Spring On Hold

APRIL is the cruellest month, 
Breeding lilacs out of the dead land, 
Mixing memory and desire, 
Stirring  dull roots with spring rain.

T.S.Eliot

The Wasteland

Bloody weather, getting sick of it. Sleet showers on Tuesday, temperatute at 3 pm 3 degrees C. There's been some bright days, but not many I'd describe as warm.

Not been all bad though. A few weeks ago I did my first 10 km race (  I started at a marathon and am working backwards ) at Little Bromley. 500 runners, a flat course and a breezy, sunny day. Finished in 45.04, so not bad. Then celebrated at Luccas Italian restaurant in Manningtree. Great place.

Also spent all my money on this....

The roker have temporarily disappeared, I've blanked three times on the trot. No codling and bass yet to show.

I'm sure things will pick up soon.

In the Woods

"Oh, to be in England now April's here"
Robert Browning

In Wrabness woods with Mason and "Young Charles". Forget your ransoms Wak Baines, look at the wood anemones.

They last about three, maybe four weeks. Not long enough, so get out there and take it in while you can.

Back on Track

Lots to catch up on. I started March blanking on pike, roker and codling. A very long walk along the shingle to the "Dirty Wall" at Aldeburgh resulted in just whiting and a couple of doggies, rather than the hoped for codling.

Grabbed a couple of nice photos as a bit of squally weather pushed through.

I have been lucky enough to have been working in a couple of beautiful places recently. Firstly, Fingringhoe marshes on a sunny Good Friday.....

A few days later I was a Warley Place, in the middle of a huge field of daffodils, an incredible sight.

After my few sessions blanking, my undoubted class as an angler overcame the temporary bad luck, as me and Lord Conc had a good daytime session on the local beach, with me having seven roker to 9lb and Conc having five, topped by a cracking fish of just over 10lb. However, never let him estimate the size of your fish. I had a reasonable skate which he said was "just under 5lb". He then put it on the scales and it went 7lb 8oz.

Lord Conc with a 10lb roker

A week or so later we arranged to go again. The evening before I sneaked out for a quick three hour session and had seven roker all around 5-6lb. I know, I'm a greedy bastard.

The next day we had a nice day in the sun, but after a good start with two each in the first hour, we had nothing else for the rest of the day, except one that Conc managed to snare, which came out of the blue. I think this was our punishment for winding up Norfolk Bob with photos of our early roker as he was at work.

Saw the first Beach Gentleman of the year too. One was talking to Conc, saying he was "collecting seaweed to use as compost onhis garden". That's a new one. A few minutes later I saw him standing in the dunes with his old chap hanging out, acting as a beacon to other Beach Gentlemen. Each to their own, I hope he enjoyed his day as much as we did, albeit in a different way.

Toodle pip.

That's More Like It

Back for another go at the "big pond". This time in a completely different area.

Same kind of day as yesterday, sunny, mild, blumin' lovely. Groundhog day in fact.....apart from the fact that I managed to catch a decent lump which weighed in at 14lb. Very welcome.

Huge flocks of finches on the surrounding birch trees all day and just before I left, a flock of about seventy fieldfares landed in the trees high above me, chacking and chucking to themselves. They'll be off north soon

Another enjoyable day spent outdoors soaking up the rays. More of the same please.

The Sun, The Sun !

"Spring won't let me stay in the house any longer ! I must get out and breathe deeply again "
Gustav Mahler

Me too Gustav. Spent a beautiful day piking in bright sunshine today. Three rods set up and cast out, kettle on, newspaper at the ready. Tea was drunk, then another, the paper was read. All was quiet.

It was warm, with barely a ripple on the water. Loads of birds about, grebes, long tailed tits, wrens, robins, various ducks, a pair of buzzards, a kingfisher. All enjoying the weather.

I then had a text from Mak Baines, "Going fishing in a minute" he said. Half hour later another text, "There's a dildo in my swim". Yes, you did read that correctly. There followed an exchange of texts that I best not repeat. He sent me a photo too.

I stretched out on the unhooking mat and nodded off for a while, then drank yet more tea. Still the rods remained motionless. The church bells chimed midday. Then one o clock. Still nothing.

I packed up shortly afterwards. An enjoyable blank. Spent the afternoon running around the reservor, stopping every now and then to check out new spots. A lovely spring day.

Arctic Piking

Mak Baines is too keen for his own good. Freezing cold, hard frost, bitter northerly wind and he drives two hours to sit with me drinking tea and freezing our dooh dahs off at a rather large "pond" in Suffolk.

He was rewarded with a corker of 16lb though, absolutely cracking fish in lovely condition.

Unfortunately, that as the only run we had. I'll have a go later in the week.

Discussions included....

The Pike Police
Donald Trump - Are there enough Americans stupid enough to make him President ?
Wetherspoons - A good value, no nonsense pub chain ( Mak says ) or generic chavvy poop hole ( I say  )
Refugee crisis (again and not resolved).
Equality of opportunity, leading on to.....
Public Schools ( ban them).
Where the feck are my drop offs ?
Tescos ( bland, boring ).
Louis Van Gaal ( pompous helmet ).
Steve McClarran....why the inappropriate grinning and ridiculous haircut ?
Adam Johnson and the Age of Consent, leading to....
What footballers do in their spare time ?
Leicester, can they do it ?

Toodle pip.

Alternative TV - Opposing Forces