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Monday 30 December 2013

2013 draws to a close.

With the weather being so un-settled the past 3 weeks any hope of getting down to Dorset with a realistic chance of a fish has been zero.  I'd happily make the trip if I felt clear water could be found on some of the big fish marks, but the neigbours fence littering our lane this morning tells me the gales won't be abating any time soon. It might be windy, but it certainly hasn't been cold. It's the 30th December and we still haven't had a serious frost here on the North Kent Coast. The Arum Lilies in the back garden are still growing with the occasional flower coming out, and the Banana plants I wrapped in November keep forcing themselves through their straw winter coats.

 So after wrapping up in Thermals, Fleece and Gortex it shouldn't have been unexpected I was "sweating buckets" when I went for a walk this afternoon at the far end of the Island.  I got a couple of shots of one of my favourite Bass beaches on "Bait".  Not hard to nail the "hot time" on this mark, it's so shallow the waters only on the shingle one hour either side of High. It's never clear enough to work a Topper over, typical of to many local marks.

             
It was so nice to get some fresh air after the indulgences of Christmas that I didn't calculate until it was too late, 1540hrs plus a 4 mile walk back to the car equals 20 minutes total darkness across the Marsh. And the pub was shut for a private function when I got there.



So as the sun goes down on another season……………...

Sunday 8 December 2013

December the 8th, thinking it may be over for 2013.

Thinking it may be the last trip of the season, and the odds were not in our favour, the drive to Dorset was hardly enthusiastic.
The first mark proved us right, the second proved us wrong when a 57cm fish banged into my lure in the oxygen rich white water and fought like its life depended on it, which it did.

Joe took a pic.



Breakfast, another couple of marks, last chance saloon as dusk fell, and Joe strikes back with a 45 and a 52cm. Not a bad day for December.