Fab weekend

Its late, we have had a fab weekend here is a couple of pictures to be going on with, I will do a massive update in the next day or two to cover all our exploits!

It was a special birthday for Andreas Father so we treated her parents to Sunday lunch at Summer Lodge in Evershot, electric fishing on the River Exe, and a fantastic trip out with Ivan on Top Cat.....

A fish rescue with Kingcombe Aquacare on Saturday.

Skipper Ivan, Top Cat, Top Bloke.......

More to come, 5.00am start tomorrow......

Great expectations

So much for a week of rest, I have to admit to a little gentle chainsaw work, a spot of mowing, a splash of weed cutting and a lost Bass!

As my Popper worked its way across the surface, through the weed only a few yards from the shore, swimmers, paddlers and scavenging Gulls, a Bass charged and for a few seconds the clutch on my reel screamed as the fish tore line heading for the moored boats, as quick as it happened it all ended, the line fell slack and my little popper floated to the surface..........

I will be back.....

We had a lovely weed cutting job today, a last minuite tidy up on a local estate in time for the village fate on Saturday.

When we left it looked like a picture postcard.

We have a day out on Top Cat on Sunday and by good fortune the forcast is 100% spot on, infact, all most to the day last year we had some fantastic fishing and calm seas so lets keep our fingers crossed, watch this space, will I catch a Bass, and will John G s super Bream rigs work?

Tony hooked up....big time...this time last year.....

Scary stuff

What a strange week, we have been pretty busy as usual, (thanks guys for all your hard work), stocking, mowing, guiding etc.

In fact we have had a little bit of kind weather to be thank full for, long may it last!

I was forced to wear a silly hat for guiding, thanks Rob...

I had been feeling a little out of sorts for a while but everything was fine, we all do it, "tomorrow will be a better day", an early night and the symptoms will go away, until Wednesday afternoon, not good, better drive myself to A and E on the way home only to be admitted instantly having gone into some sort of Anaphylactic shock.

Very scary to say the least, I had to stay in for about 48 hours, A massive thank you to all at Dorchester County Hospital, for looking after me!

I have been instructed to rest for a day or two, so I can catch up with my blog, paper work and plan work or may be think about a fishing trip for this coming winter....

Next months Boat Fishing monthly has an article written by Jim O Donnell, fishing out in Florida with the company we fish with, Fish the Dream catching some fairly impressive Goliath Grouper, here is a couple of pictures of some of the Grouper that we caught on the last trip including a fish of EIGHTY pounds that I had on a 10wt fly rod....

Scott, could not go wrong, fish after fish after fish......

The reel bent out of shape, but the rod just would not break...

We lost count of the fish we caught on light spinning gear!

Due to forced rest I missed out on a night trip to Redcliff beach, I know the guys had a good night but did they barbecue fish they caught or fish they took to cook?

A few days rest, the onset of some good summer weather, and look out fish.......

River Fish....

Great just what the old blog needs, a breath of fresh air from a new angle, or do I mean new angler, well here it is, as we are all aware most of the stillwater coarse fisheries are a little slow at the moment due to this unfortunate heat wave and drought, I think not......

A couple of river fanatics have been doing fairly well on the slightly larger rivers in Hampshire, can't say any more than that.

Say cheese.... or was it paste?

Chubbier than your average Chub....

Well done keep up the good work, I remember catching a Barbel, and a Chub, a long time ago, may be this winter.

Something positive

As I write this blog the Frome is getting a jolly good flush through, running a good couple of feet higher than normal for this time of year, some of the beats on the DFC water had up to three feet of water running over parts of the fishing paths.

Great if your a Duck....

I managed to do a fair bit of strimming in chest waders, but decided to call it quits after lunch, purely for safety!

A couple of us are sitting our CSCS health and safety exam next week, to gain our CSCS operatives card.

Slightly better weather forcast for the weekend, lets hope so....

16 hours of solid rain

I woke early today, as it was getting light, torrential rain, not unlike the monsoon in south east Asia, the Frome on dusk was running a good 18 inches above yesterday, and very coloured, we had to cancel a weed cutting job for tonight!

We managed a spot of tree clearing before the rain set in..

I spent the whole day in the office and caught up with all the paper work, plans various method statements etc.

They do forcast a little sun for the morning, lets wait and see....

Nipped out to take a few dull low light wet photos and on the way home fetched some wine and cooked Tiger Prawns with lemon grass and fresh coriander as a starter followed by Beef in Oyster sauce, after all one needs to stay sane.

BST

09.40am, I have just come in from the banks of the Frome, it is rising fairly quickly, coloured and will remain un fishable for at least 48 hours after this latest spell of rain.

I think we will build an ARK today, load up with two spinning rods, two fly rods, two boat rods etc etc........ wait for the wind to come from the north, then set off for the tropics!

On a more serious note we have been to a number of meetings, several with the Dutchy of Cornwalls office, the Environment Agency, and Natural England, very possitive talks involving various up and coming habitat projects for the river Frome, various plans have been submitted and we await the go ahead for at least one major project later this year, all very exciting stuff.

The River Team from Natural England

John Grindle and I visited the Wilton Estate on monday evening to look at the fabulous work that has been undertaken to restore part of the river Wylye.

Woody debris.....

It is always facinating looking at various projects, the learning curve in this field is never ending, to get the chance to mix with other like minded people, to throw lots of ideas about, and come back with a new idea or two that could be put to use on future projects, we were blessed with sunshine, missed all the showers and many thanks to all involved.

British weather

I feel the need to thank someone for this great British summer.

Thank you for the gale force winds that make it possible to cast a popper over a hundred yards, thanks also for the heavy rain that gets you wet on its way back up as well as on its way down, oh and a huge thank you to all the makers of breathable coats, fleeces, and the fine heating systems in Japanese pick ups.....

Exactly the same weather this time last year....

Friday evening the tide was absolutly cracking, but the weather conditions made it a little difficult even to cast a popper, let alone a fly, I managed to stick at it for a couple of hours, and when I was completly soaked, made my way home.

Saturday I managed a couple of hours out in the torrential rain, and with no coat , to bag this one on a 3wt fly rod.....

Ben dropped a couple of Lobsters in for lunch, cheers.....

The BBC weather for our area for the coming week is unsettled, what a lovely way to describe the summer, at least there is no chance of freezing drizzle at this time of the year!

Fishing again

We did manage a serious amount of over time mowing and strimming on Tuesday, and some how managed to find ourselves (family) at the oil tanks for an hours spinning at dusk, Andrea caught a Mackerel........

The sea was calm with only a slight swell, on return home, checked out Top Cats website, oh no a space for the morning!

Sunshine and blue sky on our return to port.

Some had Cod for tea.

We had a great day as always, choppy, rain, and tricky fishing, the skillfull few managed a Cod or two. Thanks to skipper Ivan for catching me a few Mackerel to take home for my tea....

We ended up with mackerel fish cakes!