Wunderbar

I was on the mudflats digging for worms "early doors". Cocksy needed some ragworm for his upcoming match, so being a fine fellow I helped him out. Obviously I dug some for myself too.

I watched scores, maybe hundreds, of sand martens nesting in the soft, eroding sand cliffs, chirping and twittering as they did so. In the distance I heard a nightingale calling in the thick blackthorn, now in full blossom.

After digging, I headed to Harwich. Much maligned, poor old Harwich. Well, I like it. Old Harwich, around the pier area, has several really good pubs and some excellent restaurants and loads of history.

More than that, Jack's Snax, a mobile breakfast van on the front does a fanfeckintastic monster French stick with whatever you want. And what I wanted was two eggs, two bacon, two sausage, loads of fried onions and brown sauce. Mmm.

I had my light eight food spinning rod, small hooks baited with scraps of rag and lug. Plenty of unwanted dogfish, whiting and dabs but no mini species, which is what I wanted, so I moved to some steps by the posts and pilings. Loads of cover.

I dropped the bait straight down and maybe ten minutes later had an aggressive take which turned out to be a pollack. A very rare catch round these parts and the first I've ever caught locally. Lovely.

Next cast the rod whacked round and was heading seawards until I trapped it with a desperate boot on the rod butt. Turned out to be a keeper sized bass. That'll do nicely.

Next cast a crashing bite which I somehow missed. Then an eel. Then a pout. Then a whiting. Seven species in all and a nice, pleasant unspectacular day.

Wunderbar.