Fishing & stuff ...

Late summer flew by, busy busy.

When will the hot weather end?

We used to call it global warming, for some reason nowadays we call it climate change, either way there are still people who refuse to believe it, saying it’s all a hoax.

Everything looked good for a trip to the shallow beach, an off shore breeze and a late evening high tide and as I hadn’t been there for a while, I couldn’t resist.

I pitched up once more, three hours before high tide on a grey breezy morning that threatened rain.

Late spring has been busy.

When my next time off came round I couldn’t decide what to do.

After my last successful visit to the beach things just wouldn’t fall into place, when I had the time off the conditions were all wrong.

Another week passed by, it’s properly spring now, the first leaves on the beech hedge broke out earlier than ever before out and a few warm days followed, one of which saw me heading to the coast hoping for Rays again.

When the Pike season ends my fishing becomes much more leisurely, mostly.

Through the ‘back end’ most of my Pikey energy had been directed north and I managed to spend a few days on the Broads.

With the evenings starting to draw out and an early finish at work there was time for me to get to the river for a short evening session after Chub.

A Piker's Progression by John Wilson Ah this could be difficult… Through the 1980’s John Watson was something of a hero to this (at the time!)

Still the rain falls, the river has barely been within it’s banks over the last week so hasn’t been on my mind.

Last time I fished with Mr W we took the Suffolk boat out and didn’t get a touch but for some reason we decided to try again, mostly because it’s a bloody nice place to spend your time, even if the fish don’t show up.

There’s been plenty of rain lately and consequently plenty of water in the rivers, levels going up and down.

The beginning of January brought a week of frosty nights and day time temperatures that got lower by the day until they barely nudged above freezing.

Absolutely the best thing about this time of year is my favourite people come visiting but the one minor downside of this is it means I’m house bound when otherwise I might be sneaking out with rods.

With the festival of greed looming, I expect the world to go mad so the best response to this is to take a few days holiday and leave work behind.

Last month I spent a lot of time fishing in unfamiliar places, exploring stretches of river I’d barely looked at before.

After a few weeks of giving it maximum effort, living the boat life on the broads I needed a break and a rest.

The clocks have gone back, the nights are now long and dark and during the lighter part of today it mostly pissed with rain.

“Farewell and Thanks for all the fish” by Neville Fickling Neville Fickling is undoubtedly one of Piking’s superstars and despite giving him a bit of stick from time to time, he’s someone I have a great deal of respect for.

Back home and back to more ‘normal’ fishing, the stuff I’m more used to.

A long ‘A’ road followed by four motorways then another A.