Autumn On The Colne

An incredibly mild late October afternoon, bloody lovely it was.

 

 

Fat Heads and Fashion Crimes...

 

Above - Mak Baines winter fishing at Wivenhoe Match Pit, 1982 

Inspired by Mak Baines recent post, showing some very old fishing photos, I had a dig around and brushed the dust off some old prints yesterday. The quality on some is very poor, as they are copies of already blurry originals, but I think they capture the spirit of the time.

 Below - Stylish hat and ridiculous glasses. Chub fishing on the Suffolk Stour, 1992

Above - The flat top compensates (a bit ) for the specs. Me with a 2lb 12oz roach/chub hybrid from the Suffolk Stour. Yes, it looks roachy in the photo, but was definitely a hybrid. 1992.

Below - A gormless Essex Scribbler poses with 21lb pike from an "under the radar" stillwater. 2003.

 Below - The notes on the photo say it all

 Above - The Match Pit gang, 1983. All freezing our nuts off in February.

 Above - Mak Baines with legendary push bike and Rigid Man, Mark "Ducky" Taylor in top left of photo. 1982.

Above - A massive (dead) Suffolk Stour chub, found in the reeds. Estimated at between 7 and 8lbs. Before Shane realised it was a chub, he said the "carp" weighed "8 or 9lbs". 2006.

I'll post some more later this week.

Thoroughly Beaten By The Mighty Turdster

Just a quick update. Met Turdster and Conan The Whittler on the beach at Frinton yesterday afternoon, hopeful that the rough weather would have encouraged the fish close inshore.

No wind, flat calm, sea a lovely think tea colour.

Started off with  two or three whiting and that was it. Turdster started off with nothing, then caught a sizeable codling, plus about half a dozen decent whiting. Conan had whiting and flounders. I had endless amounts of weed, twigs and half a tree, before packing up in disgust.

Piking with Mak

I awoke in darkness, despite it only being 6 o clock on Friday morning, to the sound of high winds, though thankfully there was no rattling on the window panes, indicating that the forecast rain had not yet arrived.

Food and drink packed, I met Norfolk Legend Mak Baines on the banks of the lake, ready for the first days  piking of the season. Rods cast out, kettle on, all was well with the world.

To use a well worn cliche, we were putting the world to rights. For your information, the following topics were covered -

The burka/hijab in relation to the British legal system.
Why the England football team are shit.
Hideous outburst of violence at Colchester McDonalds, witnessed by Mak.
Joggers (the clothing, not the activity ).
The Daily Mail - Yes, that old "favourite".Much effing and blinding and self righteous indignation followed .
"Der Yoof" of today.
Ageing, leading on to death, leading on to The Afterlife, or the lack of it.
Strictly Come Dancing
Kids and how much they cost you.
The Human Condition
Books you must read.

That's just a taster. Loads of tea was drank, in between Mak managed a nice pike just short of 10lb.

 

Then the rain moved in and it became rather grim.We gave it until half two and decided to call it a day. Just as we were packing away Mak had another pike, this time a bit smaller, which had taken his bedraggled sardine. Still, a good day.