Pond dippping

Rivers are still cack and it has been cold so I have had a few desultory pokes about on a few localish waters without much conviction or application. So my rewards have been as meagre as I deserve. Well sort of meagre anyway. 

Three bites on Tuesday and one hit. A very lovely roach indeed. Double reds on a #16 B560

Next short trip three further bites, two tiny roach and this slightly less tiny hybrid.

And next time out, even colder but more bites though hard won merest dips of the dotted down waggler with 3 small (not tiny) roach and seven perch all of which thought they bigger than they were.

On a more positive note we went to the gastronomic Mecca (no bingo) that is Fakenham Wetherspoons and as well as a small but delightful steak and kidney pud I checked out the upper river levels. Might have to put a rod in the charabanc for a just in case if the rain holds off.

Use it or lose it

We've got another tier of management now, and managers have to prove they are managing  things so no more carrying the odd day of leave over now cos you've bee worked so hard you haven't had time to take it so it's use it or lose it. Today was a use it day but I only had half of that day to call my own and what with the lower rivers being fecked I set off on my usual 50 mile one way commute to stop off on the upper Wensum where I knew the river would be in  better trim. Didn't buy diesel as it had gone up 6 pence a litre overnight. Did buy a breakfast though. Not the Morrison's Ultimate even though it was a very reasonable 7 quid. I had to tip the beans out of the poxy ramekin everywhere insists on using these days.  One of everything except the liberated beans. Oh, and TWO pats of Lurpak which really is overpriced  these days. I think that sausage is nearly as cremated as the Loafer demands. 

Quick spin down to the river and the omnipresent  feralish chickens which feature in most of Norfolkcestershire. Big buggers too.

One of the members was up to his not fly fishing tricks, using a strike indicator and no shot down to the single maggot. Roach in one eddy and little browns in the opposite eddy today he said. 

I've noticed that the lovely little wild browns are increasingly predominant so it was nice to hear he'd had some roach. The river was faster than usual but clear so it was a case of finding a few darker looking patches to indicate a bit of depth.  Should have taken the rod with the pin out of the Charabanc to get a bit more control of the 2 swan loafer  (the Loafer's loafer) but as it was the little wildies didn't mind chasing the bait. Only fished two swims but as usual lost count in the end.  None would have made 8oz but what beauties they were and game scrappers even on a beefier than needed 13 foot Drennan Carp Float rod I'd bought from Fenman Mark Barratt when I was waiting for a replacement tip for one of my Drennan Tench and Specimen 13 footers.

Did find  a couple of dace and I'll try a couple of the more sedate spots before the season ends. Whispers of smuggled in chub now too. 

Down in the dumps

Pat MaGroyne sent back this sneaky shot from Long Stratton of an early doors win for Little 'Un, a cracking corner for a first minute opener assist  and that trademark break down the left wing and a fierce drive from outside the box to seal the win. Hit the post as many times as Nunez too.

Which meant that I should have been a very happy Bureboy. I was until I saw the river. About three feet down and all the exposed silt and banks were a mass of otter tracks. Everywhere.

Still,  I'd had to work hard for my pass out so down the stretch, working both margins with twitch backs for two and a half hours. 

Not even a crayfish nibble. Word is the upper stretch is also seemingly barren, with only the occasional huge brownie to pull the string. 7 plus huge, more than one looking at the pictures. I've a half a mind to get a Deeper or get Robbie of the North to have a kayak up and down with his Sidewinder just to see what is there now.. Aside from floods and severe snow I'd always get runs and often doubles and a handful of twenties. That was till about 2 years ago Lots of fry this year and some pockets of dace. The trout are getting big on something, probably filling the pike niche. Make the most of the good times, you never know when they might go.

Sports report

Pat MaGroyne, Famous Sports Reporter was sent off to that there Suffolk to cover a cup game today, He seems to have been kidnapped but managed to get a few garbled  lines out which I can't really enlarge  on what with not being a NUJ card holder or anything but he did get some hastily shot reportage out which might be OK without causing  a pens down all out strike. 

The Theatre of Dreams, masquerading as the Team Lauren Lou 3G Arena. Not a bad surface to play football on but not one for a 20 yard knee slide to the corner flag  celebration.

Which is probably why Little 'Un made do with a run to the half way line, finger raised in a Shearer style emotion fest. The goal?  A nice ball over the top beating the offside trap for Little' Un to run on to, drop her shoulder and rifle home  a fierce left foot first timer across the keeper's despairing dive and bulging the onion bag with a satisfying plasticy rustle to silence the home crowd of 16. But no man with a dog.  A physical encounter with plenty of corner argy bargy and one full on slap and a  stern talking to from the Man in Black. Youngest Boi, formally known as on Ton Ton (Macoute) who climbs out of his non-job seeking pit once a week to run the line needed his wits about him but stood firm and resolute.  A draw would have been a fair result but the home team dealt a late killer blow with a well worked goal.

I think that's what Pat said. No ransom demands yet, I think the Bureboyville Chronicle will have to send out a different reporter to cover Little 'Un turning out for the Sunday Team up the Fine City of Norwich. The Commander in Chief is sharpening her pencil as I type. No 3G pitch, more a mud bath with a 1:10  slope at one corner. And 50mph Storm Isha winds. 

Opening up the account

First session of 2024 and thought piking might just do it. River is now behaving itself, well as long as the sluice masters leave it be. Down to a row of features: bushes, with a straight section with old reed cover and a distinct shelf.  Sardines were at the top of the deadbait pic'n'mix bag at the bottom of the freezer so that would be the bait choice today. Walking down the feeder stream to the stretch I'd seen this cold dead killer's eye staring back at me.  One that won't be terrorising the dace shoals when it grows up.

I've had those poplars as an angling backdrop now for over 30 years now, marching purposefully along the flood plain.

Lunch was missed so this hot, thick tomato soup was called for, thick enough to hold the freshly cracked black pepper in suspension for every small cup full, little bursts of heat which were needed as the cold began to settle over the plain, a change in the weather was beginning to have effect. 

Sardines, halved of course were poked into likely looking spots as  I worked down the stretch, willing the rod tips to nod or the orange domed floats to bob. 

It wasn't a nod or a bob but something grabbing the sardine head as I picked the rod up to make another cast. Must have only just managed it as one treble was visible in the top jaw once I'd got the fish  near the net. Leeched up on one flank only, the pike was  fat as butter but not fat enough to get the scales out for.

No more action and I contented myself  watching a pair of buzzards over the ridge whilst the magpies bickered and an earnest looking chubber passed me for a few hours into dark. The wet mat by this time beginning to stiffen up and a frost felt imminent. Back to the charabanc time.

 

A shining light

We did have the New Years Day fireworks at Cromer, the rain held off and not too windy and I got a few half decent shots, in the end just went 100 ISO and F14 AP with remote release and hope, need to try without view next time as it took as age for the Nikon to process image before next shot was available.

Rods were put in the Charabanc  fora  trip down to see Pops the next day but it rained all day, the A140 was like a river in places so they never came out.

The FA Cup failed to serve up any magic at Carrow Road as Wagner's woebegone rabble  couldn't even dispatch the Gas, currently  a  mighty 10th in League One. I pity any brave souls considering heading down to Bristol for an evening replay. The pre match pub was the best bit, it's our tradition now to go to the Murderers for this. 

 

Little 'Un wants to sample the heady delights of the JobServe Stadium before Col U slide into the National League, think we'll go for the Clash of the Titans vs Newport County on Good Friday for that one as its a 3pm kick-off.

No fireworks to end off 2023

Squeezed in  a couple of short river sessions on my days off but didn't pull up any trees. Or bushes which was surprising given my gumby technique anywhere near tackle snagging features.

The tidal pool looked ok  but bites were few on trotting gear but the ever reliable brownies didn't let me down. First  up was a game little thing with  an usual silvery appearance. A wild spawned fish. 

His/her/they bigger cousin gave me a right tussle in the main push, it had a healed wound on its abdomen but also a fresher lump out of its tail. Could have been a washed down stockie as a few go in further up and more on the exclusive beats round Ingworth.

Had  a dabble in the aquarium but lots of tiny roach in residence, Two blokes were trotting, doing better than me size wise until we all ran out of light so that swim earmarked for the future. 

My ancient cheese paste,  though ripe and pungent was binned as  it was hell to use, super sticky so anything and everything got covered except the hook as it wouldn't stay on. The Loafer had given me a small  lump of his breadcrumb based paste last week which was much more user friendly so armed with some freshly made crumb based paste headed off to a stretch of my local river which has been reluctant of late to yield many fish but those that have come out  have been quite decent.

A few samples of paste in 4 likely swims and 20 mins in each and a bit longer in one more was the plan.

The paste stayed on till struck off,  on, no trees were cast into and the oxtail soup was hot. A bit thin so the added fresh cracked black pepper sank to the last cup (back to the thicker tomato next time).

One half pull that didn't develop was my lot. Looks more pikey than it has for a while so another plan for 2024. Toodle pip. Or toot toot from the Noddy Train. 

 

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.