Hexed!!

Fishing


Well that put the kibosh on it, didn't it ?

The daft look of a pb triumph!!

A long journey taking me four hours before I wet my line, half expecting to up my pb on a river stretch noted for a run of good fish, and even hinting at it in my last blog, put me down for a 12 hour blanking session!!
I wasn't the only one blanking mind you, but there you go, no excuses.
I'll just have to wait a couple of weeks for another go.
Stopped for B&B at mum's place to help shorten what was already a very long day.
In the meantime maybe an evening trip to the middle Trent is needed. Tomorrow sounds good.


Is this a Water rail?


Accompanying me for part of my 12 hour stint was this little bird.
I've never seen one before, but I think it is a water rail. Too much of a beak for a moorhen ? Olive coloured feet, but the rest of the colouring doesn't look quite right from my books, so it could be in moult, or a juvenile.
Or....a juvenile moorhen!
Any views?

Daft Joke
An American fighter plane was flying over Afghanistan when the pilot noticed a flying carpet on each side of his plane, both armed with a machine gunner on board. 
Sensing danger he shot them down.
Back at base he got a right bollocking. 


Apparently they were Allied Carpets.


There are more but I keep them for my next blank.




Nothing like  a water rail!!!

A proper one

Apologies

Sorry for no updates things going on locally with aged neighbours,that needed a little input and time.
One of the old boys has been in agony with a need for a new hip, and at 80plus needs a little confidence boost as he expects "not to come out of a NHS hospital"
The other one in his mid 70's, he who I looked after when he broke his leg the other year, being chased around the garden by an angry swarm.Currently having radio therapy for the prostate problem and keeps putting off further tests because he wants to attend the Christening next month of his first grand child.
And poor old June from next door, now "celebrating" 20 weeks in hospital following operations around her stomach which have left her with festering wounds internally which just don't seem to want to heal.
Visited her yesterday in Nottingham, having been moved there after 17 weeks in Lincoln. Looking brighter and probably a better menu has helped.
No wonder my culdesac has a local name in the pub of St Peter's Close. Gods waiting room!!

Fishing
Not been out but I have got myself something really special lined up for early next week.
I won't comment too much, but topping up a pb could be on the cards.


T... ...... nah!
Not really worth the effort, but he's even trying to taunt on his way down to Spain.
Laugh at his latest efforts?...We all are. Poor, poor man even on holiday he can't get away from it all!!

The other bloke still looks in on a twice daily basis too, I could almost set my watch by his visits, except I have no need for one!

Out again

Down South
A few days down to Harold Hill to see Mum and the ol'boys of the International Drinking Society.

Mum

No obvious change, though she was complaining most of the time about this that and the other.
So she's reasonably well!
Apparently jokingly(I think) she asked the visiting nurse if she could have euthanasia, too which the nurse said no, but wrote on the notes " Kathleen seems a little depressed at the moment"
Obviously doesn't know her well enough yet!!

Four of us
The meeting this time was to celebrate Brian's 70th later in the month, a few couldn't make it holidays etc.
Anyway, our port of call was the Captain Kidd in Wapping, a Samuel Smith pub by the side of the Thames.
Quite a busy pub eventually, although we were knocking on the door at noon to be let in.
A really grey wet day, and I have to say the Thames doesn't look its best in such conditions.

The only beers available are Sam Smith's own, the Old Brewery cask bitter was my choice, and whilst not a bad pint, it's not that exciting.
 It went down well during our 5 hour visit though, and at the fixed national price of £2.10 a pint, was probably. the cheapest beer I've had for a while, so, mustn't grumble.

A standard bar menu which wasn't bad for choice and quality. I recommend the risotto.
We finished the afternoon in the "beer garden" after the rain stopped and the second seat along dried out.
Our next meeting is in October, when Dave also celebrates his 70th.

Getting old

Wye Lea 


Had a pretty fitful night, it was either anticipation of meeting up with some new folk, or the home made rhubarb crumble I had after dinner on top of my 3 pints!!
Anyway got up a 4:30 made myself egg and bacon, and set of just after 5am
Arrived after a 3 hour drive, to find what looked like a silver haired gnome in a dressing gown, pointing a gnarled finger to the way the way down to the fishery. Well it wasn't it was the Trolley Dolly!
I waggled a thumb to my nose, and met Ray Thorpe, who the first to arrive.

Can't tell you much about the fishing, as it could spoil it for the website and chances of a future visit. Apparently the gnome has a very good relationship with the owner.

Save as to say, I didn't catch anything fishing the deeper area. Others did, fishing the shallow pacey stretch of the fishery.
I did get one decent good take and felt a good tug back, but it must have been an eel or a pike as it bit through just above the hook

Had an overnight in a pub with very cheap rooms and a good breakfast, about 15 minutes away from Ross on Wye.
 I drank 4 pints of a well kept Wye Valley Butty Batch( niiiiice) to wash down a chilli.
Followed by  another fitful night.
I think I have to start to be careful what I eat before I go to bed  now!!

So I decided to come home early for fear of falling asleep at the wheel later in the day. Nearly did too, that Red Bull stuff does nothing for me...well apart from repeating ever since.

Time to move west , methinks!!

Early doors

Lunch Session


Off to Ross on Wye  tomorrow at sparra's fart to spend the weekend on the Wye Lea fishery with a group from an angling website. Will report after.

Anyway, as a result of needing to get up at around 4am tomorrow, I decided to have a Friday beer session in the White Hart, our village real ale pub, at lunchtime.
No wanting to be driving for 3 hours plus under the influence of course.
What should I come across but an ale I have been  expecting, as Mick the landlord, lists his forthcoming brews.
I have to say that the Wold Top Brewery are very consistent with their ales, and I always look out for them. Anyway, if they are not on, I run along the 4 choices on offer to find the one that suits.
Sometimes, if one of the four goes "off" during my taste adventure, I have to try five, although once it did reach six, before settling for the favoured flavour!!

The one I was expecting was Anglers Reward, and it is exactly as it states on the brewers blurb.
A fine quafable ale and at £2:50 a pint
 I had a few pints, and thought that as I enjoyed them so much, that I would let my Blog friends have a hint of what to look for if they have decent real ale establishment close by, or are in the surrounding areas of Driffield Yorkshire. http://www.woldtopbrewery.co.uk/

Anglers Reward - August

One of our Winter Beers. The ultimate catch, a refreshing golden pale ale with a fruity bitterness & lingering aftertaste. Certainly a beer to help create those "one that got away" stories! 

Brewed with Wold grown malts and hopped with the fruity Cascade and Goldings hops.

*Please note, Angler's Reward is only available April to October.

It should be noted that Wold Top do sell their beers by the bottle 

The Wine Taster (Whilst on the subject)

At a wine merchant's, the regular taster died and the boss started looking for a new one to hire.

A drunkard with a ragged, dirty look came to apply for the position.

The boss of the warehouse wondered how to send him away.

 So he gave him a glass of wine to drink.
He tried it and said, "It's a muscat, three years old, grown on a north

 slope, matured in large old barrels. Low grade but acceptable."
  "That's correct", said the boss.
Another glass....
"It's a cabernet, eight years old, a south-western slope, new oak barrels,
matured at 8 degrees. Requires three more years for finest results".
"Correct."
 A third glass...
''It's a non-vintage pinot champagne, high grade and exclusive'' calmly said the drunk.

The boss was astonished. He winked at his secretary to suggest something.

She left the room and came back in with a glass of urine.
The alcoholic tried it.
"It's a blonde, 26 years old, three months pregnant and if you don't give me
the job, I'll name the father."

Had a dabble!

Fishing


Thought I would have a few hours on the middle Trent, it is very low and clear!
Left home at about 4pm
Started fishing close at to 6pm with plenty of hemp and casters and decided to use my cane rod acquired a year or so ago, but not used in anger.
Matched it with my Rolling Pin and found myself a swim with a bramble hedge down to the water edge and running down stream from the peg for about 20 feet.
Looked spot on, but shallow, baited up with all the hemp and caster and waited.

Lots of knocks from chublets and hooked a good sized perch. I had decided to have a go with lobworm
At about 8o'clock ,by this time touch ledgering with the worm I had my first real tug and struck into the fish. It jigged jagged across river and then left the water entirely in it's  mad haste to escape.
A nice barbel of about 5lb.
That's only happened to me once before, at Adams Mill just under the weir sill, when a similar sized fish did the same thing but shook the hook!

A short while later another good take, this time a short stubborn fight by a chub of about 4lb.

Then all went dead. I fished on until the sun just edged below the horizon and decided that that was probably it for the evening, and as we have to be off this water at dusk and two sets of padlocks to negotiate, I decided to leave for home about an hour and a half away.
Thought I would write this whilst supping a pint of Pedigree, now ready for the next one.
Rod & reel Christened

Cheers