The road trip to the canal started well, the camper chugging along steadily and uneventfully for three hours. Pitched up at the riverside campsite, kettle on, all was well with the world.
Things got even better when Wak rang. " I don't know where the fuck I am, I've done three circuits of Huntingdon and I can't work out how to get back on the main road "
This pleased me greatly.
This is Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, not the Yukon or Saudi Arabia's Empty Quarter, but those old Norfolk boys do get confused moving into a county with tarmac roads and electricity.
Anyway,an hour or so later he made it safely.
After a cuppa we had a bit of a walk ( that's always how I describe a hideously long hike to buddies ) to a lock that was a dead cert (thanks Mick).
Conversations with Wak are a often a bit confusing, as he's a constant mumbler and you just have to pick out odd words and guess what he's just said, especially when he's loaded up with half a tonne of gear and winter clothing and is blowing out of his fat arse.
The dead cert was in fact a dead cert, as I drew first blood with a schoolie zander after missing a couple of runs.
The rest of the session was a bit unpleasant, with a cold blustery wind making things distinctly autumnal. A couple of dropped takes and that was it.
We were glad to get back to the van and tuck into some curry and a few drinks. We chatted the usual cak, all manner of subjects covered including the current mob in power ( let's just say Wak's not keen), old friends, Lidl-Aldi wine and cheese ( good ), fake rock bands ( yes, you Killers, Stereophonics and several more ) and " what was the best gig you ever been to ? "
I can tell you Iggy Pop, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Neil Young, Savages, The Fall and The Smiths were, in football parlance, " there or thereabouts ".
Next day a bit warmer and we had a bit more action. We met the The Canal Zander Guru on the bank, had a good chat and found out what had been going on during the past few months.
Nothing massive caught but we had several zander and a pike, so we were pleased enough.
A very quick session the next morning resulted in a small zander for me and an absolute cracker for Wak. We didn't weigh it but it wasn't far short of 5lb and made the long ( ger than necessary, sorry I can't help myself ) trip worthwhile.
Oh, and he got lost on the way back too.
Bites hard to come by then Gale. Not unexpected as a notable temperature drop where despite the mercury level feels much chillier. Sounds like a good trip though, wonder if he's made it home yet ?
ReplyDeleteYeah, was a bit tough Mick, but a few fish nevertheless.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping for a full explanation of his route back home in his blog.
I knew I was gong to get lost again on the way back, and I still missed the (new) turn. Anyway, I used my boy scout skills and headed for Cambridge and soon was on that lovely old lorry park from Rugby to Felixstowe.
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DeleteGreat pic of the Zed by the way
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