For the third, and perhaps last time this season, Swim No. 1 at Mudeford Woods Venue: Mudeford Woods Swim: Swim No. 1 moving to Swim No. 5 Time: 19:00 to 22:00 Weather: Sunny and still, much cooler than the preceding week Had Covid-19 not reared its head this week myself and Mrs Sidestream would have been happily ensconced at the New Forest Folk Festival, where we ‘work our passage’ by stewarding. In exchange for a few four hour shifts stewards get free entry, free camping and a meal voucher for every day when you are rostered (there is usually one … Continue reading STILL WATER GREY IS THE NEW MATT BLACK Mudeford Woods Lake, 2 July 2020 (Session 018_2020)

Looking downstream from my swim, a somewhat duller snap than last week’s Venue: Bickerley Mill Stream, Ringwood Swim: The pool downstream from the Hampshire Hatches Lane ford Time: 09:45 to 11.30 Weather: a huge change in the weather since last week, not cold or breezy but persistent rain and cloud all day Mrs. Sidestream is on holiday from work this week and as a retiree I have a rather jaundiced view of the working from home malarkey that has occupied her working week during lock down. So, freed from  inventing meaningless social media tasks she declared today a sowing day, … Continue reading BYGONE DAYS REVISITED – POST THREE OF (WHAT IS NOW HEADING TO AT LEAST) SIX POSTS Bickerley Mill Stream, Ringwood 30 June 2020 (Session 17_2020)

Looking downstream from my swim Venue: Bickerley Mill Stream, Ringwood Swim: Roving downstream from Hampshire Hatches Lane Time: 07:30 to 09.30 Weather: Sunny, still and hot – I was sweating just sitting still fishing by nine o’clock! To briefly recap, based on a series of 1963 articles being reproduced on the Ringwood forum by John, an eminent club member, I’ve set myself three targets: a dace caught by trotting along the river bed, a roach caught on a ledgered bait in deep flowing water, and a summer chub caught by roving/stalking. Despite failing on my last trip to nab a … Continue reading BYGONE DAYS REVISITED – POST TWO OF (WHAT WILL NOW BE AT LEAST) FIVE POSTS Bickerley Mill Stream, Ringwood 25 June 2020 (Session 16_2020)

Looking downstream from my swim Venue: Tidal Dorset Stour, The Pony Fields Swim: Near the bottom end of the stretch Time: 14:45 to 16.45 Weather: Sunny, but with an upstream breeze With no races to enter during lock down the running club have come up with various challenges to keep the members interested (time trials, treasure hunts placebo runs and various other ruses) and ‘Bygone Days Revisited’ is a bit like setting myself a contrived lock down fishing challenge. The inspiration comes from a series of posts on the Ringwood forum, where John, one of the club’s eminence grises, is … Continue reading BYGONE DAYS REVISITED – POST ONE OF (WHAT INITIALLY WAS HOPEFULLY) THREE POSTS Dorset Stour, The Pony Fields 20 June 2020 (Session 15_2020)

Swim No. 8 at Everton Grange – not necessarily solely for fishing reasons, but would there be merit in an autumn session here? Venue: Everton Grange Swim: Swim No. 8 Time: 08:00 to 10.00 Weather: Overcast and calm The new season’s plan had been to wake reasonable early on the 16th plan and head to Everton Grange, using the counter intuitive logic that with the rivers open, the angling pressure and presence at Everton would be starting to tail off. As it transpired when the alarm went off I turned it off, rolled over and went back to sleep. Hardly a … Continue reading THE MINOR LIFT, THE MAJOR FALL, THE SNAFFLED TENCH NETTED, HALLELUJAH Everton Grange Lake, 17 June 2020 (Session 14_2020)

’The Office’ – Swim No. 1 at Mudeford Woods Venue: Mudeford Woods Swim: Swim No. 1 Time: 18:30 to 20:30 Weather: Overcast, still and around; 16C It is strange how certain expressions slip into every day speech; ‘it isn’t rocket science’, ‘the best thing since sliced bread’ and indeed, ‘a hard day at the office’ Now I did office work for all my career working life and yes there were long days, bewildering days, frustrating days and even a few good days. However, I’m fairly sure it is harder at the coal face or at the sewage works than it … Continue reading A HARD DAY AT THE OFFICE Mudeford Woods Lake, 14 June 2020 (Session 013_2020)

Swim No. 8 – the three obvious spots to fish to are left to the marginal reeds, the lily pads out in the middle and the less favoured overhanging tree to the right Venue: Mudeford Woods Swim: Swim No. 8 Time: O7:45 to 10:00 Weather: Overcast, still and around; 14C I’m sure the plan was to get bank side by seven o’clock, but a wee bit of staying in bed longer than I should have done and some, by now characteristic, dithering meant it was nearer to eight by the time the depth was plumbed and the shotted and baited … Continue reading FOLLOW YOUR ARROW Mudeford Woods Lake, 9 June 2020 (Session 12_2020)

Swim No. 3 at Everton Grange, I think it can be seen from this snap that if you hook something decent in this swim it is going to be a battle to land it Venue: Everton Grange Swim: Swim No. 3 Time: 19:15 to 21:30 Weather: Overcast with spits of rain, but very still; 13C Okay, of course it isn’t exactly seven hours and fifteen days, but sadly I cannot pick a quarrel with Prince and I’m certainly not brave enough to pick one with Sinéad O’Connor. However, the Everton Grange tench quest has now lasted nearly eight and a … Continue reading IT’S BEEN SEVEN HOURS AND FIFTEEN DAYS … Everton Grange Lake, 7 June 2020 (Session 11_2020)

The compensation for a nightmare session – Swim No. 12 at Everton Grange Venue: Everton Grange Swim: Swim No. 12 Time: 18:15 to 21:15 Weather: Sunny and calm; 10C There is a clip on You Tube of the guitarist Andy Fairweather-Low (of ‘If Paradise Is Half as Nice’ fame) playing short riffs and talking about the famous people he has played with including Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Roger Waters. When he gets to Van Morrison he plays the riff from ‘Here comes the Night’ and simply says “I think best not said”. I think this session comes under the … Continue reading A BAD WORKMAN … Everton Grange Lake, 29 May 2020 (Session 10_2020)

Swim No. 7 and unfortunately snapping into the Sun has caused some diffusion on this snap Venue: Mudeford Woods Swim: Swim No. 7 Time: 07:45 to 10:00 Weather: Sunny and calm; 14C but getting warmer through the day The by now predictable digression takes us to Highbury, once of my favourite away or neutral grounds, but back in the 1970s the North Bank was not a safe place for away supporters. The recent prolonged spell of warm dry weather has emphasised to me that the ‘fisherman’s bank’ at Mudeford Woods is also a north bank and that, especially in the … Continue reading THE PERILS OF THE NORTH BANK Mudeford Woods Lake, 27 May 2020 (Session 09_2020)