John Peel's Festive 50

I miss the Christmas Peel shows. Being a bit of a saddo, I used to religiously tape John Peel's Festive 50 each year. Somewhere in the loft are cassettes and mini discs (I'll explain later kids....) going back to 1979, through to 2004, a good twenty years worth. I'm sure there must be a few years missing but not many. 

I seldom listen to them now though, it just seems to remind me that poor old Peel is no longer with us. Anyway, in the spirit of the Festive 50 and in memory of Peel, here's a few of my favourites of 2012.

And in no particular order.......

Albums

1000 Pictures - Pete and the Pirates - Great band, but split up after only a couple of years

Toy - Toy - Krautrock British styleeeeeeee

The Lion's Roar - First Aid Kit - Country music can be groovy, pop pickers

Standing At The Sky's Edge - Richard Hawley - Plenty of wailing guitars and feedback, limited crooning

Let England Shake - P.J.Harvey - A corking album, not a single duff track

 Tracks

If you have a pulse, you'll enjoy these.

Motoring - Toy

 Best of Friends - Palma Violets - 

Reformation - The Fall

London Can Take It - Public Service Broadcasting

Home - Edward Sharpe and the magnetic Zeros

Deep In The Essex Marshes

Last Sunday the day started with several degrees of frost and a deep blue sky. After a quick breakfast I drove over to Tollesbury, the village where, to me, it will forever be the 1970s. As a kid I used to go over every week with my Mum to see my grandparents on the old Osbourne bus. It seemed to take ages,and you prayed that the bus wouldn't take a diversion into Salcott, which extended the jouney time still further.

I parked in the square near the Kings Arms and walked down Station Road to "Woodrope". A really bitterly cold, but beautiful day. Mooched about the creeks a took a few photos.

 Sail Lofts at "Woodrope" Tollesbury

Ghosts of times past

Houseboat in the creek

Tollesbury Light Ship

Ended up walking past the legendary 96 Mell Road. The old walnut tress have gone and a large extention has changed what was once a simple council house, but I could distinctley smell, hear and see traces of the long gone1970s.

"That Was The Year That Was"

The dark days down to Christmas creep
As wolves around a pen of sheep
When people turn their collars up and sigh
A convalescent crescent moon
Comes drifting out mid-afternoon
To bid an old arthritic year goodbye

Martin Newell  "The Dark Days Down To Christmas

A few photos from 2012.

February - A freezing afternoon at Brightlingsea

February - Wreck at Alresford Creek

April - Wood Anemones in Stour Wood, Wrabness

April/May - Beach fishing for roker

After several blank trips throughout April, the roker fishing in May suddenly took off. For perhaps six or seven weeks the fishing was excellent, with short sessions resulting in catches of up to five fish in three hours.

Nice simple fishing.Pick a small-medium evening or early morning tide, ideally not too rough. Chuck out a chunk of herring or whole squid 50-100 yards. Sit on your hands and wait until the rod is just about to be pulled out the rod rest and then tighten up.

May - Old gun emplacements at Walton On The Naze

June - Yellow horned poppies at Salthouse, North Norfolk. .

.

Thorrington Creek

June - Thistles at Alresford Grange

  

August - On holiday at Prawle Point, Devon. A fantastic place.

August - Summer storm, Prawle Point.

July/August - Hound fishing on the south coast

Had a couple of smoothound sessions in July / August on the South Coast with Fishy Rob. First trip at Hayling Island, a windy, cool evening at Rob's "secret spot". Had four hounds to just over 10lb, missed several others. It was a strange spot, with massive, snag encrusted gravel bars that ruined even 80lb shock leaders and cost us several fish.

A few weeks later Rob called. "You must get down here this Sunday. The tides are building, forecast is good and more and more hounds are showing on every tide. I'm sure we'll have a big hit". Trouble was I was booked up to go to a barby.

Sunday came and by early afternoon it was pouring with rain. Barby called off. On the phone to Rob and half hour later I'm in the car heading towards West Sussex.

Met Rob and three friends at another sneaky spot. He was right, fishing was manic from the off. The first two hours it was a bite a cast, despite us fishing in daylight in three or four feet of water.

It then went completely dead for a couple of hours and I thought, that's it, we've had our lot.

By this time it was totally dark and just as suddenly as they'd disappeared they came on the feed again. This time it was truly ridiculous, with Rob unable to keep up with landing the fish for everyone. For the next three hours it was mayhem, until we packed up at 4 a.m, having caught 52 hounds between four of us.

I had fourteen, mostly doubles, with the biggest two, 16lb and 16lb 8oz. A fantastic night's fishing.

September - Fishing In Canada - 

Off to Canada to see Shane. Highlight was the fly-in by boat plane to a remote lake in Ontario. Nobody else on the entire lake. Bloody beautiful and the fishing for small mouth bass and muskie was good too.

 

September/October - Autumn bassing on the river.

Great fishing for some reasonable sized (2-3lb) fish on very light gear. Floatfished ragworm resulted in 2-4 fish in a couple of hours throughout September and October. Some of the most enjoyable fishing of the year in beautiful surroundings. I love it.

Whiting Galore

Had several sessions since last blog, at Frinton and St Osyth, each trip resulting in large numbers of mostly good sized whiting, but only the occasional codling around the pound and a half mark. Bit disappointing, but they've all been enjoyable trips with the bonus of a large bucket of fresh fish at the end of the evening.

Today very strong south westerly winds, force 6-8. Took a quick trip down to St Osyth to have a look. Extremely rough, practically unfishable, if it doesn't fish it's head off after the winds subside it's time to give up.

Peter Hook and the Light

Met half Centurian Mak Baines in Norwich to see Peter Hook and the Light at Norwich Waterfront.

Practically all the Joy Division songs were covered, highlights for me being Transmission, She's Lost Control and a storming rendition of Shadowplay. The young guitarist did a top job all night, but was particularly outstanding on this track..

A fairly mixed crowd, some real youngsters, a sprinkling of twenty somethings and lots of middle aged farts like us. The atmosphere improved as the gig went on and by the end the place was heaving. Two encores ensured, ending with the inevitable "LoveWill Tear Us Apart". Another enjoyable evening.

Big Autumn Bass

Krakov contacted me in the week saying he was thinking of an all nighter at St Osyth. Allnighter being until daybreak. Didn't fancy that much, so went about trying to persuade him to fish the floof at Frinton up to high tide, roughly 1.30 a.m.

Being the good chap that he is, he agreed to meet me at Frinton at 20.00. At this stage there was very little water, maybe only a couple of feet 80-100 yards out. After an hour or so we had a couple of whiting and started getting a few bites.

I had one rod out with a whole squid and another with a couple of small pieces of squid for the whiting. I was just about to wind the whiting rod in, as somehow the line had hooked up on the groyne, when Kracov came over for a chat. A few moments later the rod tip wrapped round with some force and I grabbed the rod, cursing that the line was snagged up on the groyne.

I handed Krakov my coat and waded out to try and free the line (luckily I had the chest waders on). No luck, it wouldn't come loose. Bloody typical, you wait ages for something decent and then this happens.

I winched the line in, knowing that when the rig reached the groyne it would snag for good and the fish would be lost. Well, that's what would happen most of time, but tonight luck was on my side. Suddenly the rig pinged free as the fish dragged the gear over the groyne and onto the next beach.

I caught sight of the fish, a big bass and carefully guided in towards the shore, before picking it out and shouting out to Krakov.

Turned out to be a real pig of a bass,  an immaculate, heavily built fish of 7lb. Well chuffed.

Krakov manned the camera and did a great job as you can see from the photo.

Couldn't decide whether to keep it or not, but eventually took pity on it and released it.

Rest of the evening was pretty slow with some good sized whiting. We fished until about 2.30 a.m, tired but happy.

Season's First Codling

Tried St Osyth last Friday with Conan The Whittler. Nice northerly wind blowing almost directly offshore .

Had first codling of the season early on the flood, a nice fish around 3lb, followed by a doggie, both on whole squid. Just a few whiting tonight.

The ebb spoiled by large quantities of weed, that funny gingery stuff, AKA gorilla's pubes.

Conan had some nice whiting and finished of the a corking 5lb codling, about two hours into the ebb.

On Sunday evening decided to have another go, this time with Krakov. We met at the car park where the rain had just started. Combined with a moderate south westerly it wasn't the best of nights weather wise, but we both had loads of whiting, the size increasing as the evening went on.

A really enjoyable evening, now where's the filleting knife ?