Almost perfect?

The day started with me enjoying a coffee, whilst standing in the back garden soaking up the early morning rays. Two Willow Warblers were flitting about in the buddlieas and I had the camera to hand should a photo opportunity arise. The Java Sparrows in my aviary were very active yet, over the din I thought I heard the call of a Bee-eater. I strained my ears as I scanned the skies to the north (where I thought the call had come from) - heard the call another three times yet failed to see anything. I rushed indoors, telling Bev that I was going over to the farm to check the wires. If a Bee-eater was going to spend any time on my patch - I wanted to see it!

Juvenile Whinchat on the Scaffolder's Yard fence

Sadly my search was negative, although I did manage to record the first Wheatear and Whinchat of the autumn plus a Common Whitethroat and several more Willow Warblers. Did I really hear Bee-eater? I'll never know and the record is consigned to the "might have been" file.
I had plans to fish the Stour in the evening, so set about preparing some particle mix, a micro-moth flew from the grain as I poured it into the saucepan and I discovered another, although dead, in the bag. I've made no attempt at an id, as yet, but it looks quite interesting. (It's an Indian Meal Moth - Plodia interpunctella; a commonly found pest of stored seeds and other dried foodstuff!)

This sad little moth was inside a plastic bag full of mixed seeds 

However, in between times, Bev and I went across to Herne Bay to pick up Ron and Denise (Bev's parents) before setting off towards Hythe, Folkestone, St. Margaret's at Cliff and back to Herne Bay, some six hours later! A decent lunch in The Duke of York, Dover - and that's about all there is to say.

On the river just after 19.00 hrs - swim baited up with said particle mix within 30 minutes. Conditions looked good and my mood was confident. As it got dark I got "wiped out" by weed three times between 21.05 & 21.40 hrs - never a good thing having to recast in the dark - but it all worked out nicely. At 22.05 hrs the bite alarm burst into life as the reel span (my Match Aerial - whoopee!) and the rod lunged violently as an unseen fish bolted off with my bait.

A very stocky individual - it gave me the best fight I've so far enjoyed with the barbel of this
wonderful river

It was an interesting fight, the fish weeding itself after a minute or so. As a result I had to resort to brute strength - 12lbs b.s. Diawa Sensor and a 1.75 lbs t/c rod subjected to extreme pressure in order to get the fish moving again. It all ended happily, some minutes later, as I pushed the net under my second Barbel of 2014 - this one weighing a very pleasing 11 lbs 4 oz - a rather short, stocky, individual - happy daze!