#9 This week I am mostly fishing.. Alresford. Again.

A 5lb tench was note worthy back then, this one was from Alresford. Not sure why I am looking so pious? See it's teddy bear eye?

One of those red letter evenings (if I'd kept a diary). Had just got back from abroad that day I think. First one, a common would have been a mid double except for a long healed but translucent chunk out of it between the pelvics and anal fin .

Followed up with a trio of tincas

And fairly soon after judging by the still atrocious barnet a spot of rudd fishing on the Cricket Pit. Lord Lite then of Alresford thought it a cunning stunt to take my moped on a scramble ride. Amazing what you can fit in one small seat box.

Lobkin on the Match Pit in army surplus

 

And Lord Lite in his favoured match mode on the Sandbank, tank suit and all.

Clearly in my Alresford residency with a stockie

The Alresford mirrors often were scanty of  scale.

Think this Frating Bottom Pond fish for Lobkin was very near if not a 20. Why the miles of Heron leads to a sounder box?

Could have been a nighter that session...

Go on you fecker.....

Not sure I ever caught one off the top from Alresford. Looks good though

Can't remember this keenie's name.

Or his.

 Still on the Strawberry Creme, used to microwave some for a balanced snow-manny thing

Lord Lite swore by red corn, often strawberried as well and this would have been used at shorter range if fishing the Sandbank to Island end more I think.

More usual long chuck fish

Given the grass  think the tench and bream were from Frating Bottom Pond off the Dam, Never caught an Alresford bream on "carp" tactics (boilees/particles).The little mirror was caught on waggler off the Sandbank.

My best Alresford carp, an 18+ Common. Fat bastard.

This common more typical of the original stock. Think the tench was from the Match Pit.

This was definitely the Match Pit

A bleak place in winter for  sure.

On the Stour now and chubbing. This bend was a bit of a banker.

It produced these two in two chucks, on meat. Peas in a pod, check the markings round the operculum to see that they are different fish. Had just cleared down from flood, both fish had been lying up in the silt.

Can't remember catching this chub at all, or from where.

Post Office stretch just above Nayland

A bit  colder next time round

but successful

I "let" Shanus fish it now and then as well

#8 A shot up the crack of Dawn

Always a sucker for a shot up the crack of Dawn me..

Got my moped by now as push biking with all the gear from Turner Road wasn't fun. Used to knock off at 2.25, scoot off home, pop in the the tackle shop on Barrack Street on the way for a bag of frozen Richworth Strawberry Creme and bish bosh carp in the net. This one off the flats up near the Point

This one from old no 8? Sandbank side of the islands anyway. Used to slot the rests and needles in the holes from last time.

Used to wind the rods in of course whilst looking for fish....

Lobkin became quite a regular and had a knack for the bigger fish too. Only man in the world still using Herons though.  Butt ring foams and double clips. Lines taught to the bait like piano strings but fuck when they went............We dreamt of a long chuck to those last bushes, Had a walk round on Lord Lite's 40th and the boys that day were hitting just under  the far bank.

Think I must have spent a few hours just watching and photoing Shanus if not Dawn's crack, this is were the barbel used to be most reliably found. But not by me.

Think we spent more time on Alresford around this time when the Canadian Pond Weed in the Match Pit went fecking mental.

Bit more Stour light relief..bottom of the Post Office stretch, featured in a Wilson programme once

Back on Alresford and two likely lads tackling No 24 in two very different ways.
Glen Sibbons in match mode

Dave Lake in storm trooper mode.

I used to get the put-put over to Frating as well. Lord Lite was probably knobbing the slappers from the Tartan House in his Dexy's perm and lip slug whilst I earnestly pondered on Kafka and Kerouac.
My biggest from  Frating Bottom pond at 16.08 on strawberry black eyes

Fecking belter from the Snags as well.

Silt Pit, from the gravel washings. It had a deeper channel, usually good for  a few livies, if we set Shanus to do it he'd use 10lb line and size 8 hooks.

The Tip Pit was barren and muddy too but had some water and some big fish in it too. A better bet for livies.

And it never hurt to stick one out on a paternoster at the same time...greedy fecker perch is mine, landing hawser line is Shanus's

Belting day out on Ardleigh with Shanus and Mark Duckie Taylor

I still love a rods shot.

Gunton Sawmills is now a £250 a year peas in a pod 20+ commons runs water. Used to be a

cracking roach and bream venue. Pound plus roach on the waggler

This is me and Shanus on a very foggy "jack city"  Dedham Mill Pool. I am wearing a tea cosy it seems.

Used  to be on the Post Office Committee, mostly to stop Pissflap Penfold trying to ban anything other than 10-3 pegged match fishing. It is amazing how much good fishing water can be had  for the price of a couple of bottles of Scotch a year, and not even single malt at that. One year we had a corking day on a hidden bit of water in someone's back garden just behind Ardleigh near the cages and the lunch time finger the secretary car park. I always think it might have been Bobby George's but I am sure it wasn't. Kelvin,the snappily county attired bloke below was a mild mannered chap who must have despaired at us riding rough shod over committee etiquette and rules. We all had about 40lb each of rudd or perch

We had to wait for late winter and then only fish deads on very long paternosterss that year on the Match Pit due to the weed.

Nice view of Frating Top Pond.