Frustration

Last Thursday I headed off to the river early in the morning in the hope of  some Carp action off the top.Lovely warm morning and a joy to be going fishing as opposed to making my way into work. Arriving around 0630 I made the long yomp through the meadows to where the Carp normally reside.I started to fire out dog biscuits and tackled up.

It was a good two hours or so until the sun got up and a little longer for the fish to make an appearance.I had a good few Carp swimming around a large bay of slack water taking mixers off the top.And they took every one,every time while ignoring my artificial floater.I stopped fishing for a while and had the fish competing strongly for the free offerings,large bow waves  appearing every where.But each time they came to my hook bait they took a little sniff and sunk away.

I think they could see my controller float or the line?I could only use a hook length of around a foot and half, owing to the limited casting space.Floating crust was out of the question as the hordes of Roach and Chub were obliterating this in minutes.I had a chat with the Bard of Bridgenorth and he suggested next time I go,tie a longer hook length in loops with PVA string,thus enabling me to spread the bait away further from the float.It may be worth a try.

I packed up around noon as by now I was soaked in sweat and stung by the huge nettle beds that adorn the bank side.Frustrating yes,but worth watching how cagey these river Carp were.I'm looking forward to getting back for another go soon.

Now to the Opening Ceremony for the 2012 games.What did you think?I really did not have a clue as to what Danny Boyle had in mind.So Lady D and I settled down with a bottle of plonk and waited expectantly.I thought hand on heart it was superb,though the Tory MP for Cannock Chase Mr.Aidan Burley was not impressed,he said it was "Leftie Multicultural Crap",quite a damming assessment that.To me it was a   wondrously bonkers and a feast for your senses.

Mr.Bean and Bond accompanied by the Queen,my jaw dropped when I realized it was the real Queen and not a stand in,parachute jump withstanding.To start with Jerusalem was a master stroke and the young lad Humphrey Keeper sung like an angel,we were transfixed.It just seemed to move along at break neck speed until the end.When Emile Sande sang Abide With Me,Lady D had tears  in her eyes and I'll openly admit I had  a lump in my throat.It is such a hard hymn to get right,but she managed it with superb aplomb.Only downside of the night,as many have said was Paul McCartney,very poor.I wonder what the rest of the world made of it?

On Saturday night Lady D and I attended her Sister-in- Laws fiftieth birthday soiree.We made the short trip up from Surrey and into South London,Norwood to be precise.Now THAT blazer I posted up here the other week was a no go.I went to buy it but they did not have my size,I needed a 44 Regular,they did not have one in that size,the 42 being to small and the 46 to big.So I  walked down to Jerymn Street from work and bought this Linen number.The better looking one of the two of us,only agreed to have her photo taken as I looked "Pretty smart babes,you had no chance if you had bought that awful blue one"

Lady D and I.

It was a real good "do" with plenty of old Rare Groove and Lovers Rock playing,I would like to point out I was not drinking that Stella,Lady D's daughter who took the photograph suggested it would add some "Chav Factor",what ever that is.

Be Lucky

Monty D

Suns Out And So Are Other Anglers

These last few weeks I've been bemoaning the amount of rain that has fallen this summer,but one plus point is that many anglers have stayed away from the banks.Last Saturday I arrived at the little pool and found I had it to myself again.On arrival I noticed little bubbles dimpling the surface near these Lilly Pads,that would do for me.Some sweetcorn was put in and I tackled up.

Lift method again,I love to watch the float rise up like Excalibur.I was into fish from the off with small Tench and Bream coming to the net.Peace and quiet reigned and all was well with the world.Some nice Carp were on the surface,not huge going to maybe mid double figures.But over the next three hours or so the place filled up with other anglers.Large leads were cast in again and again and a barrage of boilies were deposited in an attempt to raise the water level.Mates shouting to each other and just a general pain in the arse hubbub.Not young anglers either but men in there 30's I guess.Around ten o'clock I threw in the towel and headed for home.

Sure I do not think that I should have every water I fish to myself,but surely some peace and quiet is not to much to ask?Anyway I've wangled a day off tomorrow,my floater tackle is ready and I'll try for a few fish off the top in this lovely heat.And being midweek I hope to be able to fish without a cacophony of noise.It will be my last trip for a few weeks owing to  THAT fiftieth soiree on Saturday and yes I will post a photo of my good self looking "fly" in my new jacket.Also the Olympics that I will come to in a second.

Clip Boards At The Ready

The above is opposite our office all looking very official,like a cross between David Brent and Mr.Brittas and below these poor souls are doing twelve hour shifts both day and night to check for bombs in cars going near The Hilton.

Check Point Charlie

And as from Friday on my way into the office I will have my bag checked as I will need to travel through a "Secure Zone" past Buckingham Palace and through Green Park.An over kill maybe?I do not mind as we the UK or is that London ;-0,are putting on a huge event.

Macdonalds Scanner Opposite Buckingham Palace

I have tickets for the Track and Field events at the Olympic Stadium for the first weekend of August.What would I like to see from these games.Firstly a safe one for all concerned.Athlete wise well Perri Shakes-Drayton to get a medal in the 400m Hurdles,firstly she is from Stratford but of more importance she has a hundred watt smile. Jessica Ennis to win gold please would be nice.Usain Bolt to be fit and defend his title as we have no real contender for the 100m or 200m as the man is an entertainer.I could go on but you get the drift.

Lastly an ode to Fred Bonney who has stood down from the Barbel Society in an official capacity.Lots of rumors and innuendo  are coming into the Yat Phone,but I'm a man who has never liked or listened to idle gossip,so to you dear Fred..............

At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We shall remember him,
The Glorious Fred.


Fred now you can just go fishing like most of us ;-)


Be Lucky

Monty D

Operation Northern Monkey.............Canceled

A last minute change of plan really this week.Operation Northern Monkey was canceled around noon yesterday.For those that are not aware?Conrad has a strange fishing fetish,in that he is trying to catch a Barbel from nearly every river in the UK.He is currently spending two days a week working down south,holed up in some laboratory doing techy stuff that makes the Higgs Bosun boys seem mundane.

He was due to fish one of Gruff and I's local rivers today,but alas the weather gods put a spanner in the works.Yes you guessed it rain,rain and more rain have made two of our local rivers empty into the fields again.So he toddled off back 'oop narrff.That in turn led me to go and fish a small club pool this morning.

Conrad

Because it was all a little last minute I did not have time to get to the tackle shop to collect some maggots.I got home from work Friday and raided the freezer for some corn and meat,got my tackle ready for the morning and went and had a cupla pints,as you do on a Friday.

The lake in question is not large,more of a pool really.I had never set eyes upon it until this morning and arrived early and had a walk around.I was pleasantly surprised as to how pretty it was and more so that no other anglers were about also,nor where there all day.I decided to fish this little swim here and threw in some corn and tackled up.Not long after this first cast it started to pour down again.Bream,Carp,Tench and Roach were caught the Roach on corn the others species on meat.Nothing huge that would trouble the Drennan Cup if that is still going?I only took a quick snap of the Bream in between the downpours as fumbling with a camera in the pissing rain is not my forte.I hate getting my hair wet,look you.

About To Flip

The sun came out around half past twelve,so I took that as my Que to tackle down and head for home and I caught this little chap eyeing up my corn.

Ow Do

Thoughts for today?I should fish this place more often,just for the sheer enjoyment of watching a float and thinking on things.Simon Barnes wrote in The Times the other week........."Anglers are superb at contemplating,of course they only take a rod,not to look soppy.For a grown man cannot sit alone in the countryside and just contemplate,hence the need for a rod".I am not sure if I have remembered that in it's entirety,but I love to sit and day dream.And this little pool made me happy today.And that is what angling is all about is it not.My weekly fix has been sated.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend,my tackle is drying off,a beer has been opened and it's raining again.Ahh how will the Olympic venues fare in this most quagmire of summers.


Be Lucky

Monty D

Some Summer Sun Please

In the words of Eliza Doolittle"Oh wouldn't it be luvveerly,luvveerly".That is how many of us feel at present is it not?Sick and tired of rain,rain and more rain.It's all well and good if you primarily fish for Barbel on our native rivers.But what if you are more inclined to diversify and try for different species,well at present you may like me be royally F****d.Gruff phoned the Yat phone on Thursday and said he fancied a go on a stretch of river that tends to be wider than it's upstream beats with little flow at this time of year and holds some nice Carp.So on Thursday I got my surface tackle ready.And it's been raining since.Not really enough to make the river higher,but keeping it a murky brown colour.Today the weather man promised some nice warm sunshine this morning and I was hopeful that I could maybe get a few Carp interested.

When the alarm trilled into life at 0500 it was a lovely sunny morning Arriving at  the river the cloud had built up and a stiff breeze was blowing.Gruff decided to fish static baits on the bottom I roamed up and down dropping in freebies,under trees and Lilly Pads and not a fish stirred.Stalking was out owing to the turbidity.I finally found one Carp a good mid double Mirror under some pads right in the edge.Sitting right back I flicked mixers in for half an hour and Mr.Carp did not move.Then it got better it started to rain some more and Mr.Carp sank away.Bright spot(boom,boom) very over grown banks and very little in the way to suggest the water had seen many other anglers.When it does warm up and the sun is out I will return and I've kept the rod tackled up in readiness.

Noon arrived and so did the rain getting heavier and heavier and I thought sod this.Packed up and came home.I've looked at the weather forecast for the next week and guess what?

I'm not sure what to do next weekend,I'm led to understand that Conrad is travelling South for a day with Gruff and I.So I'll suppose it will have to be Barbel,but god would it be nice to have some warm and dry weather so I can get some Carp in the net before we head into the Autumn.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I'll be cheering on Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final on Sunday,good discussion on Talk Sport at present on how we should get behind Andy Murray.Yeah righto.


Be Lucky

Monty D