Rationalising

Tackle for sale

Having cleared my garage of Barbel Society back issue magazines, I decided to think about my fishing tackle and with 5 centre pins I thought a good place to start with my rationalisation of my kit.
My other reels and rods are all staying put, apart from a hardly used split cane rod made by Paul Johnson from Hull a few years ago based on the Fred Crouch Barbel Special.
I'm not certain how to market that at the moment, as it was his first rod, he made it for himself and cost me a mere £100!

If anybody is that interested message me with your email address and I'll let you know the reserves set on eBay.

Deleted the details of sale, some Yorkshire tosser bid with a false address and telephone number!!

Something with content

Fishing

The frost and snow has gone, the river should now be within it's banks, but it's the weekend so I'll let it settle a bit, let the workers have the weekend and it's blowing a hoolie out there.
Perhaps a trip down to the upper Witham with some worms, bread and a chunk of Stilton early in the next week.
I understand there is a very big chub looking for a new home after a butchers job was carried out to some bank side willow by the anti flood boys of the EA.
The appeal of the small river is calling after some long absence.

I've heard a whisper of some robbing of a fishery on a big river from a well respected club(not the BS) by some younger upstarts.Something that I may make a few points about when I find out for certain who they are.
Shades of Adams Mill occurring ?


Finance

I told you a while ago that I was dabbling in the AiM market with some penny shares, I won't give too much away but I'm having a little success. Not gambling a great deal, because gambling is what it is, but the potential is there to make a decent profit for the pension fund.
So I'll give you a case in point with one of my 5 investments.
On the 9th October I bought 50,000 shares in a cancer research company at 0.144p each, at the cost of £720. They are currently worth, on paper around £950 (32%).
But one of the pitfalls of the AiM market is that there are lot of get rich quick merchants investing for the short term.
This particular company have been on the verge of a major deal with a big pharmaceutical company for some time with the development of a cancer fighting compound.
The MD advised share holders some months ago that a major deal would be done by the end of this month.
Come the AGM last week he advised that whilst they hoped to have the deal completed by the end of the financial year 31st December, it was no longer certain but, the MD is very confident it will still happen in just a few days, perhaps later in January.
So for one mad day there was a big bale out by the short termers and the shares lost what was effectively 40% of their value.
I topped up substantially and the shares recovered next day, but it's not for the faint hearted, a very volatile game.
My original 50000 shares have potential, maybe even this coming week, to be worth over £2000 if the chatter is anything to go by.
I'm in for the long term though, as the company shows to have great potential for growth, but a bit of profit taking for further dabbling elsewhere may be taken.
I'll let you know if my faith in the company is proved wrong.

Christmas

Having just this week on Tuesday got through the anniversary of my Mum's death last year, without anything other than some great thoughts about the past and her, our mind turns to the Christmas break.
With no kids we "celebrate", as I've probably said before,  much the same way as any other weekend. Except we do what everybody else does, eat a lot and get slowly pissed!
This year though we have learned that out neighbour Jim, has decided that he is not fit enough to make the drive over to his relatives in Manchester, and they don't appear to be coming over to him for the break, or to take him over to them, so we've invited him to have Christmas day with us.
He had better like goose, or it's ham and spuds for him!
For all you readers that do celebrate with your family, I'll take this opportunity to wish you all the very best for Christmas now, as we won't be sending cards.

Just sitting here thinking!

International Drinking Society


Another over nighter in the smoke meeting up with the International Stores ol'boys.
Two 80 year olds joined us for this the "Christmas" do, the two John's.
JTS the Assistant Company Secretary when I were a lad, who later went onto be a Director of the retail division of British American Tobacco. They dallied with retailing by firstly taking over International and a few other supermarket groups before deciding that retailing was too much like hard work, and went back to their core business of selling fags.
Still a very lucrative business, especially for those that retained their shares from the employment package.
Anyway John is still quite well and living in the Surrey countryside.

JHD, was one of the boys who would just disappear for hours on end, in fact he was the first to get to 100 pubs and complete the alphabet in our get to a pub have a drink and back in the hour lunch break sessions of the early 70's.Suffering a bit on the pins but looking pretty healthy.


We visited The Enterprise a pub in Red Lion Street around the back of Holborn. Cracking group of ladies running the pub ,very customer orientated, the beer wasn't bad either, Deuchers, I could have sworn it was Doom Bar, but I find that is a Cornish brew by Sharps.Whatever, it was good.
I just thought about our next trip, and do JHD some injustice he's not 80 until next April, so it looks like I'll be at his do in South Woodford for our next outing my 64th birthday is in late March.

Consequences

Thinking of that nurse who may have killed herself as a result of the Ozzie Dj's playing games. I don't think people these days think enough about the possible consequences of their actions.

I can think of two individuals already, one a short arsed "fuckwit" the other a grey haired thief ( they are regular readers) who both sparked into life with their usual innuendo and smart arsed comments this last week or so.
And both of whom,will have at least two close ones who will do them some damage if they ever meet up with them.
Comeuppance is the word methinks.

End of the river...

For all the doubters 

Why we anglers should join the Angling Trust, there is no defence without them!



The End of The River - 
This film explains some of the impacts of hydropower on rivers in Europe. It’s interesting that in many European countries hydropower plants are being removed, whereas in the UK our government is paying the developers to install them. The film was made by the European Anglers Alliance, of which the Angling Trust is a member.

Read how Fish Legal has recently won an historic injunction against a multi-million pound hydropower development on the River Trent at Sawley Weir, in the process exposing major failings in the regulatory process HERE.



The film

Update

George

I'm very pleased to say that my farmer friend, and owner of the ponds down in the valley, after being given a short time to live before being moved over to Leeds hospital, has now recovered enough to be allowed home last Wednesday.
He still needs dialysis a couple of days during the week though.
His wife is quite rightly keeping an eye on him, and keeping him away from the farm for the time being.

Flooded Trent

Still un-fishable, well unreachable without a boat down at Sutton.
I had thought of a trip down, at least to see if any fish were marooned and needed rescuing, but the levels in the fields are much the same.
The water may take sometime to subside from what is effectively marsh land.

That's better looking back to the gate, an early trip down due

This and that

 Bill and Sonny Warren

---

I've had a letter from Bob Buteux asking me to put the following in the Barbel Society members magazine.
I spoke to him today and said it wasn't my job anymore and that the next issue is not until March next year, so I asked him if I could have his permission to put the detail on the internet.
This he gave and the following is his request:

I am writing with the hope of contacting any old acquaintances of the Warren brothers who maybe fished with or stayed with them at their boarding house in Southbourne.
I have many photographs and some ephemera about them, and my plan is to put a book together to tell of their exploits and fish they caught. What I need is additional written information to add to that of my own, from others who knew them, any stories of interest, snippets, in fact anything whatsoever about the lives of these two remarkable anglers. 


Please message me if you have any thing for Bob and I'll give you his contact details.

Health

Had my 3 month check over for diabetes on Tuesday with the specialist nurse, still OK, so I continue to control the problem with diet,not drugs.

There was a show of a typically related protein in  a urine sample given a few days before, so I now have one 5 mg tablet a day to take to ensure my kidneys are being looked after.

Next check up in 6 months

Holiday

We've booked our 40th wedding anniversary trip this week. 

We shall be off to Helsinki for 3 nights, followed by a 12 night river cruise from St Petersburg to Moscow and all stops in between.

Looking forward to that already, a trip to these cities is something The Boss has wanted to do for some time.

Floods

I didn't make my usual trip down to Sutton on Trent this week because as reported on the Environment Agency site, levels were above the most recent highest level of January 2008. As it turned out they weren't that far off the highest level recorded.Photographs from the fishery head baliff.

The river is about 400 yards from the end of this entrance road

This is to the left of the entrance gate at the last floodbank, the content of the old river course is the green stuff!

Looks like a trip down to the ponds in the valley, or maybe a fish rescue?

In my mail today

Historic Legal Victory

Fish Legal has won one of the biggest cases in its 64 year history by securing an injunction to stop a hydropower development on the River Trent at Sawley Weir. We hope that this case will send a clear signal to hydropower developers that they cannot plan or build hydropower turbines without getting permission from anglers first.
The ruling by the Judge shows that the Environment Agency failed to give proper consideration to angling when it granted the developer an impoundment licence which is now subject to a court injunction. We hope that in future the regulator will pay greater attention to the rights of anglers before giving licences to companies seeking to profit from taxpayer subsidies.

What's more, the Canal and River Trust (previously British Waterways) - the new waterways charity established to promote recreational use of our nation's waterways - was an investor in this development, and tried to defend the damaging scheme at court.

Fish Legal was acting for its member club the Pride of Derby & Derbyshire Angling Association, which was involved in the first ever major case taken by Fish Legal (then known as the Anglers' Co-operative Association) against British Celanese Ltd in 1952. The club would never have been able to defend itself in court without the expertise and financial backing of Fish Legal, which has covered all the costs and risks of this very complex and expensive case. This in turn is only possible because of the subscriptions and donations of the generous members of Fish Legal and the Angling Trust. Many thanks for your support, which enables us to fight to protect fish, and fishing. Read more about this story HERE.

Politicians speak out in The Angle
Your membership magazine, The Angle, will be landing on your doormat in the next week. Keep an eye out for exclusive political interviews in the magazine with the new Secretary State for the Environment Owen Paterson as well as the Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon and his opposition counterpart Tom Harris. They express their clear and forthright views about hydropower and also about cormorants, universal canoe access and bass minimum landing sizes, among other issues. Read quotes from their interviews HERE.

IMPORTANT: If you aren't a member of the Angling Trust and Fish Legal, please join today. It only takes a few minutes to join online at www.anglingtrust.net or over the phone and costs less than 50p a week - please call 01568 620447 during office hours.

If you are a member and know someone who hasn't joined the Angling Trust and Fish Legal yet, please forward them this e-mail by clicking here and urge them to join today.

Just another day.

Fishing

I've been waiting in all morning watching it raining heavily and it still is, so I thought and have just decided to venture out to the car. I still had all my soaking wet gear in the car from yesterday's session at Sutton on Trent.
It wasn't a very nice day generally with strong downstream winds, gusting at times and as darkness approached the fine drizzle, that had been about on the wind on and off all day, became something more.
Rob and I sat it out into darkness for a couple of hours before the dash to put everything in our respective vehicles before we got even wetter.
The Barbel Society stretch at Sutton, for those who don't know, is situated beside a marsh and vehicle access over that marsh in  very wet conditions can lead to vehicles trapped, at times up to their axles. Poor driving being the main problem!!
I tend not to venture on there on those occasions and fish a more accessible part of the fishery, or just walk the bank.
So, on arrival after unlocking the gate, I could see that Rob had parked on the marsh side of the flood bank.
 I 'phoned him and asked for his verdict on the marsh's suitability to drive over. "It's ok, just be a bit careful", so I drove over, slipped and slid a little bit as I manoeuvred away from the obvious swampy looking bits and arrived ok. About half way along the mile and a half of bank that forms the fishery.
Anyway back to the fishing, I decided not to go for the zander, this location on the fishery needs a bit of a chuck, to get into the boat channel and after a couple of attempts with my limited zander gear and a few free gifts of sprat to the river gods, I decided to stick to a two rod approach to what may be feeding.

The only boat all day

The result one chub a bit over two pounds on lobworm.
Rob faired better a few yards downstream of me,  four or five chub, a bream and a barbel of about 8lb, mostly on his home made boilies, and a few of the earlier fish on maggot.

Still bright 23 hours later!

I gave him a bit of a start on my last cast of the day, when one of the clip on starlights came off and floated off downstream, bobbing "on and off" in the waves, he thought it was an eye he saw,  not of  the otter though!
After packing up we were both very wary of the trip back across the marsh in the pitch black, dodging the dips in the dark is not as easy, anyway we got off ok with Rob having just a little loss of traction and a re-manoeuvre to get over the rise onto the track.
We decided to go in the Lord Nelson, not that we needed an excuse, but traffic isn't light on the A1 at 6pm. So we had a couple of pints each of Grafter's fine ale, wished each other safe journeys, and headed off in different directions.

The Car

On the way home, I noticed a rubbing noise coming from the drivers side particularly as I took the roundabouts, so needing a pee, I found a quiet country lane and headed down there.
On my three point turn to get out of the lane there was a crunch on my bumper and something fell into  the dark road I hoped it wasn't the bumper, it wasn't but it had come away, just a little bit!
To my untrained eye,laying on the road was the sump protector, the same one that didn't protect my sump over a year ago when I holed it crossing an unseen rocky ridge on a Scunthorpe Pisces water and which was cobbled together to attach it to the frame. I must have hit one of those dips on the marsh on the way back a bit hard.
Methinks a new one is needed.

More fishing related stuff

Having already three centrepin reels in my ownership, a Ray Walton Rolling Pin, a Purist II and a Heritage, I succumbed for some unknown reason to this a Rapidex. 
Ah well, I wonder what I should do with it!!

Talking of ebay

I have offered to sell for an old friend all of his fishing tackle, he is unable to continue fishing because of severe arthritis in his hands.
The gear covers all aspects of angling, some good rods I'm told, including a cane fly rod and some Hardy's, At the moment I've started with a few of his reels as a tester for him, keep an eye out if interested.
Here's just one, you can find the rest easily enough     Item number       181027187162

Disease, farming, food and fishing

George

You will recall I mentioned the farmer who owns the ponds I fish had contracted Weils Disease.
The latest news is that after being moved from Louth and Grimsby hospitals where they were unable to give him the required care, he was taken to Leeds, he is now in recovery.
In fact he was given 24 hours to live at one stage and his family had said their goodbyes. There was a potential need for a liver transplant, but he has pulled through and is on life support systems.
So be careful out there fishing with your cuts and grazes and when eating, it's rare and it caught George unaware, but they are reporting more rats around us.


Next years lamb chops!

They are in production, the Tup is currently in the field next door doing his job!
Having tried half a shoulder, a couple of cutlets and the kidneys from this years lamb,I have to say the flavour brings back memories of our annual buy from Noggin the milkman/smallholder in Castlethorpe. It's taste far out does the supermarket stuff.
We used to get half a pig, some good beef and ducks from him too. We've found a good butcher for beef and the poulterer in Louth has some good ducks, pork has been variable, so we've not been tempted to top up the freezer...yet.


Tomorrow

I shall be going down to the ponds tomorrow for some more "deadbait" as I shall be on the Trent most of Tuesday doing a bit of everything.

Fillet less!!

Zander

Well, as I said I would I had my first attempt at the zander this afternoon on the tidal Trent at Sutton, a Barbel Society water.

From and too where? I've not worked out!!

Must check my line capacity..... before using the c/p

The only tree!!

Arrived just in time to see the tide turn, which was more by luck than judgement, and set myself up just downstream of the big right angled bend, in the hope that the smaller (bait) fish would congregate just off the current.
Two rods, one for the zander with a deadbait roach and mashed sprats in the open end feeder. The other I used for a variation of baits fished downstream, for whatever may come along.
So I sat back, and for the first time again, tuned into the radio, there's one on my "emergency" mobile. I say emergency, because mobiles are something I have steered clear of since they became the in thing to have.
I thought back then they were an intrusion even in my job, and have had no change of mind being proved right.
With mine I tell the boss indoors when I've arrived and when I'm on my way home.
So the cheap pay and go is for emergency only, the FM radio is a bonus.
It's no good at home, the signal up on the Wolds is ..........intermittent!
I tuned into Radio 4, not my usual choice, and found that time goes that much faster when your blanking. Listened to Paul Weller talking about the Jam's last  and 6th LP, some interesting information about Flag Fen near Peterborough and chat about the final series of Time Team. Far more interesting than that prat SteveWright on 2!
There were hardly any birds to watch, just the call of the rooks and the gulls, the occasional view of a cormorant, and a whistling flock of duck,too far away to identify by sight.
Anyway, I fished from just before 2pm until about 6pm, with not a touch on either rod, well I did have one big pull on the second rod, just into the dark maybe a chub or possibly a bat!!
There were, and it surprised me, some big bats about in the dusk.
No signs of fish at all, no dimpling at dusk no big splashes or rolls....nothing!
Prior to that the only disturbance, apart from the constant drone of the A1 over my shoulder, was from three dogs.
One that appeared beside me and wanted to have it's belly rubbed, no sign or sound of the owner, another one that looked at me and wandered off, the last one, for which the owner apologised for disturbing me, stood just out of range and barked at me, went away and came back for another bark. I think I surprised it, by just being there!!
The lack of any movement fish wise, persuaded me to pack up early, I had one of those feelings you sometimes get that nothing was going to happen. Fell arse over tit going to the car on the slippery slope from the gravel shore, fortunately I had left the rods for a return, so no harm done, and nobody saw me so no embarrassed blushes.
I do like it down there, even though it's wilderness of a place, so if it's not too Arctic like over the next few months I can see myself going down there pretty regularly.

Farmer George

I didn't get my usual glimpse of the owner of the ponds in the valley, when I collected my deadbait last week, and over the weekend I found out why! The local White Hart grapevine told me that he was in hospital " with that disease you can get from rats" Weil's  disease I say, "err is that from rats" Weil's-Disease
I tell you what, I made sure I had and used the hand cleaner today!

After thought

One day, in line at the works cafeteria, Jack says to Mike behind him, 'My elbow hurts like hell. I suppose I'd better see a doctor!'
Listen mate ; don't waste your time down at the surgery, Mike replies.
There's a diagnostic computer at Tesco. Just give it a urine sample
and the computer will tell you what's wrong, and what to do about it.
It takes ten seconds and only costs five quid....a lot quicker and
better than a doctor and you get Clubcard points'.
So Jack collects a urine sample in a small jar and takes it to Tesco.
He deposits five pounds and the computer lights up and asks for the urine sample. He pours the sample into the slot and waits.

Ten seconds later, the computer ejects a printout:

'You have tennis elbow. Soak your arm in warm water and avoid heavy activity. It will improve in two weeks'.

That evening while thinking how amazing this new technology was, Jack began wondering if the computer could be fooled.He mixed some tap water, a stool sample from his dog, urine samples from his wifeand daughter, and 'pleasured himself' into the mixture for good measure. Jack hurried back to Tesco, eager to check what would happen.

He deposits five pounds, pours in his concoction, and awaits the results with a grin. The computer prints the following:

1) Your tap water is too hard. Get a water softener.

2) Your dog has ringworm. Bathe him with anti -fungal shampoo.

3) Your daughter has a cocaine habit. Get her into rehab.

4) Your wife is pregnant. Twins. They aren't yours. Get a lawyer.

5) And if you don't stop playing with yourself, your elbow will never get better....

Thank you for shopping at Tesco

The Barbel Society's Research and Conservation Auction 2012

MONDAY 19TH NOVEMBER 

That time of year again and we are gearing ourselves ready for the Barbel Society Research and Conservation Auction. 
Below is a list of confirmed items up for auction so far, with more to follow over the coming week.

All fisheries permit and membership for the Barbel Society for the 2013/14 season

Skies of Fire Rivers of Gold book, Fred Crouch, limited edition of 250
Day on the River Kennet with Pete Reading

Day on the Dorset Frome with Pete Reading

Day on the Hampshire Avon with Pete Reading

Day on the Severn with Steve Pope

Day on the Wye with Steve Pope

Day on the Trent with Rob Hilton

Day on the Kennet with Dave Brown

Day on the Middle Severn with Rich Frampton

Day on a private stretch of the Teme, with guidance from Rob Swindells

Book; Hampshire Avon Salmon by Colonel Crow 1960s classic, very rare fine copy
Day for two on Dave Steuarts stretch of the River Test

Two tickets for Man Utd game in the Knights Lounge

Ancient reel once owned by Chris Yates with a framed certificate of authenticity from Chris

Book by Len Arbery Barbel for life

Book by Phil Smith Targets Set and Achieved

Leather and hardback combination of new Barbel Society book, Barbel Tales

Bait package from Three Rivers Baits 10kilos of fresh frozen boilies and paste and flavours

Shakespeare Eagle centrepin reel

Set of floats from Chris Lythe

Box of cork on quill and other handmade floats

British Freshwater Fishes Players cigarette cards complete album with 50 cards

Fishermans Bedside Book by BB First Edition 1945

Day on the River Kennet with John Found

Ringwood and District Angling Club membership

Christchurch Angling Club membership

Observers Book of Fishes, First Edition 1941

Observers Book of Coarse Fishing, by Peter Wheat, First Edition 1976

Abu 7000i Multiplier reel as new

Shimano 5000RE Baitrunner reel

Handmade wooden rod rests

Set of whipped and varnished goose quill floats

Set of four numbered prints by Bernard Venables 54/5000

Day on the Medway with John Kemp

Book Specimen Fishing by Design Martin Hooper

Book Favourite Swims; Fishing here and there, Fred J Taylor

Classic Waterlog magazine numbers 1-61, with 1-50 in binders

Crucian carp underwater print from Seeking Shadows, signed by Martin Bowler

Kevin Nash collapsible roving seat

Available to members only

If you would like me to bid on your behalf just send me a message and we'll go into the detail, alternatively the half year membership offer is still available.

http://www.thebarbelsociety.co.uk/join.asp

Just another week

In the valley

Out again this afternoon until dark to get some deadbaits, succeeded this time, so next week I'll be down the Trent for my first  ever attempt at the zander.
I am still of a view that something larger lingers in the pond, today I landed a perch of about a 1lb and a half and a bit bigger roach than the usual stamp of fish.
I may need to fish into dark and drop the waggler tactics for some different sessions during this autumn/winter.
Anyway back to my zander trip, I plan to use my normal barbel gear including an open end feeder which I will fill with mashed sprats and put a  4/5 inch rudd on the trace
I have some Drennan 15lb Green Pike Wire, a seven strand stainless steel braid with a nylon coat traces already made up, each armed with a pair of Sakuma size 8 trebles with the barb snipped off two on each hook.Wish me luck.

Other stuff

The lamb is outstanding one of the best flavoured beasts I've tasted for many a year, probably not since we used to buy one every year of our local smallholder come milkman in Castlethorpe.
We've had the kidneys in our big breakfast on Saturday morning, a half of shoulder for Sunday lunch and last night a couple of cutlets. Must slow down and not eat it all at once.

We've ordered a goose for Christmas dinner, Pauline's made the rich fruit cake and recovered last years pud for a brandy top up.We have plenty of wine and champagne in store, mainly from Laithwaites, but our years supply of Tesco Clubcard vouchers have been doubled up to £210, just to make sure we have some left!!



I haven't told you I've been dabbling on the Stock Exchange for a short while during this year, have I ?
All invested in four    companies I had been studying and so far looking good, showing 27% plus growth.Nothing substantial at risk at the moment, but dabbling so far, looks better than leaving it under the mattress at present.
It's good fun and I'm a bit obsessed at the moment but at the same time being careful
With a two for one share offer going to an AGM for a flooring company, and some very good signs of substantial growth before the end of the calender year, from a company dealing with cancer cures, and another in oil exploration.
Learnt a thing or two about AiM's differences to the Footsie, when I had 50% wiped off one company share price that was showing well, and still is promising good, the Directors decided put out a few million more shares,at two thirds of the day price, somewhat diluting the value, at least for a few weeks!

I'll report back on the zander trip soon.

...and finally

An Air Canada plane leaves Pearson Airport under the control of a Jewish captain; his co-pilot is Chinese.
It's the first time they've flown together and an awkward silence between the two seems to indicate a mutual dislike.
Once they reach cruising altitude, the Jewish captain activates the auto-pilot, leans back in his seat, and mutters,
'I don't like Chinese..'
'No rike Chinese?' asks the co-pilot, 'why not?'
'You people bombed Pearl Harbour , that's why!'
'No, no', the co-pilot protests, 'Chinese not bomb Peahl Hahbah!
That Japanese, not Chinese.'
'Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese....doesn't matter, you're all alike!'
There's a few minutes of silence.
'I no rike Jews!' the co-pilot suddenly announces.
'Oh yeah, why not?' asks the captain.
'Jews sink Titanic!' says the co-pilot.
'What? You're insane! Jews didn't sink the Titanic!' exclaims the captain,
'It was an iceberg!'

Iceberg, Goldberg, Greenberg, Rosenberg , ..no mattah...all same.

Barbel Society 2013 Calender

Rob Hilton Request

I’m making plans to issue a Barbel Society calendar for 2013.
I’d like to issue an appeal for your photographs that may be suitable for either a month page, or indeed the front cover!

Can you send any contributions, preferably by email as soon as possible please:

to
barbelnews@ntlworld.com

Please note, they must be hi-resolution images.

All contributors will receive credit for their work on the calendar itself, and there will be a free copy for the person who contributes the photograph selected for the front cover.
They will be on sale in the Barbel Society online store in time for Christmas.

Rob

Peace!

A bit of time

Having had quite a busy last few days with my sister in law and my great niece over from Australia, showing them, particularly my niece, what they are missing with our pubs and fish and chips and of course a little snow last Friday, I felt the need for a few hours to myself down in the valley.
There was an ulterior motive too, in that I'm planning my very first zander trip soon, to the Trent, and thought I would pick up some small rudd/roach to be used as deadbait.

No dead maggots in the freezer, so I thought I would have a dabble with flake. It was soon apparent that for the moment at least the small fish aren't having it on flake and plastics!
My first bite and fish was this carp at 10lb4ozs, which lead me a merry dance for a while on my float gear.
A couple more smaller carp followed, a few roach and a gudgeon,all of which I put back. 
The roach  bigger than I wanted, and I felt sorry for the gudgeon! 

The last sunshine

With darkness coming in quick and a cold wind blowing straight towards me I decided to call it a day and go back in the week with some maggots.


Freezer stocked

Yesterday we received the lamb I put our name to a few months ago when they were put in our next door field.
Having had first choice we picked one of the twins so it was the smallest of the group with a butchered weight of 16 kilos, less t'ead.
 She, only cost us £110, so very good value in my view at just over £3 a pound, plenty of dinners in her.
We will start the tasting tomorrow with a kidney each with our sausage egg and bacon in the morning, and a half shoulder roast for Sunday.
I put our name down for another next year!


      CHRISTMAS IDEAS     

CRAFTERS BARN   

I don't do politics but....

Look what I have found

Finally! Exposed! The Deficit Myth! So, David Cameron When Are You Going to Apologise?

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on"
- Winston Churchill
As a Conservative I have no pleasure in exposing David Cameron's deficit claims. However, as long as the party continues to talk down the economy via the blame game, confidence will not be given an opportunity to return. For it is an undeniable and inescapable economic fact: without confidence and certainty there can be no real growth.

Below are the three deficit claims - the mess. The evidence comes from the IMF, OECD, OBR, HM Treasury, ONS and even George Osborne. The claims put into context are:

CLAIM 1 
The last government left the biggest debt in the developed world.

After continuously stating the UK had the biggest debt in the world George Osborne admits to the Treasury Select Committee that he did not know the UK had the lowest debt in the G7? Watch: Also, confirmed by the OECD Those who use cash terms (instead of percentages) do so to scare, mislead and give half the story.

Its common sense, in cash terms a millionaire's debt would be greater than most people. Therefore, the UK would have a higher debt and deficit than most countries because, we are the sixth largest economy. Hence, its laughable to compare UK's debt and deficit with Tuvalu's who only have a GDP/Income of £24 million whilst, the UK's income is £1.7 Trillion.

Finally, Labour in 1997 inherited a debt of 42% of GDP. By the start of the global banking crises 2008 the debt had fallen to 35% - a near 22% reduction page 6 ONS Surprisingly, a debt of 42% was not seen as a major problem and yet at 35% the sky was falling down?

CLAIM 2
Labour created the biggest deficit in the developed world by overspending.

Firstly, the much banded about 2010 deficit of over 11% is false. This is the PSNB (total borrowings) and not the actual budget deficit which was -7.7% - OBR Economic and Fiscal Outlook March 2012 page 19 table 1.2

Secondly, in 1997 Labour inherited a deficit of 3.9% of GDP (not a balanced budget ) and by 2008 it had fallen to 2.1% - a reduction of a near 50% - Impressive! Hence, it's implausible and ludicrous to claim there was overspending. The deficit was then exacerbated by the global banking crises after 2008. See HM Treasury. Note, the 1994 deficit of near 8% haaaaaah!

Thirdly, the IMF have also concluded the same. They reveal the UK experienced an increase in the deficit as result of a large loss in output/GDP caused by the global banking crisis and not even as result of the bank bailouts, fiscal stimulus and bringing forward of capital spending. It's basic economics: when output falls the deficit increases.

Finally, the large loss in output occurred because the UK like the US have the biggest financial centres and as this was a global banking crises we suffered the most. Hence, the UK had the 2nd highest deficit in the G7 (Not The World) after the US and not as a result of overspending prior to and after 2008- as the IMF concur.

CLAIM 3 
Our borrowing costs are low because the markets have confidence in George Osborne's austerity plan and without it the UK will end up like Greece.

Yes, the markets have confidence in our austerity plan and that's why PIMCO the worlds largest bond holder have been warning against buying UK debt.

The real reason why our borrowing costs have fallen and remained low since 2008 is because, savings have increased. As a result, the demand and price for bonds have increased and as there is inverse relationship between the price of bonds and its yield (interest rate) the rates have fallen. Also, the markets expect the economy to remain stagnate. Which means the price for bonds will remain high and hence, our borrowing costs will also remain low.

Secondly, the UK is considered a safe heaven because, investors are reassured the Bank of England will buy up bonds in an event of any sell off - which increases the price of bonds and reduces the effective rate. Note, how rates fell across the EU recently when the ECB announced its bond buying program. Thirdly, because, we are not in the Euro we can devalue our currency to increase exports. Moreover, UK bonds are attractive because, we haven't defaulted on its debt for over 300 years.

David Cameron would like people to believe the markets lend in the same way as retail banks lend to you and I.

Overall, when the facts and figures are put into context these juvenile deficit narratives and sound bites ("mere words and no evidence") simply fail to stand up to the actual facts. The deficit myth is the grosses lie ever enforced upon the people and it has been sold by exploiting people's economic illiteracy.

So, David Cameron when are you going to apologise?

Cameron is playing the blame game to depress confidence and growth to justify austerity. Secondly, to use austerity as justification for a smaller state to gain lower taxes. Thirdly, to paint Labour as a party that can not be trusted with the country's finances again. Therefore, we Conservatives will win a second term because, people vote out of fear. The latter strategy worked the last time in office (18 years) and will work again because, in the end, elections are won and lost on economic credibility. Hence, as people believe Labour created the mess they won't be trusted again.

Finally, as the truth is the greatest enemy of the a lie I urge you to share this on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, text and email etc etc. So the truth can be discovered by all. Finally, have no doubt, people have been mislead by the use of the following strategy:

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it" 

Joseph Goebbels

The garden this morning

A little bit of fishing

Guesting

A short session today on the middle Trent.
Set off in the mist from home at about 9am arrived by the river, with surprisingly little mist at about 10:30 after meeting my host at the Fox.

The swim

downstream

The river looked in prime condition, up and running with good colour.
I set up two rods,one to fish the inside line, the other off the crease.
I had taken my float rod but decided against using it, conditions weren't quite right,and the banks were dangerous to get down to a decent spot to trot.
The inside line got an almost immediate violent take on a large bit of pink stuff,  I wasn't ready for it so thought I would leave it in and let it develop, five minutes later another take and I was into a fish, it didn't move a great deal stuck to the bottom, even under full pressure it only moved slowly the...snap, not a loud crack but just a give.With no knots, just a free lined chunk, I think it must have been a pike!
Both rods remained fairly inactive for the rest of the session, so I tried alternating with lobworm and flake on the second rod, and landed a chub of about 2lb on the worm, That was about it.
Watched a kingfisher sit a while in the upstream bush, plenty of long tail tits chattering in the bankside trees, and a buzzard or two mewing away, one flew over me and was being nibbled at by a crow, a quick wing dip and it was off..
It was a nice day to be beside the river.

Jim's 80th
 My day was cut short because we had an appointment with neighbour Jim to celebrate his 80th birthday.
Eight of us descended on a  hotel just outside Louth for what turned out to be a very good meal , my turn to drive so not too may drinks for me.
When we got in at 11pm The Boss asked if I fancied a nightcap, my response was in the positive, with a long often used phrase when asked the same question, "do bears crap in the woods"?
So, we started and polished off a bottle of merlot whilst watching the highlights of Fulham beating the Villa on the box.

Loadsa!

Octavia part two
 I said I would be spending money!
Took the car back in yesterday, after replacing the nearly failed tyre for £69, for the full service, and to check out the parking brake problem highlighted in the MOT.
Picked it up today, after it was explained to me that the adjusters on the brakes couldn't be adjusted further and there was a need to replace the drums and the shoes. £300.00 including the service !!!
So adding on the original bill, the motor has cost me a total of a tad over £820 to make it last a little longer. £16 a week is not bad I suppose!!
The next likely expense could be the turbo and associated on costs, if it fails on me, it's had a whistle for  good while!
I was going to keep her going, having done less than 150,000 miles, but think I may be best served to have a change before next October, so I think I'll start an active search for her replacement now.

So I paid nearly £170 of vat out of that, on top of the usual road tax, fuel tax, and insurance tax, and had no choice about it to keep my car on the road because we don't have public transport in our village!
BUT, this lot can "avoid"  it, so it makes you wonder if it's worth backing the black economy, don't it!
Never mind, fishing tomorrow, and Jim's 80th birthday dinner to celebrate in the evening.




Tackle Tart
I wonder who he is?
Worth a watch, or a feed or two on facebook

An afternoon by an old favourite

The Thames 

I had an afternoon last Tuesday on the Thames, a river I used to fish before I had a vehicle or a mate with one, so somewhere in the early 60's.
My mate Colin Adams and I used to get on public transport and head off down to Hampton Court from Harold Hill.
I can't remember how long it took us, what route, or what tackle we used at that time.
All I can remember is that we fished there quite often,opposite Hurst Park racecourse under the willows and trotted the stream with hemp seed and maggots.
No photo's recording the time or the place!
The maggots got us bleak'd out, and so hemp became the preferred hook bait.
It  gave us good nets of cracking roach, nothing big, but certainly enough to keep us going back on a regular basis.

Anyway, my return to the river, as detailed last week, was to Marlow to fish the weir pool, my aim to catch my first Thames barbel.
From what I had been told by my host, it is a patchy stretch at times, but if I hooked a barbel it should be expected to be of "good size".

Blimey I look tired!

As reported I caught two barbel just before darkness set in.
The fish were not as big as the potential suggested by my host, but equally enjoyable for me and a sure sign to him that the stretch does have long term potential.
It was good to be back on ol'father Thames, and gives me even more reason for us to up sticks and move west to knock an hour of my journey's to the choice of rivers...... at the very least.

Mine's a pint!

IDS

Ye Olde Mitre Tavern was the meeting place for the International Drinking Society, a tiny pub tucked away in a passage off Hatton Garden, serving Fullers beers.
For the first time in quite a while we all turned up about the same time, at just before noon and were quickly into the London Pride.
For such a small pub, the staffing levels behind the bar seemed very large, and for a Friday lunchtime no doubt they expected more punters, but as it turned out it was quiet, so quiet the staff were almost fighting each other to serve us, on the first occasion I was asked 3 times what I wanted and I was already being served!
We didn't eat there as it seemed that whilst they listed themselves as a pie pub, that was about it, nothing added to the plate, just a pie and/or a sausage....... snacky!
At about 2o'clock we decided to relocate, primarily for food, as we were just about in need of stodge.
Having chatted to a couple of fellas on my way back from the "outside" loo for a pub still likely to be serving food, the indication was that we would find good food all afternoon "just around the corner".
We found it alright, the trouble is I can't remember it's name, I can say though they did an "award winning pie" and I had one with some mash and veg, it was very good.
After that, and a few more pints, we went our separate ways, Ivan and I arriving at his Woodford Green house where we promptly fell asleep in front of the television watching a game of Heineken Cup rugby on Sky Sports.
Anyway, I having been set a task to find a location for our Christmas meet in early December, I had a good local cafe early morning fry up,and headed off for my 3 hour drive home up the M11, arriving home just in time for the White Hart to open at noon and a hair of the dog........ or four.
I then managed to rustle up a paella without cutting any fingers off, but adding just a tad more chilli than needed,still good though, even though I say so myself!
I then fell asleep listening to Dermott O'Leary on Radio2....just woke up!

Part three

Octavia 

£460!!
Still not serviced, as time didn't permit, a new nearside front tyre wanted, it's just about legal due to deterioration of the lower suspension arm which failed the test. The parking brake is just about legal!
New cambelt kit fitted.
A bit more expense to come, but I'll need to get advice from the mechanic early next week and seek his views on the likely expenses for an 11 year old motor. It has to wait a day or so, as I'm driving down tomorrow to meet the boys from  The International Drinking Society in a pub just off Holborn Viaduct, via my Woodford Green "B&B" at Ivan's place.

Anybody know anything about the driving feel of a  BMW X1, not checked out yet, but sort of recommended as a replacement?

Fishing
Lined up two trips with mates to new venues to me on the middle Trent,  not in my first 10 days of October as estimated, it's the week after next now.
Raining nicely at present, so depending on the car timetable next week, a small river calls.

Part two

   

By the Thames
I fished a private weirpool on the Thames yesterday, by kind invitation and in the company of Nigel Connor.
I should clarify that, and say it was a charity day auction lot that I won on a angling forum some while ago.
Our home, being about as far away from everywhere, the drive took me what seems to be the usual three and a half hours. Setting off just before 8 am gave me time to arrive at our meeting place adjacent to the Thames at noon, in fact I arrived at 11:15.
We had learned that the fire brigade were due to carry out an exercise in the weirpool in the afternoon, but we decided to go ahead anyway and fished a couple of swims downstream under the willows.The water was up and coloured, must have had a bit of rain further upstream.
All in all a rather unproductive afternoon, but switching from pellet to an apple corer cut, core of garlic spam on a size 8 bought me a sharp bite, which I missed and assumed it was perhaps a chub. Half the core was still on the hook so I immediately put it back on the same spot, a sudden take and what felt like quite good fish in the current turned out to be, to me, a sizeable eel.

Having no idea of the scale of length to weight of eels, after removing easily my barbless hook, I put it in a plastic bag and weighed it just out of interest, it came in at 2lb12ozs.
Pauline asked me later, when I reported in, if I was bringing it home for the pot, my response was in the negative, but I did think about it for a short while, before the thought of rarity and having no smoker at home, jellied and stewed eels are not to my taste, won me over, so I watched it kick and swim off stongly.

Kites overhead all afternoon

The fire brigade moved off just after 4pm so we decided to move up into the weirpool, that was after I had brewed a fresh cuppa rosie lee for us both from my Kelly kettle.Forgot the strainer so standby bags of Assam used.
Did you notice how my East London accent crept back in there! ;o)
I had already booked an overnighter in the High Wycombe Travelodge, which as it turned out proved to be a good investment of £50. We fished until late and I don't think I would have fancied the journey home after a tiring day of fishing.
Anyway, duly ensconced in the weirpool I decided to fish two rods for a while.
By the way, I took my two Young's John Wilson barbel travel rods, it didn't appeal to me to have my other rods on show overnight in a public car park at High Wycombe!
One rod down the inside with my Purist II and the other with my 5010 out into the maelstrom of the pool.
The inside line remained motionless, other than the constant tug of leaf debris, the other rod I decided to try out a new pellet to me, but a batch that had been in my garage for quite a while, Teme Severn Lamprey.
My very first Thames barbel arrived after about an hour, now I had been expecting big fish as I understood from Nigel that smaller barbel were in short supply. My fish at just before 6 o'clock surprised him as it came in at "only" 5lb 6ozs! In fact as far as I can recall my first barbel of the season, having not been in the right frame of mind to fish the rivers more than a couple of times.
Jeff Woodhouse turned up just after this for a fish, but mostly a chat, and was standing with me when within the half an hour the big twitch occurred and I had my second, again a "small" fish at, about 7lb 12ozs.
I was hoping for the off chance of meeting Frank Guttfield turning up as he fishes this stretch. I have been a fan of his writings since the early 60's, unfortunately Jeff advised he wasn't too well, a bit of a head cold.
Never mind maybe I'll get another "invite".
Just before darkness set in we had a break for a chilli, pre-cooked and reheated by Nigel along with a bottle of Adnams finest Ghost Ship. All very nice too and a welcome change to my usual sandwich.

Unfortunately, no more fish were caught by Nigel or myself, but I did learn that many a blank takes place on this stretch, a couple of them by a self proclaimed local-ish expert !
So off to Wycombe for a nights rest, followed by something close to a good breakfast, and then home to help Pauline shift our just delivered wine order from Laithwaites into a "safe" location, in the hope it lasts until Christmas...I very much doubt it will though!!.

Tomorrow

For me a car is just a method of transport, I keep ours serviced, full up with the essentials and very rarely clean it, but our eleven year old Octavia  is due it's MOT and a full service tomorrow  .
I know it 's due a new timing kit, and probably new bushes on the front suspension, so we'll see what else it needs the keep the ol'girl on the road, or if it's time to buy the replacement I'm thinking about, before she becomes more costly than it's worthwhile to keep her roadworthy.She's served me well.


Barbel Tales, from the Barbel Society   

As I was the collator and gatherer  of many of the chapters for a new book before I resigned from the Barbel Society committee I thought it only right to give the book a push on my blog.

So here are the details

The Barbel Society is proud to announce the forthcoming publication of a milestone publication, probably the most definitive book on barbel and barbel fishing ever produced. The book is a celebration of barbel fishing to date, and of the impact and successes of the Barbel Society in the last fifteen years.
The book is a rich blend of the best of articles published in the renowned Barbel Fisher magazine, and of guest chapters written by a long list of barbel anglers, both those with long-established reputations and with contributions from a host of modern writers.
There will be over 300 pages of barbel fishing stories, advice on baits, rigs and tactics, and this detailed work will include a mine of information on a range of barbel fisheries and rivers.

Guest writers include; 
Peter Wheat,Fred Crouch,Steve Pope, Pete Reading, John Wilson,
Neill Stephen,Dean Macey,Phil Smith, Phil Buckingham,Len Arbery, Bob Buteux, Rob Swindells
Dave Steuart,Ade Kiddell,Simon Asbury, Jon Berry,Trevor Harrop, Budgie Price

Books are available to pre-order on the Barbel Society website, and there will be a total of 50 leathers and 1000 hardbacks.
Website
Leathers £180 inc p&p
Hardbacks £35 inc p&p
First 500 hardbacks are numbered and reserved for members only.
Members may purchase both leather and hardback at a reduced rate of £200 inc p&p

The book will be published in June 2013 and launched at the Barbel Show on 9th June.

Please note, that if purchasing online using PayPal, then a surcharge will apply to cover Paypal costs.
Alternatively, send a cheque for the appropriate amount to :
Martin Howell: 7 ABBOTTS CLOSE, PURBROOK, HAMPSHIRE, PO7 5ET.