Biteless not birdless

Another total blank on the canal, this morning, not a sound from the alarms although there were a few signs of fish in the section (species unknown). I was fishing to features and leapfrogged the rods along a few hundred metres in the hope of dropping in on a pike. It didn't happen and that might be it for the season? Wednesday morning could provide some final hope if I am able to muster the enthusiasm to visit the marshes for one last effort? I think that the weather will make the decision for me. Dry and I go, wet and I stay in bed! So far the BBC are saying dry, with sunny spells, and a light southerly. I'll know more on Tuesday!
So back to this morning and the birds which enlivened the session whilst I awaited some fishy action. I'd already picked up another year tick, as I spotted a Tawny Owl perched in roadside trees, as I drove along the Elham Valley - number 100! I also saw a Badger as I was driving through Etchinghill. Parking beside the canal, the dawn chorus was already underway despite the time being 05.50 hrs. The distant corvid roost was a cauldron of noise as the massed ranks of Rooks and Jackdaws greeted the dawn. Above all the din sounded the deep croaking of a pair of Ravens, as they flew past in the semi-darkness. The two birds continued to call and show, regularly, until 08.25 hrs when they headed off, south-west, across the marsh towards Dungeness? Unbelievably, another pair headed over, some two hours later, their abraded primaries allowing me to be confident that they were different individuals. Four Ravens in a day, and not a family party, in Kent! Crazy. It wasn't over, there were several singing male Yellowhammers, a nice flock of Redwing flew west, two Common Buzzards engaged in display flights, a Peregrine (year tick number two) caused panic amongst the feeding Wood Pigeons out on the kale fields, as it marauded overhead in the gloomy, grey skies. At least three singing Song Thrush, a Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Wren, Wood Pigeon and Skylark enthusiastically greeted the dawn, providing a wonderful ambience to the venue. Fishless, who cares? It was great to be outdoors. I'd recorded 41 species before I packed up, just after 11.00 hrs - a very enjoyable session.

Pike season over?

Pike fishing, in the morning, because grand parenting duties are likely to cause problems on Sunday? I know the section of the RMC I will be fishing and have all the kit assembled in readiness. I'm toying with an idea of using floats but, realistically, know that my attention span is not suited to this method of bite registration - there's just so much else to look at! A float, in conjunction with a bite alarm, has some merit, given the close proximity of my bait and the desire to reduce resistance to a minimum, should a pike pick up my offering.  My head is awash with such thoughts! I'll see what happens come the morrow?
Probably my final pike session of 2017/18, although I might manage to sneak one in on Wednesday morning? I can have no complaints about the fish I have captured since 3rd November 2017 - when I started the campaign. Eleven doubles, to 13 lbs 8 oz, from thirty-seven pike landed, I'll put up with that knowing how little effort I have expended. I've had great fun and not endured a sustained period, of self-induced failure, because I couldn't catch a "target" fish; I didn't have one!  I now, therefore, look forward to my carp project creating such pressure - not!

Dream on

That session, with Luke, last Sunday has proven a very fertile experience despite the lack of action. Our conversations revolved around hopes and aspirations for the coming summer and how we'd measure success. Of course, I mustn't waiver from my desire to land a "thirty" on the split canes. So could me catching a 28 be a PB, failure, both or just another rung on the ladder? Luke, however, seeks far larger quarry across The Channel. He and Benno have their sights set on the Wels Catfish, of a certain French river, and are already planning several long weekends. They are both self-employed, so don't have to worry about holiday entitlement but, also, they don't get paid when not at work - they make the call. As much as I enjoyed fishing for Wels, during the mid-80's/early 90's, I have no plans to attempt any serious return to their capture, thus am not enthused by this project - YET!

Luke with some French river success - more in 2018 please!

For me the, English, pike season ends on 14th March, thus just one more weekend before I have to switch to another quarry. My logic is heavily flawed, but still driven by the experiences of yesteryear when the traditional coarse angling season applied, carte blanche, on all freshwaters. Under no circumstances am I willing to cast a bait into a flowing water during the "close season" yet am now happy to continue to fish for other species, in enclosed  waters, largely due to the advent of "commercial fisheries" and the dominance of  (plastic, off the shelf) carp angling.

21.14 of wild Common Carp, on the split canes, from an East Kent drain - a thirty next?

That wild carp, I so desire, will come when it's ready - of that I am certain. With so many other factors falling into place, just recently, my ability to chase this ambition is now a realistic goal given that I will have more time in which to pursue my target. I'm not talking, time bandit, bivvy sessions - nope, just the ability to get in a few more short sessions during periods of suitable conditions. By using my time wisely, I feel confident of achieving that promise. I am also aided in my cause by the simple fact that I don't require anyone else to assist/accompany me. I can just as easily going fishing on my own as I can with Benno, Luke or Sye! As a group we are very fortunate that we share the same outlooks and values. We have no secrets, from each other, no jealousy of success nor boasting of prowess when it actually happens. Our angling is about enjoyment and being able to share that is fundamental to the relationships; none of us have to catch that fish in order to have a good day!

The pike that changed my life! The first Scottish Twenty I'd ever seen.
Caught by Benno, it was a monumental event and I was part of it. I stuck the net under it and took the photos!

I've been down to Camo's, this afternoon, to pick up a few bits for the coming weekend's pike fishing on the RMC. Conversation was varied, but the prospect of the abandonment of the "close season" on UK rivers was a particularly lively exchange. Being of a similar vintage we hold strong feelings about the "old days" and that build up to mid-night of 15th June and battle resumes. I have so many compelling memories of that first cast; the Tring Syndicate members were fanatical in their pursuit of tench yet almost, to a man, equally committed to that mid-night hour and the stroke of the distant church clock before a cast was made. The modern generation have never experienced that thrill, the build up to a "new season" and the adrenaline moment when that first rod was picked from the rests. My conversation, with Camo, was all about the fact that modern anglers had no reason to miss this experience, because it no longer has any relevance. You can't miss what you've never had? In an era when anglers are able to buy experience from the shelves of a tackle shop, rather than spending time on the bank with other, older, anglers - learning their trade. Don't look back in anger - just sadness, that the things which were once held as important now are compromised due to the quest for the dollar! There is no other reason why the close season has been lost - tradition has no place in rampant capitalism. Fortunately, I have lived through an era when such things still had a value and I was able to gain a great deal of benefit from being part of it. I've often used the term "No good getting old. if you don't get artful" when exchanging banter within the factory - it remains true whenever I say it!

Never to be repeated? Tench fishing at Wilstone in the 1980's. I don't care about what size this species
now attains - that period was the most important in the history of UK tench angling. Oh, yeah - I was part of it!!!!

Fool's gold

Luke and I were down at the Royal Military for 06.00 hrs, on Sunday morning, hoping to pick up where he and Benno had left off the previous week. They had taken eleven pike, to 16 lbs 9 oz, in a short session just before the onset of that crazy cold spell. What folly! Snow melt water had entered the canal - the result being a complete blank! We stayed for nearly six hours, not a sign of a fish.

A magnificent sunrise - "Fool's Gold"? We didn't have a touch.

It wasn't a session without enjoyment; Luke and I haven't fished together since the catfish sessions at Greenacres, way back in the previous summer. Plenty to chat about, plans for carp, catfish, perch and pike - places to go, fish to catch. As the sun came up, the canal looked fabulous and our expectations were very upbeat. The fish, obviously, had other plans and we failed in our task - "not much of an advert for pike fishing?" being my comment. Lots of other folk, enjoying the facility, walking their dogs, riding bikes & horses, or simply having a stroll - some very nice conversations, with complete strangers, being a brilliant compensation for the lack of feeding pike.

Benno with a 16.09 - just a week ago!

A very good day

We needed to be at Hegdale Commercials for 09.00 hrs, so I could pick up the van and not be driving around in the Mazda 5, un-insured, such is the clinical precision of insurance policies. I had the birds to feed and motor to clear before we were on our way. I was up before 07.00 hrs, coffee supped, chores done, by 07.50 hrs. All we had to do was drive twenty-odd miles, without incident, and the van insurance would kick in at the stroke of 09.00 hrs. Bugger! Looking out the kitchen door, a Goldcrest was on the fat-ball feeder, a garden first. I grabbed the camera and pointed in the direction of the bird - settings as they came! (photo is more to do with computers than any skills I have)

We made the journey on time and complete the transaction with the insurance mechanics being seamless. I was able to tax the vehicle and drive away in the knowledge that I was legally on the road - job's a good'n! Breakfast in The Norman Wisdom, in Deal, well I needed to have a drive! Home for mid-day, I wanted to have a look to see what the prospects for pike fishing were for Sunday. Fortunately Luke had already been down to the RMC and rang me with a very up-beat summary of the conditions - so we're out fishing tomorrow! I still wanted to have a drive; so Seaton GP's were my destination, there being a few year ticks to be found, weather permitting? A brilliant couple of hours resulted in six additions to the list - well happy. Conditions for photography were less than perfect, dull, dank and murky at best, but a drake Goosander provided a test and I'm happy enough with the result under the circumstances.

I was almost back to the van when I spotted a male Kestrel, perched on the roadside wires. ISO 800 and 1/500th sec managed to secure a useable image? Back home for the second half of Spurs v's Huddersfield - job done! Fishing in the morning - life doesn't get much better than this?

A simple question? The computer says No!

The time is almost up, I collect my Nissan NV200 panel van tomorrow, and needed to sort out some insurance, prior to the event. I'd assumed that a simple policy transfer between the Mazda 5 and this new purchase would be a straight forward process and completed with a few taps on my insurer's key-pad! Nothing in life is that simple - it's a "commercial" so requires a different policy! No it's not, it's a bloody fishing motor, exactly the same as the MPV, just it doesn't have any rear seats or windows! Arguing with my broker was a pointless exercise, they were doing their job, as best they knew how (always been good enough until today) and I came to the conclusion that I was, in fact, now in that "computer says no!" world of David Walliams and Little Britain.
I have no idea how many (carp) anglers now drive vans (VW Transporters if you're in vogue?) yet, surely there must be a niche insurance market for such vehicles?  I know that Korda attempted a dabble in tackle insurance, a few years back - a folly. Angler's van insurance, in 2018, must have some market value? In the meantime, I'm now paying an extra £130/annum, for a van with a smaller engine and five less seats - just to go fishing!

My room with a view

The BBC weather forecast, for Dumpton, couldn't be more wrong if they'd forecast a heatwave. Grey skies and a severe easterly gale, with temperatures hovering around zero. Not a bit of it! It's -4C and snow is falling steadily, the wind brisk, but nothing close to the 45 mph predicted. There'd be a lot of unemployed weather forecasters if it was a results driven business?

Looking west, through the kitchen window, at the feeding station, the aviary and
Newlands Farm, beyond.

Any, pre-shift, outdoor activity was quickly ruled out by the simple ploy of looking out of the window in the kitchen door! I made the effort to replenish the feeding station and provide some fresh water in the bird bath, sort out the aviary, before retreating to the comfort of the kitchen; coffee to hand. I've not attempted any photography this morning, the snow is swirling around and sticking to the window, thus making it even less receptive to obtaining decent images than normal. I did, however, spend some time, yesterday, pointing the cameras through the glass and managed to get a few images that capture the feel of the present situation. Not that it's much different from anywhere else within the UK?

I will put up with mice taking advantage of the food put out for the birds. Rats? I draw the line and grab my Webley Mk III