This is why we were there, so these guys will put their lives on the line for people that use the sea.
Well it finally came round. I’d been looking forward to the ICCM for a week or two. I’d be fishing with my mates and around 70 other anglers supporting the RNLI in this charity match. I’d arranged to pick Pete up from Sheringham and meet up with PK and Karl at Dunwich for around 7:30am, the plan being we’d be towards the front of the queue for breakfast.
6am and I’m at Pete’s loading the car. Karl’s box is pretty heavy, Pete’s box was wider and deeper and a sight heavier, they should list the contents of his box on the commodity market. If he ever weighed the leads in the arse would drop out of the scrap lead market. Proper manual handling avoided another hernia and we’re on our way. It’s nice to drive at that time of the day, little on the roads and a pleasant journey that was until we got to Beccles. A very badly signed diversion had us all round the houses before we finally got onto the A12 at Southwold and the remaining straight forward drive to Dunwich.
We arrived at 7:30 about 5 minutes before PK and Karl and about 15 minutes before the café opened. Chance for a catch up with the boys and a quick look at the sea; it looked good. There was a nasty Southerly on but the forecast had that dropping, there was a good colour in the water and a little bit of a lift in it. I felt confident it would fish; conditions were as good as they could be and there’d be some good lads fishing. I reckoned I’d go for around 6 or 7lb as the winning weight, after all that’s only three 2lb codling and a couple of whiting.
Breakfast came and went, it was very nice but not very big. Karl considered another one but held out, even so he still managed to consume a chicken wrap sandwich, two chocolate bars and a can of red bull before the all in! After breakfast came the discussion of where to fish. From the car park northwards towards Walberswick is a fairly consistent stretch if the codling where to show; however southwards towards Minsmere offered the chance of a few whiting with odd codling.
The decision was made; we’d go south under the cliffs. Me, PK, Karl, Pete, Trev and Fred headed off for the yomp along the shingle, not very pleasant with the headwind. Pete dropped in first followed by Fred and Trev. PK and Karl shared a brolly (people are talking) then me. I wasn’t quite the end peg, another half dozen hardy souls continued beyond me. I could see the shelter, brolly’s and portaloos spreading out Northwards along the beach, despite the forecast there was a good turn out.
Portaloo City, not a homeless refuge but the view south from the middle of the match stretch.
I haven’t fished a sea match for nigh on 30 years, the last would’ve been the fireman’s open along Cleethorpes sea front as a kid. I didn’t intend to get competitive about this one either but I always want to beat my mates. I’ve seen some weird and wonderful rigs, but there were wish bones with a single hook above clipped to them, more beads and sequins than Tiffany’s and iron mongery Steptoe would’ve made a fortune out of. I don’t actually have any rigs like that in my wallet, I’d tied two 2-hook flappers that clipped down, they had a bead below the stop knot, but that’s as fancy as it gets with me. My stock in trade rigs would be single hook bombers and pennels.
The stiff southerly brought a series of weather fronts with it.
Its hard not to be competitive, I found myself developing a game plan. I’d start by walloping a 3/0 pennel rig out as far as I could and keep an eye each side. If they started to catch whiting I’d switch to my flappers and target them. High water would be around 1:30 with the match being fished from 10:30 to 3:30. I was convinced codling would win the match so that would be my target.
Flipper Field using a whiting as a mouth organ and Discs with a baby codling. Feel free to download this picture and put it on the mantel, the kids will never go near the fire if you do.
There’s never usually a lot of tide at Dunwich and the stiff wind was against the tide compounding the issue. An hour into the match and I’ve not had a sizeable fish. I’ve had two mini codlings, PK’s had a sizeable whiting, Karl and the rest of the lads were fishless. The guy up from me hadn’t had a sizeable fish either. It was around this time I just finished rebaiting my second rig when the rod tip eased back. The line didn’t quite get laid up the beach but it was a slack line bite. I picked up and started to wind, expecting to feel the nod of a codling or at least some weight. Nothing, first proper bite and a combination of no tide and me had failed to hook the fish. I wound in the rig, clipped on the ready rig and whacked it out again, motionless.
Everybody was struggling. I got some texts from up the Northern section of beach, only odd whiting a couple of dabs and barely sizeable codling had been taken. I was getting desperate. I tried the old trick of walking up to the guy in the next peg for a chat but nothing was working. I baited up the flapper and as I did a few gentle plucks of the rod tip and within minutes a 28cm whiting’s on the beach, I’m scoring at least. It must’ve been around 12:30 and it’s obvious by now it’s going to be hard. PK’s ability to outcast most had seen him manage a couple of sizeable whiting; Karl had chipped in with one as well now, so at least we were scoring.
Rain, shine, thunder and lightening, here's another front coming.
The rest of the match dragged, I had one more bite, which resulted in a 33cm whiting. PK and Karl faired a little better managing a few more size whiting. PK had a beauty over 40cms and with around 3lb in the bucket it was looking like he wouldn’t be far away. I had around 1lb and Karl around 2lb. Its symptomatic of round here at the minute, seas look great yet fish aren’t there or they’re not feeding when you’d expect them to. I fished my nuts off for 5 bites. Some decent lads were struggling for even a bite; Pete had managed 2 whiting and Trev just one and then it happened. On the very last cast I looked northwards to see Trev winding in tentatively down at the waters edge and Pete doing the okey cokey with the waves. Must’ve seemed like an age for Trev but finally a plump little 2lber was safely on the beach.
The sharp end, well done to all the organisers, cracking job.
I’ve made a New Years resolution early, I’m going to lose some weight and try and get healthy. The quarter mile walk back along the shingle had me sweating like a rapist waiting on a DNA test. I had to stop 80 yards from the car park for a breather; with a bit of luck one of the raffle prizes will be an iron lung. Finally back at the car and off to the weigh in. The top 5 weights counted for each county, I asked Norfolk skipper Paul Blyth how we were doing. It looked ok with a few weights over 2lb; it was going to be close between Norfolk and Suffolk. The whiting I had in my bucket were still alive, it was obvious they wouldn’t be needed in the final reckoning so to give them a better chance of survival I put them back.
It was a cracking day out despite the hard fishing and work permitting I’ll be back again. PK had 3lb dead and Paul Allsop had 3lb 7oz for third, unfortunately for Norfolk though the top two spots were occupied by Suffolkers. Suffolk pipped Norfolk to the title by a few ounces, there's a link to the results below. A very big thank you to the organisers, the match was fished in good spirits, it was nice to meet some new faces and laugh at some of the older ones! Thanks to Tony Friend, Mick Philips and Paul Cornwell whose pictures I’ve swiped.
Work will see me stymied this week, the forecast isn’t very inspiring, but a week on Thursday will see the Jolly Boys out on a boat! I can’t wait I just hope the weather plays ball, the long range forecast has got 35mph southerlies which will kill the trip though a lot can happen between now and then. I’ll report in due course.
Today (Monday 20th) was the day I paid Actionboy back for all the gear he'd got me. I'd arranged a day out at Kessingland with PK and Karl, I invited Actionboy along and provided him with some top quality bait as a thank you for all he'd done for me.
Actionboy is keen beyond reason. Karls' enthusiasm is infectious, Actionboy's is bordering on being disturbing. I'd arranged to pick Karl up then PK via a bacon and egg banjo at Karl's, we'd arranged to meet Actionboy in the car park at Kessingland. I got to Karls at 7am, by which time we'd both had text messages and calls from Actionboy. We got to PK's around 740am, he'd also had a text from Actionboy! We got to the car park at Kessingland around 835am to find Actionboy all suited, booted and raring to go.
We walked straight across the dunes from the car park, the wind was a blustery and stiff Southwesterly and we found a borderline unfishable sea at high water. With the forecast giving the wind easing and backing Westerly, I really fancied it. Granted it was going to be tough early on as the wind would be with the early part of the ebb and any amount of weed would make it unfishable, but with a bit of luck we'd be ok.
I set up first then Actionboy, beyond him Karl then end peg Kerry furthest uptide. You need a bit of room at Kessingland for when the tide runs. We were starting at around high water and when it went it would be running from right to left. I'd assumed Actionboy would realise that he'd need to "uptide" when it started to ebb hard. I'd assumed wrongly. After getting my terminal tackle dragged up the beach a dozen or more times and even getting my line cut through once, it was obvious he needed a little "education".
The Maelstrom, Karl, PK and some guy that pinched Kerry's end peg. The sea had eased quite a bit by now, looks good doesn't it. Karl wanted the loo all day, beats me why he just didn't do it, he was sat in a blue portaloo all day?
I need to say now I'm no expert and I'm not trying to set myself up as one, and I've no right to tell anybody what to do, but I needed to do something. Mid way through the session, I'm biteless, down to one rod and watching every move he makes. I'd explained that he needed to walk uptide, cast uptide and not tighten down to the lead but rather allow some slack line and put the rod in the rest letting the tide pull the lead into the deck. Once he'd got that sussed he even managed an undersize codling whilst the rest of us were fishless! Never ever again will I bemoan old Nobby Hall's two footed fishing, Actionboy is a one man maelstrom. Heaven help the Afghani war lords when he gets over there.
Back to the fishing or rather the lack of it. By mid ebb the wind had backed round WSW and the tide had eased no end. No weed either which was a real bonus, but where were the fish? We should've had a bucketfull each by now, but the only fish had fallen to Actionboy. Karl then had an undersize codling quickly followed by a dab. My now solitary rod (I couldn't be arsed to tie another leader), hadn't moved other than with the tide. PK was biteless too, Karl had sneaked another undersize codling but we should all have been catching, the sea was spot on.
The sea had eased during the morning, I can't believe any self respecting cod wouldn't be in on the feed after a good blow like that.
I'd walked up to Actionboy for a chat and we were both joined by PK. It was when we were stood around chatting, I noticed my rod had lost the usual bend from the tip. There it was straight as a die. I ambled back fully expecting the lead to have been pulled out by a wave or a clump of weed. I picked up and wound for an age before I felt that satisfying head shaking thump of a little codling. A minute or so later and a prisitine little 2lber was in the bucket. Actionboy managed another undersize codling shortly after and PK managed a school bass just as we were packing up. We all managed at least one fish apiece so we're not total blankers, but there should have been a few feeding in that sea. It was poor to say the least.
I had some worms to use up so I called Mrs Aitch to see if I could get a pass out, she said she didn't mind if I went locally for a few hours but in light of the ICCM this Sunday, she wasn't too keen on me having another full day session. I didn't really need a big day session, so I thought a few hours of the ebb somewhere local tomorrow night would be nice. That would leave me with another free day Thursday to tidy my gear up before the match on Sunday.
Not needing a second invite I rang Nobby Hall and asked him if he wanted to help me use the last of my bait, probably at Cart Gap. The forecast wasn't inspiring but I haven't fished with Nobby for at least a fortnight so it would at least be nice to catch up with my old mate. He was up for it and said he'd try and get 50 worms, it wouldn't matter if he didn't we both have frozen yellowtails to supplement the 75 or so blow lug I had left. Mrs Aitch would be at work on the Tuesday, so I'd have all day to get my fishing kit something like, sort out the chickens and a few other little odd jobs before settling in front of the TV for an afternoon doze. Bloody marvellous.
From borderline unfishable to this within 4 hours, where are the fish ?
Nobby picked me up just after 6pm. There was a reasonable westerly breeze that would be off our backs at Cart Gap, which would be nice and comfortable but leave us with a flat sea. Still there should be a few whiting and flatties and it was only to use the bait up. That last sentence pretty much summed the night up, 2-3 hours fishing, a steady stream of whiting and flatties, some sizeable all returned and good company.
Highlight of the evening was the launching of the local inshore lifeboats for excersises. The two rib's got out ok but on coming back, one of the crew members got trapped between the side of the rib and the beach, could've been quite nasty in a heavy sea. She was fine thankfully though she'd probably have a bruise or two from the rigid sides of the vessel. I'm sure Luton football manager Mike Newell would've had an opinion on it following his experiences with female officials, as for me I wouldn't be so sexist. I think she deserves a medal for risking her life out there, I'd certainly give her one.....
Not the lady me and Nobby saw but another brave soul willing to put her life on the line to save people from the sea. I feel its a duty that anybody that uses the sea commercially or socially should contribute to the RNLI, I'll be doing my bit along with around 100 others this Sunday at the ICCM.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Well after the fun and games of the weekend I had some bait to use up. It would probably have lasted until Monday, but the sea looked great Sunday morning. Its amazing the difference in 24 hours. In Saturdays pictures you can see barely a ripple, less than 24 hours later and theres a 5' swell rolling in off the bank, perfect. High water locally would be around 1145pm, that would give me enough time to help Mrs Aitch with Aidan, sort out his school stuff and leave Mrs Aitch in the comfort of Coronation Street and a glass of a vino.
Scotty will go hungry unless I up my game.
During the day on Sunday we'd had 30mph Northwesterlies and the sea had kicked up big style. The forecast had the wind easing to around 15mph and swinging westwards by 1800. This had left a perfect sea on my local beaches, big surf and a wind off your back. I really fancied Trimingham, I'd had enough of Cart Gap, you can get too much of a good thing. I phoned and texted round the boys to see if any of them wanted to help me knock a hole in 100 worms, unfortunately they were either out, at work or on baby sitting duties.
I was ready to go at around 830pm, but by that time I was getting tired, The weekend had been pretty full on and I'm not the animal I used to be. The car was loaded and off to Walcott instead of Trimingham. I thought they'd be feeding all along in that sea and as long as I could fish the ebb I was confident I'd catch despite it not being one of the best areas. In truth I'd picked it so I could park at the top of the wall after a 2 minute drive, walk down the steps, 10 yards and I'm fishing. Theres an old saying that says you get out what you put in. Pretty accurate because I put nothing in to the session at all and got the same out! I fished from 845 ish until high water, the best chance should have been the first couple of hours of the ebb, but I started to get quite a bit of weed and then it started raining so I packed up and went home. I'm convinced I'd have caught at Trimingham, the sea was spot on. An invaluable lesson learnt, I won't be so effing lazy in the future.
Maybe winters on its way properly. I got up the other morning and as I opened the curtains there was the last of a frost on the grass and this sunrise.
Bootiful Norfolk.
I always associate those deep colours with winter, you never seem to get them in the summer, either that or I'm not up early enough! I'm hoping me and a few of the boys can get out this Friday, there's some low pressure heading our way towards the end of the week and at the minute the forecast is favourable for a jaunt darn saarf, I'll keep you posted.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
The pressure was building with me as well as the weather. The Lincoln Lot were coming for the weekend and a once promising forecast was looking worse by the hour. A promised NW came and went with high pressure and barely a ripple on the sea and the forecast was for southwesterlies, it was going to be hard. Karl phoned me on the Friday night, he'd been to Minsmere with PK all day and had some worms left, and did I want to go and use them up. I never say no to a free session and I thought if it was really hard at night, we'd switch venue for the daytime. I had some jobs to do first though, I had to pick some kit up from Pete Fairclough and Saturdays bait from Lee, but I could be back for 8pm.
Karl picked me up at 8pm, an hour or so after the first contingent from Lincoln had arrived. The mother inlaw (anagram of Woman Hitler, try it yourself!), Aunty Stella and uncle Graham AKA Compo arrived on the Friday. Rather than be left in alone with all that oestrogen, Compo decided to come and sit with me and Karl. By this time it was drizzly and horrible, but we assured Compo he'd be fine under the brolly with a lamp to keep him warm.
Uncle Graham AKA Compo, LUFC hat from Uncle Pete, neck warmer from Karl, Jacket from Aitch, dopey look from years of experience.
We set up with 3/0 pennels, if me and Karl managed a few bits on proper rigs I assumed the Lincoln lot would be able to snare a few on small fish rigs Saturday in daylight. We found a few whiting from the off, pretty much every cast, so things were at least looking promising. Occasional small codling with the whiting, a school bass and a couple of missed bites from kamikaze bass and I started to feel confident the Lincoln crew would have a few the next day.
I wouldn't have chosen to fish a neap tide with high water at lunchtime, high atmospheric pressure and a lollopy southwest wind. Scratching conditions if ever there were any along my stretch of coast. Those were the conditions that greeted us on the saturday morning. Given that we'd managed a few without tearing it up the night before, I still thought we'd manage whiting at least. Rigs for the day would be two hook flappers tied with 1/0's on 25lb amnesia hooklengths, theory being this would maximise there chances with the small stuff. I showed the guys how to bait up, its a bit different to a couple of maggots on an 18, and basically left them to it. They all do a bit of coarse fishing so it shouldn't be too dificult for them. I did a PK and grabbed the end peg with the excuse that I needed room to cast.
Uncle Pete with a double shot first chuck, easy sea fishing isn't it?
They struggled at first with casting, I think more getting used to the extra weight with 5oz of lead and an oz of bait. Rods and reels are heavier too so that gave them the excuse when they got their timing wrong. How do you mistime an overhead thump? Anyway after an hour or so they all started to get into the swing of it and they all managed a few fish.
Mitch with a dab and a whiting, and the family trademark grin, a la Forest Gump.
Thankfully fish came steadily throughout the day, they all had at least a half dozen each, which given the conditions wasn't too shabby. The bad news is they all enjoyed it and want to come again!
It's a bloke honest. Deano with a girlie hat on, sad thing is he thinks he looks cool, oh to be that young and daft!
What a difference a day makes. Today has seen a 30mph northwest, and the sea is proper rough. Smudge texted me to see if I was going to have a go this week, well I've got a hundred worms left from this weekend and I'm going to have a go tonight! Unfortunately my usual partners in crime are otherwise engaged so it looks like a solitary session, still you've got to go when its right.
Uncle Geoff in action, despite looking the part, he wasn't very good, bless him he tried. Also he had the first wind knot I'd seen in an age!
Special thanks to Nobby Hall, Steve and Pete for the loan of the gear. It was an experience but I managed more fishing than I'd expected. Its probably been 20 years since I saw a wind knot, I hope its another 20 before the next one!
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
I was starting to get withdrawal symptoms when Karl sent me a text on Friday 3rd. Him and the boys had a couple of hundred worms left from Awful Ness and did I want to go with him locally to use them up. High water at Cart Gap would be around 5:15, which would mean getting up at stupid o'clock, fishing over the top and as much of the ebb as bait would allow.
Did I want to go? For the love of god, I feared for my sanity if I didn't. I crawled round Mrs Aitch as my folks were coming over Saturday morning and I promised to be back for around 10am and finally she gave in. I found the following line very useful and will be filed for future use. Me "Your right love, I shouldn't go fishing 'cos mum and dad are coming over, plus we can take advantage and have a long, sexy lie in". Mrs Aitch "You better be back by 10am".
Karl picked me up at 4am, a slice of his cheese and onion flan goes down better than Linda Lovelace, gear loaded and we're off. The sea was dying by the minute but there was enough on to give us a bit of confidence. We fished just to the right of the slipway as we wouldn't be able to get on the beach until an hour or so into the ebb. Doesn't make a deal of difference where we fish really, we'd normally prefer to fish a hundred yards or so to the right of the slip, only to give us some room. Both rods out and the wind backing Southwest I reckoned by dinnertime the sea would be as flat as a witches tit.
First chuck and Karl has a whiting, he wasn't best pleased as he'd seen enough of them the day before on Orford. I had a slackliner and a nice whiting, the biggest I've had off a local beach for a while at around 12/14oz. This was quickly followed by a few more until day started to break and they cleared off.
I don't know what it is but you get an enormous sense of wellbeing just being on the beach at that time of the day, bloody marvellous.
As it ebbed and day broke we started to pick up a few flatties. We've had them before on big hooks, but not in numbers. I finished with a half dozen flatties and Karl had a couple too, all taken on 3/0 pennels. Had we fished size 1 or 1/0 flappers we'd have murdered them.
A flounder and a dab on a 3/0 pennel. Its that time of the year when they get inshore for feeding and breeding, good luck to them. As you can see from my waistline, I only do the feeding.
It was a cracking morning really, the weather was lovely, I could get bites belting it out or dropping it short, and I mean short. We started to get a few schoolies as the tide ebbed further. I had around a half dozen and Karl had a couple too. Mine came off and over the bank and I even managed a couple in the gulley at around 30 yards. Despite the biggest being only 1.5lb its still great fun, the bites off kamikaze 1lb fish are awesome when your fishing close in. I probably did Karl on the day but only because he was burnt out. It was his third day straight, he even had to ask Mrs G to open a can of beer for him because his fingers were sore! Neutrogena will be on his christmas list, effing mincer. All the fish were returned and I was home at 10am, sorted.
I had a text later the same day from one of the Lowestoft boys. Mark Bessey texted and asked if I was fishing, I told him I'd just got back and had just had a good mornings fish. He was really cheesed off, he couldn't go because his wife was on an Elvis Presley trip. Elvis is the only bloke I can think of thats dead and gets haunted by the living, LET HIM LIE FOR FECKS SAKE. Mark did end up taking his boys "shrimping" on the pier, the depths that we'll stoop to just to throw something in the sea! Mark have a word with Mrs Bessey mate, thats some serious brownie points you've earned, make sure you cash them this winter. This coming weekend sees the Lincoln lot descend on Bacton, I'm looking forward to it, hopefully I'll get to fish too and not just be walking up and down a beach baiting up and casting, we'll see. Hopefully I'll get some decent pics. Thanks to Nobby Hall, Steve and Pete for the loan of the tackle.
I see on some of the forums there's been some toing and froing as to whether there should be seperate forums for casters and anglers. Pish. The two things are so interlinked there's room for them both in the same place. I do notice on casting forums fishing gets discussed so in my opinion theres no reason why casting shouldn't get discussed on fishing forums, there's no need for fraying tempers like we've seen recently, just plain daft. Unfortunately the written word often carries no expression so it's sometimes misinterpreted, at the end of the day its just fishing or casting, will everybody please try and have some fun and stop the schoolyard bickering.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Things can only get better as the song goes. Last week was bad with shopping and the lads catching on Orford, this week is much worse. I’m stuck at work all week with the dreaded man flu, bad enough in itself, but on Tuesday I got the sad news a friend from Lincoln had passed away. From bad to worse, this news was quickly followed by a call from my mother telling me a half cousin had died at the age of 36, its believed she had a heart attack. Add to that the sad news of one of the Lowestoft boys getting swept away at Kessingland and I don’t think I’ve ever known a bad news week like it. Events like this tend to put things into perspective, no matter how bad we feel about our lot sometimes, it can’t be anything like the anguish and hurt other people are feeling. Gary, Christine and Martyn, God bless you, your family and friends.
The first real winter blow is easing as I write, it kicked up a proper hooly and the lads are going today (Thursday 2nd) and tomorrow. Karl and Johnny are going to Cart Gap today and should do well, the sea is perfect, and I just hope there’s no weed for them. I’m a hopeless liar; I hope they get so much weed they have to cut and retie a leader every other cast! As sure as a pigs arse is pork, I’ll be getting texts reminding me of what I’m missing for the second week running.
The boat is booked for a return trip to Orford tomorrow; PK is joining Karl and Johnny, Smudge is sidelined until the weekend and I'm under orders. According to Pete Merrin it’s fishing well, most beaches should be after this blow, and they’ll surely have a few proper ones tomorrow. Keith “Nobby” Hall and me are stuck at work, fu*k our luck as the saying goes. I’ve got my folks over this weekend and funerals that fit around work next week (deep joy), so it looks like I could be knackered for the second week running, though I’m pretty determined to snatch a few hours somewhere.
I've just had an update from Karl and Johnny. I thought it had been quiet, the guys struggled. Johnny had a codling about 4oz and that was it, they didn't stay long enough into the ebb but then they are going to Orford tomorrow.
These two were seen recently struggling at Cart Gap, the bald one blanked.
The weekend after this one will see me out with Mrs Aitch’s uncles. Half of her family are descending on us from Lincoln and the guys want to go fishing. I’ll need to borrow some mangles and rods from somewhere. “Nobby” Hall has promised me 2 but I could really do with another two, there’s no way I’m letting them use my Abu’s! They want to fish somewhere locally, I think the tides are falling and HW is around lunch, so unless we get some major conditions (that they’ll struggle to fish in anyway) it’s going to be a scratch to say the least. Night shifts on the Wednesday and Thursday before they come will have me tying two dozen flappers; hopefully we’ll manage a few whiting and flatties. I’m hoping the weathers ok and I manage to get a few pictures. A big advantage is that it gives me an excuse to spend a few quid ahead of the Inter Counties Charity Match later in the month at Dunwich; Hitler with tits can hardly stop me when it’s for her family can she Muahahahaha.
If anybody reading this drivel wants to fish the ICCM at Dunwich, its on the 26th November booking in from 8:30 and fishing from 10:30 to 15:30. Despite being a Lincolnshire yellow belly, I’m fishing for Norfolk. The café will be open for registration and a breakfast, all proceeds going to the RNLI. In light of recent events a more than worthwhile cause, so come on people give it your support! Sign up and fish for the county of your choice here: -
Last time my folks came over for a few nights the old fella and me went to the local and did the pub quiz. Neither of us are going to win mastermind but it’s an excuse for a couple of beers. The quizmaster read out a question “Name the missing Ocean” after giving us a list of North and South Atlantic, North and South Pacific, Arctic and Indian. I turn to the old man and said “It’s the Southern Ocean dad”, he turned to me and said, “Are you sure its not a trick question son, it could be Billy”. God give me strength
Not even one of the 4 tops let alone the 7 seas, Billy is definately not the missing ocean.
My mate that got me the camouflage gear I wrote about a while ago has been in touch. Bless his heart he’s a smashing lad, he asked me if Johnny and me wanted some gun oil and cleaning rods / flannel etc. I said yes of course. He’s understandably a little apprehensive about his up coming tour of duty in Afghanistan, who wouldn’t be? I told him not to talk to any of the locals out there, the boy yaps more than a gypsy’s dog, and to keep his head down and get home safe and sound. We’ve had more than enough bad news lately.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
I was at work today when I heard the sad news of a fellow sea angler washed off the beach at Kessingland. The guy had been making his way with a pal for a spot of fishing when a he was knocked off his feet by the swell and caught in the backwash. I didn't know the guy personally but I do know some of his friends, my thoughts and sympathies are with them and his family at this time. Bless them all.
