In seven more days, we are headed back up to Loch Awe - we being Benno, Simon and me (The Wrafties!) plus Tom and Phil (The Bradbury's) - a finer bunch it would be difficult to find. Although each of us harbours a dreamt of capture; there is a genuine delight in seeing someone else succeed amongst the group. This is probably why we're able to spend a week in each others company without the slightest hint of a niggle.
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L to R - Simon, Alan "I don't drink!" Gray (the land owner), Benno and Tom
An oft repeated scene from our 2011 Loch Awe trip |
I don't think we've ever been better prepared, tackle and tactics wise, for a trip like this. My earliest sojourns were a farcical nonsense - I had no more idea of catching Scottish pike than I did of splitting the atom. Chuck and chance would be a flattering description of my angling skills; but not today. We are armed with bait boats and fish finders - the very best terminal tackle that is available and baits to match. Benno and Tom have a cunning plan to secure some Loch Awe caught live baits (seeing is believing!) and there are some flavour/colour combinations which are new to the water (no-one else has got them, I'm 100% certain of this!) and should give us an edge. Just four and a bit more shifts at work -then off-ski!
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| 1524 - Emmelina monodactyla |
Moths are still relatively scarce, but there were two new additions to the year list, amidst the regular dross, with the capture of a single Emmelina monodactyla (a plume moth) and three Double-striped Pug.
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| 1862 - Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) |
The weather, this morning, was glorious yet no signs of raptor migration on this side of Thanet. I would, therefore, assume that, for me, it has finished for Spring 2013. Of course there will be odd stragglers, but the big movements are all but over. I will be interested to see how much longer the regularly watched sites of Pegwell Bay and Margate Cemetery report raptor sightings, there is absolutely no doubt that the main migration route is well to the west of Newland's Farm.
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