back, varying spots tried to no avail.

Went for a wonder on the warmer side looking for toadstools when I'd had enough, some fish rooting round in the pads but no suitable tackle with me.

The Little Uns want to look for some toadstools tomorrow having seen these

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