Struggling

At this present time Bev's deteriorating health situation dominates my waking hours. I have absolutely no intention of sharing the details with visitors to the blog beyond the fact that she is very ill and, as a consequence, my posts may well become very erratic over the coming period. I was able to get out with Bruno for a couple of hours, this morning, taking a leisurely stroll around the Minster Marshes. Nothing to get excited about, yet I did see my first Hairy Dragonflies of the year and managed to grab a shot of a sunbathing Common Lizard as we meandered our way around the area.

So, unsurprisingly,, fishing gear, cameras and/or binoculars are of very little importance currently. I am in awe of the efforts of the NHS Thanet Community Care Team, and the Pilgrims Hospice Support, as they ensure Bev's pain relief treatment is the best that is available.

Minster treasures

Bev's health issues have impacted dramatically on my ability to get outdoors, so the daily Bruno walk has to provide the majority of my wildlife encounters. Minster Marshes have certainly played a major part in my birding, thus far in 2025, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future? Yesterday's stroll enabled me to add Lesser Whitethroat and Nightingale to the year list whilst this morning's exercise resulted in my second Ring Ouzel of the year and, most unexpectedly, I finally managed to get some useable images of a Grass Snake. 

I captured this image using my 100 - 400 mm lens. I need to get back with
the macro kit to see what might be achievable?

The set-a-side fields have now been ploughed and this has had a dramatic effect on the numbers, and variety, of birds around the area. No point complaining, as it is farmland afterall. I will continue to send my sightings in to the Save Minster Marshes gang, knowing that every little helps add to the database and, as such, might just provide the evidence to sway the planning decisions?

Carp Puddles = short cut to learning

In my opinion, if you can't catch a Carp from the C&DAA Minster Lakes, then it's time to consider taking up golf? Now embarking on my fourth season as a member of this angling club, I have nothing negative to say about the fisheries available via the purchase of a club ticket. "You pay your money and make your choices" If a particular venue doesn't provide what you're seeking, then simply don't bother fishing it as there a plenty of others available which offer vastly differing challenges. If that still doesn't work, then why join the club in the first place?

Eleven and a half pounds of Brook Lake entertainment

Brook Lake, at Minster, is nothing more testing than a "beginners" runs water. I've had sessions down there, using freelined wholemeal bread cubes, with a split cane rod and centrepin, landing twenty plus Carp, up to low doubles, in less than three hours. It really is that easy and incredibly enjoyable if a bent fishing rod is what you seek. There is, however, another reason for visiting such venues and that is for the purpose of fine tuning ideas. Be they based around tackle choice, bite indication, rig or bait presentation, I'm confident that lessons can be learned in very quick time. Only once I'm confident that an idea is worthy of pursuing do I seek to take it to another, more testing, venue to continue with the learning experience. To my way of thinking this where "day ticket" commercial fisheries come into their own. Always popular, thus heavily pressurized, the Carp in this type of venue are "cute" to say the least. They see "Muppets & Carp Clones" casting rigs and baits which are agricultural, at best. Copied straight off of some celebrity YouTube offering, or other, accompanied by ridiculous amounts of (very expensive) bait, spombed with all the subtlety of, repeatedly, chucking in a house brick. Heavy leads (tackle in general) for the size of venue are also par for the course. Still it's not my place, or desire, to question how others enjoy their time on the bankside? So as long as it doesn't directly compromise what I'm doing it must be a case of each to their own. 

My first Victory Lake "twenty"

Because it is so close to home, my favoured commercial is Kev's "Victory Lake" at Sandwich Coarse Fishery. Over the past couple of summers it has provided me with some exceptional Carp fishing. Containing nothing massive, the venue has fish to just over thirty pounds, but I have been able to fine tune my use of the "Bushwhacker" baiting pole system whilst getting regular action for my efforts. During that particular project, I wasn't in need of help to put the "Bushwhacker" together, or how to steer it. I needed to explore the amount of freebies  required in order to create a feeding response where a bite was likely to happen sooner, rather than later. I was also able to play around with bottom baits v's wafters, again gleaning some very valuable insight during this period. One very interesting side effect was the importance of hook pattern choice? It didn't end there, hook link length and,. more importantly, material became a massive distraction along with the "blow-back" vs "D-rig" conundrum. 

July 1983 - my very first "twenty"
I've been playing this game for quite a long time now. Is another Carp that important?

I have now to bide my time, purely because Bev's health issues are of far greater priority than placing another wet fish into the landing net. I now have a venue in mind once there is some type of routine back in our lives, so am happy to have ideas spinning around in my head awaiting the chance of a return to the bankside. If, and when, I get to place a baited rig into the water I am confident that it will be the most effective presentation that I am able to offer, purely because of the previous experiences at those club and commercial fisheries?

A pleasant distraction

 Our granddaughter, Emily, is completely smitten with Bruno and hasn't required a second invitation to join us for a morning walk, or two, it being the school Easter Holiday! Last Saturday we had a very enjoyable stroll around Minster Marshes, thus allowing Emily to spend time with Bruno, but also allowing me to show her Slow Worms for the first time and later how easy it was to get the Carp to feed on floating dog biscuits. I'd said that, weather permitting, we'd return and, after walking Bruno, see if we could catch her very first Carp (fish!) This morning was to see us return and it went like clockwork. I picked her up at 09.30 hrs and we were back in the van, less than two hours later headed for home. In the intervening period, not only did we take Bruno for a stroll, discovering two Slow Worms and a Grass Snake en route, she also landed her first two Carp. Both of which were "doubles". 

Emily's very first fish - 10 lbs 8 oz

We were on the bank for little more than thirty minutes, but plenty long enough to get the hungry hoards slurping down the floating dog biscuits. A six foot, Nash Dwarf, 2lbs t/c rod, a Nash GT 4000 reel loaded with 10 lbs b.s. Diawa Sensor line and a size 10 "Flota Claw" hook was as simple as it could get, with floating bread cubes for hook baits. 

A very special morning for us both - this one was 11 lbs 8 oz

I set the hook then immediately passed the rod over for Emily to do the rest. She was brilliant and not in the least bit phased by the situation. As a Grand-dad, it's moments like these which make it all worth while. It's Harry's turn next, so it seems.

Treading water - so to speak!

Four days after the diagnosis, yet still we await some contact from the Oncology team as to how things are going to proceed? One positive has been a phone conversation with one of our local Pilgrims Hospice nurses who have informed me of their intention to provide home visits in order to monitor Bev's pain relief medication and offer alternatives if they see fit. They were also able to confirm that the Oncology team were actively seeking a course of action for our situation. Under these current circumstances it is probably just as well that Bev is as "high as a kite" on Morphine and Cocodamol and sleeps (or is just unconscious?) almost 24/7

Bruno still needs his daily exercise, thus provides me with an opportunity to spend a while just enjoying whatever crosses our path. This past two days we've visited Stodmarsh/Grove Ferry NNR and it's been very rewarding. Booming Bitterns, a maximum count of twenty-eight Cattle Egrets plus good numbers of newly arrived Reed & Sedge Warblers. I've still not seen a Wheatear, Whitethroat, Garganey or Yellow Wagtail yet, under the current circumstances, will simply have to bide my time. I did have a nice surprise as I examined the contents of the moth trap, yesterday morning, when I discovered a lovely Mullein Moth. Not particularly scarce, but still another manifestation of simple pleasures?

We've had better days

Bev's cancer diagnosis was confirmed on Friday and I have no desire to expand upon this news. "Treatable, but not curable" was Dr. Podder's assessment during our consultation. Family, friends and neighbours have been amazing with their genuine offers of support. We now await the outcome of an Oncology Dept decision as to how we move forward? I should have known that things were going badly, when a Booted Eagle was flying over my garden, whilst Bev and I were at The Estuary View Medical Centre, Whitstable, for her CT scan. Fishing, year listing and the vast majority of other aspects of normal life must now play second fiddle to the reality of dealing with Bev's medical requirements.

Little Ringed Plovers at RSPB Worth Marshes

Bruno has made a massive impact on my life, despite the fact he was "adopted" to assist with Bev's anxiety issues. Our daily walks have to be undertaken in places where other dog-walkers are unlikely to be encountered. Living in East Kent, I am very fortunate that the flatlands surround Thanet and, therefore, it is possible to spot, thus react to the presence of, another dog(walker) by changing our route and avoiding a Bruno melt-down, should someone else, and their mutt, also be enjoying the surroundings!

Female Marsh Harrier, over Minster Marshes, this morning.

RSPB Worth Marshes provides a brilliant option during the Monday - Friday period, as does Stodmarsh/Grove Ferry NNR, yet it has to be Minster Marshes on Saturday & Sunday, purely because we are able to wander, freely, around an area with limited public access. Under these current circumstances I am very aware of how much the local wildlife is able to impact, in a positive manner, on my demenour. My nocturnal feeding station has certainly taken on some extra focus, under the current circumstances, and I am delighted that one of the Vixens has gained enough confidence to allow me to keep the back door open, hence get far superior photo opportunities.

Blogging might become a little erratic, dependant upon how Bev's treatment impacts upon our daily routine? I will do my best to keep posting just because by sharing the experiences, I am able to keep a level of calm within this uncharted journey.

Meal for two

Whilst listening to the  Radio 5 Live commentary, of PSG vs Aston Villa, I have also been watching the feeding bowls placed on the patio. Although seeing a Fox and Hedgehog at the same bowl isn't particularly unusual, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to grab an image, tonight, with both animals feeding side on to my position. 

Taken from within my study (man cave) - tackle room, thus through a double-glazed window, it is still a very pleasing image of something which must happen frequently but, because it is during the hours of darkness, very few have been privileged to witness?