Cracking service from Gerry's of Morecambe saw my new rod turn up Thursday after ordering Wednesday morning, they even had the decency to throw in some tip tape though I had just spent £200. I was just glad to be back up to strength, I did consider claiming on my house insurance but I've got a £150 excess so I didn't see the point. Next time I'll split out my fishing gear on a seperate insurance without an excess.

Karl and Johnny were going to the Happisburgh end of Cart Gap after the aborted Humber trip, I didn't expect a pass out, Mrs Aitch had been at her SS like best. When she came home from work early with a big grin I tried my luck. "I've asked Karl to pick my bait up and drop it in on his way to fishing, I'll freeze 100 best lug onto hooks", Mrs Aitch "Oh go on, but try and get back before midnight". I must've looked like a 40 something Shire Horse doing an impression of Desert Orchid as I raced upstairs to get changed for fishing, no jokes about geldings thank you.

Karl and Johnny had to wait for Lee to get back with the bait, Karl sent me a text saying he was going to be a little late, I didn't care I was happy to sit and wait. He also said he'd left his fleece and could he borrow one, of course he could, I just had to think of one I didn't mind him stretching and that was machine washable in case he slavered. I phoned Mrs Aitch and told her he'd be popping in and to have a fleece ready for him.

They finally pitched up with the bait, the sea looked great again, probably not as much on as when me and Nobby fished on Tuesday, but enough to make you expect to catch. It started as soon as they got out of Johnny's motor, "How are you getting on with those short rods H?" and "Can I give you a tip...." etc. Schoolyard stuff but I love it, what goes around comes around as they say and I'll have my day. In fairness I do get to write a lot about them without recourse so its only right I get some of my own now and again.


We'd got set up by about 1800, high water was around 1930 and it was hammering in. We wouldn't be on the beach until an hour or more into the ebb and we'd be up the wall for the early part of the session. Karl was first into a fish, I think he had a little whiting first chuck. Johnny followed with a quickfire pair of mini codlings, poor old me in the middle fishless. Then the unthinkable, Karl managed a proper one at the top of the tide. I hate it when that happens. Smudge popped down for a babble and to see how we were getting on. I reckoned Karl's fish was about 3lb.

The big girls blouse needed a fleece, 6'4" Northerner and he needs a fleece for the love of god.

Karl "we're going to effing slay em on the ebb", prophetic words if there ever were any. You can see from the picture it was a cracking looking sea, so it was a disappointment not to get anymore. I managed to sneak three whiting in three chucks and Johnny had 1 or 2 more minis, but we really should've had a few proper fish. I also managed two sets of lost gear, one of which was an 8oz lead tied to mainline of around 20lb. No surprise the kit was lost then, for christ sake if you don't use a shockleader of at least 50lb start now!

Wrong beach at the wrong time? Maybe, but I just think we need some real weather to shift things around a bit. By this time last year we'd been blown off the beach several times and had even had a few good sessions on Cromer pier, I'm sick of this crappy southern wind and high pressure that's dominated this area all winter. The bad news is all the forecasts have the same southerly flow and high pressure for as far as they can see, neither use nor ornament. Lets be 'aving some Northerlies!