Friday Face

Hells bells! I wouldn't want to meet this fella on a dark night. I found him on the beach gawping at me...............he's now in the house gawping at me. Help!

Market Finds No 10

Can you spot what's missing? For sale at the price of less than two pints of bitter I couldn't leave it - it's a corker. Saltwater proof too!

Have you spotted it yet? Quite right, anyone got a spare handle? There must be someone out there with a handle and no reel just waiting for a bloke with a reel and no handle. It's an ABU Cardinal 77 by the way.

I saw a bluebird flying.....

Here's the mighty fine Sagittarius with the classic My World Fell Down - this is to celebrate the coming of the first Swallows which have started to arrive here over the last week. What a superb sight, they bring such hope and happiness - the acrobatics over the River Asker each evening as they gorge on the fly hatch has been a joy to behold!

Peggy's place

Furlongs 1953 - Edwin Smith

Furlongs 1961 - Edwin Smith

Farewell Winter

Walter E Spradbery 1936 - Curwen Press

Betty Swanwick 1936 - Curwen Press

Ugo Mochi 1923 - Curwen Press

Unknown Artist 1923 - Curwen Press

Barnett Freedman 1936 - Curwen Press

Barnett Freedman 1936 - Curwen Press

I'm the King of the World!

Was the cry that went up from middle nipper. I had to agree with him as I too had the very same feeling as a turbulent wind blew into our faces. I surveyed the coast from this highest of vantage points and he raced amongst the ramparts at Eggardon.

The simplest of pleasures can be the most rewarding and his cry came to mind a day or two later when drying out the contents of our beach shack after the storms.

After a perfect porcine lunch and a forage for findings on the beach (including a nice wave worn door wedge) the warmth of the afternoon sun got the better of me and dreams beckoned........I too felt like the King of the World.

Buried Treasure Part 7

The move has unearthed much in the way of buried treasure - it is such a lovely feeling when it is found again, but it has also jogged my failing memory towards treasure that may be lost......or just waiting to be found!

This isn't any old piece of wood, oh no. This is a small piece of the original Redmire Pool dam rail no less - the original rail that the likes of BB, Dick Walker, Dick Kefford, Maurice Ingham, Bob Richards and the like would have leant against in the 1950's during the golden age of carp angling. 

I knew I had it somewhere, but thought it lost - apologies for the poor picture by the way. A gift from a legendary Redmire angler quite a few years ago. It was found, preserved in the water just by the dam where it had fallen. This piece was found by me in a box and could easily have been lost again along with the two ancient Redmire oak leaves (from the Oaks pitch of course!).

The last cast

A few images from my end of season flurry last week. A super few days on the Wiltshire Ebble and Dorset Stour. One of the highlights being the ball of Starlings swarming during the day to dive bomb a flock of Dorset Down sheep - never seen that before, the noise was incredible. My poor shot not doing the scene justice. Fine fishing by myself, with good friends and thoughts of friends much missed. A short piscatorial interlude now before the mackerel and trout season.

Friday Face

I thought it looked a bit like Zippy from Rainbow, remember him? The rude orange one. Or perhaps it's what Mr Slater's parrot looks like? Anyhow, a joy to stumble upon this face of sorts at low tide.

Corduroy

Harry Becker - 1948

Forgotten then were the disconsolate, the rainy days.