Our first look & some other stuff

Benno and I had a wander along one of the sections of the tidal Stour, which we are thinking about as a possible target stretch. I had a bucket of munga and a sawn-off with a 3.5 oz Gardner weed rake attached, Benno had a lure rod with his Deeper "pro" fish finder kit. The river was really busy with many folk enjoying their freedom, whilst maintaining social distancing, yet making the most of the superb weather. Quite a few ramblers walking the bank side footpath and we even bumped into a fellow angler who was also prospecting for likely spots to start the new season. One thing that really struck me, as it has done elsewhere recently, was how friendly and polite everyone has become. The guys and gals on their boats, kayaks and paddle boards, the dog walkers and ramblers, every one had the decency to say "hello", "how you doing?" and make the effort to ensure that social distancing rules were abided to wherever possible. Good humoured banter being standard fare during these encounters - long may it continue! 

The river looks to be in absolutely prime condition. The bank side vegetation is luxuriant, and thick, hiding those secretive swims which Benno and I so desire. We think we've located a few, only time will tell, but I'm back down there in the morning to introduce some more munga in the vain hope of getting something going prior to mid-night on Monday. At the present time I'm not too sure if my feelings are those of excitement or anxiety? What madness is about to ensue due to this crazy challenge?  One thing I do know is that I've never had to consult a tide table before tackling a river before. It will be a very steep learning curve as we seek to develop a strategy that allows us to tackle the nuances that this project throws up. With daily level fluctuations being more than two metres, the ebb and flow of the river will have a massive impact upon our ability to present a rig with any degree of confidence. However, until we've tried our luck we'll never learn anything about the challenges that catching the inhabitants, of this lovely river, pose.

Benno and I talked about terminal tackle, rigs and bait whilst we were at the waterside. It was quite an open exchange, as it always is between father and son? We both harbour those same desires, probably due to genetics rather than logic? If this lunacy were to develop into a quest for a "double figure" bream, then we're both happy to adapt our strategies to encompass this target. Very strange times indeed, I've absolutely no idea where I'm headed - much like Boris and his team of, equally, incompetents?

Sorry folks, this is where the soap box comes out. The only difference between these two scenarios is that my short comings impact upon no-one, but me, Boris & Co's failings have far reaching consequences for the entire populous of the United Kingdom and beyond! More than ever the UK needs a leader. What we've got is a complete imbecile, who'd struggle to hold his own in a pub, let alone parliament. He's lost the plot and must do the decent thing for the benefit of our nation. Both him and Cummings need to exit, stage left, and allow our nation to move forward. Will it happen? Will it F*CK! Arrogance and elitism reign, "wealth before health" and "don't do as I do, do as I say" Any real surprise that there's civil unrest within our cities? The "Black Lives Matter" protests are just the tip of an iceberg  of issues which our political elite need to address. "Can't stand the heat? Get out of the kitchen!" Boris and his cohorts couldn't boil an egg before they were out of their comfort zone. Please feel free to click the following link to see how Boris is viewed by far more intelligent folk than I.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPJXRnThoog