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TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT – A PERIOD OF SEVERAL WEEKS ENDING WITH THE WEEK ENDING 21 AUGUST 2023

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My peg at Bury Hill These opening paragraphs are self indulgent, although if I was posh, I might say committing my thoughts to paper (well to the internet) is cathartic, but I didn’t really grow up around people who habitually said “gor blimey governor that was cathartic, now pass me a light ale”. So, my advice is skip down to the heading ”Milton Lake … (Session 25/2023)” and leave me to wallow. You’re still there, I thought I told you to skip this bit? I doubt many people noticed but this blog did a bit of a disappearing act for … Continue reading TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT – A PERIOD OF SEVERAL WEEKS ENDING WITH THE WEEK ENDING 21 AUGUST 2023

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THE WEEK ENDING 11 JUNE 2023 – PRAWN STAR

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“We have Crabs” – Garry at Loni’s exhibits a sense of humour despite the pressure tackle retailers are under The count down to the river season is well and truly on, although it may be that events conspire against me and I don’t get to fish running water until the last week of June. However, I may as well start this post with a look at the Dorset Stour and Hampshire Avon. Christchurch, Monday 5th June 2023 (Incidental Research) Monday’s club run took in a couple of spots that I’ve fished regularly over the last couple of years. We started … Continue reading THE WEEK ENDING 11 JUNE 2023 – PRAWN STAR

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THE WEEK ENDING 4 JUNE 2023 – “WELL SOMETHING’S LOST, BUT SOMETHING’S GAINED IN LIVING EVERY DAY”

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Everton Grange, “… win or lose …” and I’ve done both here over the last 25 years, but it is always a pleasant spot to spend time so maybe it is “… life’s illusions I recall …” Yes, I can sum up a lot of this week with reference to ‘Both sides Now’ from the canon of Joni Mitchell. I’m feeling a bit more chirpy so “… something’s gained in living every day …”. I went fishing twice and the results were “… up and down …” and at the end “… something was lost … but now it’s just … Continue reading THE WEEK ENDING 4 JUNE 2023 – “WELL SOMETHING’S LOST, BUT SOMETHING’S GAINED IN LIVING EVERY DAY”

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THE FORTNIGHT ENDING 28 MAY 2023 – SIDESTREAM BELIEVER

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Milton Lake, Bury Hill Fisheries, which after looking a bit bleak is now much prettier as we progress towards Summer The four thirty alarm would never ring But it rings, and I rise Wipe the sleep out of my eyes … … it is an irony that the early start was eroded by the M27, M3, A31 and A25, but yes after a spell away from the bank I was back fishing with a dawn start. Realistically had I not committed a while back to fishing with Chris, I doubt I would have bothered going fishing. It is an activity … Continue reading THE FORTNIGHT ENDING 28 MAY 2023 – SIDESTREAM BELIEVER

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THE WEEK ENDING 14 MAY 2023 – ‘LOVE THE ONE YOU’RE WITH’

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By way of continuity with my last post ‘Love the One You’re With’ is not only a Stephen Stills song, but was also the title of the last episode of ‘Blue Lights’. However, it was the comment “… crucians have long been my favourite species …” by JAYZS on the post before last that set me thinking. I know if I asked Chris the same question he would answer “tench” without any hesitation. However, I would struggle to be so unequivocal. Yes, tench are high up the list and when Everton Grange was in its glory years they would probably … Continue reading THE WEEK ENDING 14 MAY 2023 – ‘LOVE THE ONE YOU’RE WITH’

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THE WEEK ENDING 7 MAY 2023 – ‘TAKE A BEAT’

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We are half way through the close season and perhaps this snap of ‘my spot’ on the Tidal Stour taken whilst I was out cycling will help me focus on having a better river season in 2022/3 My last post wittered on a bit so this week I will try and be succinct. Mudeford Woods, Monday 1st May 2023 (Session 19/2023) Peg No. 5 With Mrs. Sidestream off to her Rock Choir rehearsals I headed down to Mudeford Woods and had my pick of pegs as the lake was deserted. I plumped for Peg No. 5 mainly because I haven’t … Continue reading THE WEEK ENDING 7 MAY 2023 – ‘TAKE A BEAT’

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THE FORTNIGHT ENDING 30 APRIL 2023 – “FIRST HALF GOOD, SECOND HALF NOT SO GOOD”

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Mudeford Woods is starting to green up In my mind I had made plans to go fishing once I tested negative, but the reality is I actually felt short of energy until mid-week and then it was our trip to London, so another week slipped by with no fishing. Still it was an enjoyable week and the trip to London was full on; Ham House, Hampton Court, ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ at The National and added to that we caught up with one of the brothers-in law (a bit sad and chastening as the early onset dementia has a real hold … Continue reading THE FORTNIGHT ENDING 30 APRIL 2023 – “FIRST HALF GOOD, SECOND HALF NOT SO GOOD”

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THE WEEK ENDING 16 APRIL 2023 – LET’S TEST AGAIN LIKE WE DID LAST SUMMER

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So last year – but, clear by Sunday! Pick your phrase from yin and yang, pride comes before a fall, schadenfreude, Kipling’s ‘twin Imposters’, ebb and flow, after the Lord Mayor’s show or use your own favourite! By my standards last week’s post found me relatively buoyant. This week started relatively well although by Tuesday I thought I had a mild cold. Not bad enough to prevent me from making it to the monthly pub quiz (second again as you ask, an entire round on the history of the Postal Service was not our finest hour). By the morning though … Continue reading THE WEEK ENDING 16 APRIL 2023 – LET’S TEST AGAIN LIKE WE DID LAST SUMMER

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THE WEEK ENDING 9 APRIL 2023 – WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF

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Everton Grange – it still looks wintery “It seems a stretch to me that these small details make much difference.” Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I should have known that typing those words in my last post was like a careless pass thrown without looking out to the wing that WheatnotCasters would intercept and run in under the posts for an easy conversion and the full seven points. Given that I think that WheatnotCasters is Welsh, that is the most appropriate analogy I can come up with and I expect “Little things can and do make a HUGE difference“ … Continue reading THE WEEK ENDING 9 APRIL 2023 – WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF

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THE FORTNIGHT ENDING 2 APRIL 2023 – LEARNING THE LESSONS FROM BARONESS CASEY’S REPORT

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Jeff’s Lake, Beaver Fishery As someone who was both audited and audited others in my working life, I watched the news with interest last week. Popular sentiment seemed to be against Ofsted, but firmly behind Baroness Casey’s report into the Metropolitan Scuffers. Now, if this wasn’t a fishing blog, but me sounding off after a pint of Ringwood in the Dog and Duck, there is much I could (and would) say about this dichotomy. However, luckily for you dear reader, this is a fishing blog so I will just hugely paraphrase one thing I heard Casey say on Radio Four, … Continue reading THE FORTNIGHT ENDING 2 APRIL 2023 – LEARNING THE LESSONS FROM BARONESS CASEY’S REPORT