In reply to Post #118
When fishing on the lakes or down the river you would always see loads of butterflies where have they gone when i was a youth the pasture lands were covered in these lovely creatures this years i have not seen the red admiral even the tortoiseshell is missing the common blue is also a bit on the scarce side whats happened to the brown fritillary you would see them down the sides of the woods in fact most of the fritillary are in short supply i have not even seen a peacock sad really there is got to be an answer maybe habitat i don't know but they are slowly vanishing bit like the bees we cannot do without these wonderful creatures the bees pollinate our food and such.
As i was fishing a week ago, i watched as a kingfisher hunted the minnow for her young she was back and forwards most of the day i don't know how many minnows she took back to the hole in the old bridge but it certainly was a few the kingfisher has had there nest under this old bridge s for years it existed when i was a youngster if i think back they have been using that hole for over sixty years a long time i remember climbing down to the nest i was probably only about seven years old and can remember the rope breaking sending me down into the river with a splash breaking my arm as i hit the rocks under that old bridge that was so long ago and walking home in great pain as i was a few miles from the nearest house but it was all part of growing up in fact i broke the other as well trying to clime a rock face to a jackdaws nest they found me unconscious how long i lay there i don't know but the gypsies found me and took me home i had concussion the best part was i never went to school for some time.
Something i have noticed this years is the amount of dragon flies there seems to be more than ever hovering around with there big bulbous eyes i have seen the blues browns and a few reds funny how they mate then die a most beautiful creature another thing came to my attention while up the woods was the amount of young pheasant poults around must be a good year for breeding owing to the weather the members of my syndicate will be pleased i think most birds have had a successful year i know the tree sparrows in my garden have had two broods i am well pleased about that because they are becoming quite rare. well that's it for now more latter
When fishing on the lakes or down the river you would always see loads of butterflies where have they gone when i was a youth the pasture lands were covered in these lovely creatures this years i have not seen the red admiral even the tortoiseshell is missing the common blue is also a bit on the scarce side whats happened to the brown fritillary you would see them down the sides of the woods in fact most of the fritillary are in short supply i have not even seen a peacock sad really there is got to be an answer maybe habitat i don't know but they are slowly vanishing bit like the bees we cannot do without these wonderful creatures the bees pollinate our food and such.
As i was fishing a week ago, i watched as a kingfisher hunted the minnow for her young she was back and forwards most of the day i don't know how many minnows she took back to the hole in the old bridge but it certainly was a few the kingfisher has had there nest under this old bridge s for years it existed when i was a youngster if i think back they have been using that hole for over sixty years a long time i remember climbing down to the nest i was probably only about seven years old and can remember the rope breaking sending me down into the river with a splash breaking my arm as i hit the rocks under that old bridge that was so long ago and walking home in great pain as i was a few miles from the nearest house but it was all part of growing up in fact i broke the other as well trying to clime a rock face to a jackdaws nest they found me unconscious how long i lay there i don't know but the gypsies found me and took me home i had concussion the best part was i never went to school for some time.
Something i have noticed this years is the amount of dragon flies there seems to be more than ever hovering around with there big bulbous eyes i have seen the blues browns and a few reds funny how they mate then die a most beautiful creature another thing came to my attention while up the woods was the amount of young pheasant poults around must be a good year for breeding owing to the weather the members of my syndicate will be pleased i think most birds have had a successful year i know the tree sparrows in my garden have had two broods i am well pleased about that because they are becoming quite rare. well that's it for now more latter
In reply to Post #119
Come walk with me through the dense woods it is a mixture of oak and beech with a sprinkling of silver birch i wonder if these big oaks could talk what things they could and have seen over the centuries. the big old dog fox lies in this old wood he lies in the ferns and sleeps the day tired out from his hunting throughout the night his belly is full and he lies contented away from danger the deer keep to the shadows hidden in the vast undergrowth under the canopy of the trees as i walk on i hear the unmistakable mew of the buzzard as he glides on the thermal high above i stand and look up this big fir and can see her nest it seems to get bigger every year they have used this tree to nest for many years i sit below and think of the times i climbed this old tree and held the eggs in my hand or held the chick and stared in wander at this ball of fluff but that was many years ago i cannot clime any more as age as caught me up.
As we stroll along i hear the noisy call of the rooks ka ka the trees are full of the nests of these big back birds the keepers shot these bird years ago and the breasts would be used for rook pie i told you all about sam and his rook pie he loved to eat its dark flesh, covered in golden pastry more than once i was offered a slice but it was not for me i would heave at the very thought of it. I come to the old oak tree with its big hole the Tawney owl had nested in this tree for generations the marks are still there for all to see i cut steps in the tree so it could be climbed i was only about eight years old at the time i would look in this great hole you could see the white eggs, down below or the white balls of fluff of the newly hatched chicks i well remember my friend being attacked by a Tawney owl when we lived a Craven arms he took a chick to rear from a hole in a big oak tree and its parents attacked scratching his face badly with there talons he was lucky not to loose an eye.
As we carry on we see the green wood pecker with his vibrant red head he spends some of his time on the ground looking for ants and such there is an abundance of woodpeckers in these woods with the great spotted and lesser spotted seen most days they hammer away hoping to get out some insects for food it really echos in the quietness of the wood, you watch fascinated as a Treecreeper makes its way around and around the trunk of a tree looking for insects and such what a small bird it is you watch the nut hatch as it feeds it youngsters high up in a hole in the tree calling out tuit tuit that becomes more strident if alarmed if lucky you come across a lone hair as he makes his way across the woods to get to pastures new the Rabbits scuttle through the undergrowth frightened by my presence making for the security of there homes deep below the ground.
We make our way forward and arrive at the pool deep in the woods you see movement from some fish far out in the middle you sit with your back to a tree and watch the dragonflies with there beautiful colours the blues browns and reds a damselfly lands on my jacket what beautiful creatures they are i watch as a moorhen leads her youngsters through the vast Lilly beds to safety the coot gives noisy call as he flies across the pool alarmed maybe by me, i watch as a sparrow Hawk skims across the pool and disappears down a ride cut out years ago by the old keepers it looks like a rodent in his talons this is all part of my life and its free so we now will leave the woods in quietness until we return another day. more a bit latter
Come walk with me through the dense woods it is a mixture of oak and beech with a sprinkling of silver birch i wonder if these big oaks could talk what things they could and have seen over the centuries. the big old dog fox lies in this old wood he lies in the ferns and sleeps the day tired out from his hunting throughout the night his belly is full and he lies contented away from danger the deer keep to the shadows hidden in the vast undergrowth under the canopy of the trees as i walk on i hear the unmistakable mew of the buzzard as he glides on the thermal high above i stand and look up this big fir and can see her nest it seems to get bigger every year they have used this tree to nest for many years i sit below and think of the times i climbed this old tree and held the eggs in my hand or held the chick and stared in wander at this ball of fluff but that was many years ago i cannot clime any more as age as caught me up.
As we stroll along i hear the noisy call of the rooks ka ka the trees are full of the nests of these big back birds the keepers shot these bird years ago and the breasts would be used for rook pie i told you all about sam and his rook pie he loved to eat its dark flesh, covered in golden pastry more than once i was offered a slice but it was not for me i would heave at the very thought of it. I come to the old oak tree with its big hole the Tawney owl had nested in this tree for generations the marks are still there for all to see i cut steps in the tree so it could be climbed i was only about eight years old at the time i would look in this great hole you could see the white eggs, down below or the white balls of fluff of the newly hatched chicks i well remember my friend being attacked by a Tawney owl when we lived a Craven arms he took a chick to rear from a hole in a big oak tree and its parents attacked scratching his face badly with there talons he was lucky not to loose an eye.
As we carry on we see the green wood pecker with his vibrant red head he spends some of his time on the ground looking for ants and such there is an abundance of woodpeckers in these woods with the great spotted and lesser spotted seen most days they hammer away hoping to get out some insects for food it really echos in the quietness of the wood, you watch fascinated as a Treecreeper makes its way around and around the trunk of a tree looking for insects and such what a small bird it is you watch the nut hatch as it feeds it youngsters high up in a hole in the tree calling out tuit tuit that becomes more strident if alarmed if lucky you come across a lone hair as he makes his way across the woods to get to pastures new the Rabbits scuttle through the undergrowth frightened by my presence making for the security of there homes deep below the ground.
We make our way forward and arrive at the pool deep in the woods you see movement from some fish far out in the middle you sit with your back to a tree and watch the dragonflies with there beautiful colours the blues browns and reds a damselfly lands on my jacket what beautiful creatures they are i watch as a moorhen leads her youngsters through the vast Lilly beds to safety the coot gives noisy call as he flies across the pool alarmed maybe by me, i watch as a sparrow Hawk skims across the pool and disappears down a ride cut out years ago by the old keepers it looks like a rodent in his talons this is all part of my life and its free so we now will leave the woods in quietness until we return another day. more a bit latter
In reply to Post #120
We live in a wonderful world it can be cruel but on the other hand it can be kind its been kind to me over the years i have got to know so many people through my fishing and shooting and through my general love of nature its surprising how people who don't understand the country side can change within minutes i well remember we were moving some wood down a friends farm when a young lady who was helping got bitten by an adder the first thing the lady's husband did was to try and cut its head off with an axe i stopped him immediately it was not the snakes fault he was only trying to protect him self the lady in question was taken to hospital were she remained for a couple of days and came out no worse for ware.
But it just goes to show how some people have no understanding of nature when i was young i would go and find the slow worms the grass snakes and adders if you remember in my stories i caught one and put it in the teachers desk he was bit of a bad teacher and had given us lads quite a bit of stress giving us the cane or slipper for really nothing i can still remember his face when he opened that desk the snake reared up trying to get out we all fell about laughing it was only a grassy about three ft long they can give you a nip he was away from his desk i can tell you and went to get the head master, by this time some of the girls were standing on there desks frightened to death i picked it up and put it in a bag well a satchel belonging to me that was many years ago i was about twelve years old at the time and some can still remember that episode we have had many laughs about that snake was the teacher better not really but he was very careful when he opened his desk.
I loved to be out and about and would be either fishing or down the fields or the woods i learned myself how to fish and most of what i know about nature was learned over many years some of the best fishing was below the sill at Halford falls i have caught some lovely fish from this beautiful spot i would hide myself in the undergrowth that grew on the bank where i fished it was a very private stretch and was patrolled by the river bailiffs but it did not stop me i would float fish a minnow for the trout or perch, i have caught some lovely perch under those falls i had no scales in those days but thinking back some were nearly two pounds they would be eaten by the locals our neighbors the river also held some wonderful grayling i have caught them to over a pound lovely eating you see in those days nothing was wasted, i caught them on maggot i had collected from the abattoir . Just above the falls was an island it was covered in garlic there was an old willow tree that had fallen down if any one came i would be over that willow onto the island and hide in the under growth and the garlic, you would stink of this plant for days after no matter how you washed it still lingered on your body and clothes for some time. In season i would dig the garlic up and take it home for my parents and neighbours to eat you could smell it on there breath i never really fancied it but like every thing else in those days you soon got used to it as i said nothing was wasted, we would eat most things i was sent out to collect the hazel nuts mushrooms back berries in season, the blackberries made lovely jam i can still see our mum putting it into the jars the mushrooms made soup or they were fried, the nuts were salted and buried in an old tin and used at Xmas it was a wonderfull life sadly missed today. well thats it a bit more latter.
We live in a wonderful world it can be cruel but on the other hand it can be kind its been kind to me over the years i have got to know so many people through my fishing and shooting and through my general love of nature its surprising how people who don't understand the country side can change within minutes i well remember we were moving some wood down a friends farm when a young lady who was helping got bitten by an adder the first thing the lady's husband did was to try and cut its head off with an axe i stopped him immediately it was not the snakes fault he was only trying to protect him self the lady in question was taken to hospital were she remained for a couple of days and came out no worse for ware.
But it just goes to show how some people have no understanding of nature when i was young i would go and find the slow worms the grass snakes and adders if you remember in my stories i caught one and put it in the teachers desk he was bit of a bad teacher and had given us lads quite a bit of stress giving us the cane or slipper for really nothing i can still remember his face when he opened that desk the snake reared up trying to get out we all fell about laughing it was only a grassy about three ft long they can give you a nip he was away from his desk i can tell you and went to get the head master, by this time some of the girls were standing on there desks frightened to death i picked it up and put it in a bag well a satchel belonging to me that was many years ago i was about twelve years old at the time and some can still remember that episode we have had many laughs about that snake was the teacher better not really but he was very careful when he opened his desk.
I loved to be out and about and would be either fishing or down the fields or the woods i learned myself how to fish and most of what i know about nature was learned over many years some of the best fishing was below the sill at Halford falls i have caught some lovely fish from this beautiful spot i would hide myself in the undergrowth that grew on the bank where i fished it was a very private stretch and was patrolled by the river bailiffs but it did not stop me i would float fish a minnow for the trout or perch, i have caught some lovely perch under those falls i had no scales in those days but thinking back some were nearly two pounds they would be eaten by the locals our neighbors the river also held some wonderful grayling i have caught them to over a pound lovely eating you see in those days nothing was wasted, i caught them on maggot i had collected from the abattoir . Just above the falls was an island it was covered in garlic there was an old willow tree that had fallen down if any one came i would be over that willow onto the island and hide in the under growth and the garlic, you would stink of this plant for days after no matter how you washed it still lingered on your body and clothes for some time. In season i would dig the garlic up and take it home for my parents and neighbours to eat you could smell it on there breath i never really fancied it but like every thing else in those days you soon got used to it as i said nothing was wasted, we would eat most things i was sent out to collect the hazel nuts mushrooms back berries in season, the blackberries made lovely jam i can still see our mum putting it into the jars the mushrooms made soup or they were fried, the nuts were salted and buried in an old tin and used at Xmas it was a wonderfull life sadly missed today. well thats it a bit more latter.
In reply to Post #121
Its many years since i was on the committee for the Ellesmere angling club i was then in my twenties graham and i traveled meetings once a month we both had A35 vans in those far off days they allowed us to get around we used them for most things with a bit of poaching thrown in they also carried our tackle we did not have a great amount in those days, the lakes around Ellesmere were heaven to me lots of variety to fish for, big bream good roach some huge eels and carp i think we fished all the meres the one mere held some lovely tench we spent hours trying to catch them we got permission to fish another water just above Ellesmere it was full off tench good ones we would float fish and catch them to five pounds plus, the keeper did not like us being there he was a grumpy old chap nothing was ever right for him he tried several times to kick us off but the owner was a friend of a mate and would have none of it but that keeper would not leave us alone i suppose he was only protecting his interests he had duck on the lake which he fed most days he would come down with his bucket full of barley and scatter it around the side of the lake in shallow water, i don't know how many pheasants he had but they certainly wet my appetite to do a bit of poaching but i never did owing to the trust the owner had in us.
At the same time we were inundated with farmers wanting the foxes cleared from there land, one individual i really felt sorry for , he reared geese and cockerels for Xmas he has vast amounts of chickens this old rogue of a fox got in to the big hen run and killed every thing in sight he killed over sixty hens by biting there heads off when i went to look with a friend well i have mentioned him before Charlie it was complete carnage i found some in the adjacent field he had tried to hide which he would fetch latter. I don't think i have in all my life seen anything like it two days latter he was back and killed a number of geese the farmers wife was nearly in tears i wont mention names as not to cause any embarrassment to his family. Charlie and i walked the woods and hedge rows looking for this old rogue he had to be stopped eventually we found him well i should say them there was two family of full grown cubs A lot to feed two vixens and dog two days latter we arrived with our motley crew of guns put them around the wood and drove it throught bingo job done the farmer was grateful i was allowed to fish his private stretch of river the tern for helping him out i did not like killing young cubs there was no pleasure in it for me but it was a necessity even if we had moved them by leaving our scent they would have been back as there was plenty of food available thats the way it was in those days but i still love that old rogue of the country side it would be a sad place whithout him. well thats it for today a bit more latter
Its many years since i was on the committee for the Ellesmere angling club i was then in my twenties graham and i traveled meetings once a month we both had A35 vans in those far off days they allowed us to get around we used them for most things with a bit of poaching thrown in they also carried our tackle we did not have a great amount in those days, the lakes around Ellesmere were heaven to me lots of variety to fish for, big bream good roach some huge eels and carp i think we fished all the meres the one mere held some lovely tench we spent hours trying to catch them we got permission to fish another water just above Ellesmere it was full off tench good ones we would float fish and catch them to five pounds plus, the keeper did not like us being there he was a grumpy old chap nothing was ever right for him he tried several times to kick us off but the owner was a friend of a mate and would have none of it but that keeper would not leave us alone i suppose he was only protecting his interests he had duck on the lake which he fed most days he would come down with his bucket full of barley and scatter it around the side of the lake in shallow water, i don't know how many pheasants he had but they certainly wet my appetite to do a bit of poaching but i never did owing to the trust the owner had in us.
At the same time we were inundated with farmers wanting the foxes cleared from there land, one individual i really felt sorry for , he reared geese and cockerels for Xmas he has vast amounts of chickens this old rogue of a fox got in to the big hen run and killed every thing in sight he killed over sixty hens by biting there heads off when i went to look with a friend well i have mentioned him before Charlie it was complete carnage i found some in the adjacent field he had tried to hide which he would fetch latter. I don't think i have in all my life seen anything like it two days latter he was back and killed a number of geese the farmers wife was nearly in tears i wont mention names as not to cause any embarrassment to his family. Charlie and i walked the woods and hedge rows looking for this old rogue he had to be stopped eventually we found him well i should say them there was two family of full grown cubs A lot to feed two vixens and dog two days latter we arrived with our motley crew of guns put them around the wood and drove it throught bingo job done the farmer was grateful i was allowed to fish his private stretch of river the tern for helping him out i did not like killing young cubs there was no pleasure in it for me but it was a necessity even if we had moved them by leaving our scent they would have been back as there was plenty of food available thats the way it was in those days but i still love that old rogue of the country side it would be a sad place whithout him. well thats it for today a bit more latter
In reply to Post #122
We did a short session after the barbel yesterday it was that hot and humid there was about ten more fishing on the stretch some arriving the night before no one caught the river is very low it certainly wants a bit of fresh water myself well i did not blank and i caught chub up to four pounds my poor mate graham blanked it was very hard fishing i scaled down and managed the chub, i felt absolutely tired out i can not stand this sort of weather it sucks the energy straight out of you, as soon as i got in it was straight into the shower trying to revive myself we could do with some rain to cool us off we had a couple of showers while fishing but it was not enough we need a good down pour, the farmers are complaining about the lack of water and i see they have been using the pumps and spraying the crops, the price of bread will rise once again as the grain will fetch high prices i know i will have to pay extra for our grain for our pheasant shoot the farmers are blaming it on the lack of water, we have always been pretty lucky in Shropshire as far as drought conditions go but i have noticed a lot of the small pools have started to dry up the one little pool not far from my house contains great crested newts there is just enough water to sustain them they have been there for generations and i can remember catching them when i was a youngster as a protected species they definitely need fresh water they have forecast it for Thursday big storms heavy rain but with the ground being so hard it will not do that much good as it will run straight off and not soak in it wants a good week of continues rain.
Funny how some are afraid thunder my wife is one such person i say to her its not the thunder but the lightning you must watch i had an acquaintance killed by lightning he was in hill country and this storm arrived he tried to make it back to the car but as he ran down the track with his wife he was hit he was in quite a mess it burnt the clothes from part of his body it was a great shock to his wife and she has never really got over it, they told me that he was unrecognisable as his face had been burned quite badly i well remember another incident while working in the building trade i suppose i was around nineteen years old at the time it started to thunder and lighten and rain and we got into the jcb for shelter there was some bullocks sheltering under the trees with there heads over a barbed wire fence there was an almighty flash the lightning hit the fence we watched as it ran down the fence it pole axed the first bullock down he went into a ditch you could see his legs sticking up it caught a few of the others they were running around the field with there tails stretched out behind them making one hell of a noise it was quite funny to see, after it stopped we went over to where this other bullock was lying thinking he was dead but he was not and manged to get up and stand well to cut a long story short he took across the field round and round that field he went we got the farmer down he manage to round them up there was not a mark on that bullock funny he should really of been dead, i do not like lightening a friend's house was hit not far from my house what a mess it made a big hole in the roof and all the electric sockets in the house were blown out it also buggered his television, so i do not like fishing in such storms or even be out in them.
well thats it for now more latter
We did a short session after the barbel yesterday it was that hot and humid there was about ten more fishing on the stretch some arriving the night before no one caught the river is very low it certainly wants a bit of fresh water myself well i did not blank and i caught chub up to four pounds my poor mate graham blanked it was very hard fishing i scaled down and managed the chub, i felt absolutely tired out i can not stand this sort of weather it sucks the energy straight out of you, as soon as i got in it was straight into the shower trying to revive myself we could do with some rain to cool us off we had a couple of showers while fishing but it was not enough we need a good down pour, the farmers are complaining about the lack of water and i see they have been using the pumps and spraying the crops, the price of bread will rise once again as the grain will fetch high prices i know i will have to pay extra for our grain for our pheasant shoot the farmers are blaming it on the lack of water, we have always been pretty lucky in Shropshire as far as drought conditions go but i have noticed a lot of the small pools have started to dry up the one little pool not far from my house contains great crested newts there is just enough water to sustain them they have been there for generations and i can remember catching them when i was a youngster as a protected species they definitely need fresh water they have forecast it for Thursday big storms heavy rain but with the ground being so hard it will not do that much good as it will run straight off and not soak in it wants a good week of continues rain.
Funny how some are afraid thunder my wife is one such person i say to her its not the thunder but the lightning you must watch i had an acquaintance killed by lightning he was in hill country and this storm arrived he tried to make it back to the car but as he ran down the track with his wife he was hit he was in quite a mess it burnt the clothes from part of his body it was a great shock to his wife and she has never really got over it, they told me that he was unrecognisable as his face had been burned quite badly i well remember another incident while working in the building trade i suppose i was around nineteen years old at the time it started to thunder and lighten and rain and we got into the jcb for shelter there was some bullocks sheltering under the trees with there heads over a barbed wire fence there was an almighty flash the lightning hit the fence we watched as it ran down the fence it pole axed the first bullock down he went into a ditch you could see his legs sticking up it caught a few of the others they were running around the field with there tails stretched out behind them making one hell of a noise it was quite funny to see, after it stopped we went over to where this other bullock was lying thinking he was dead but he was not and manged to get up and stand well to cut a long story short he took across the field round and round that field he went we got the farmer down he manage to round them up there was not a mark on that bullock funny he should really of been dead, i do not like lightening a friend's house was hit not far from my house what a mess it made a big hole in the roof and all the electric sockets in the house were blown out it also buggered his television, so i do not like fishing in such storms or even be out in them.
well thats it for now more latter
In reply to Post #123
thanks for posting Pete- the reference to red admirals is spot on. Used to see them all the time when playing out during the summer hols. Saw one last year and went wow- not seen one of them for a long time!
thanks for posting Pete- the reference to red admirals is spot on. Used to see them all the time when playing out during the summer hols. Saw one last year and went wow- not seen one of them for a long time!
In reply to Post #124
In reply to Post #123
thanks for posting Pete- the reference to red admirals is spot on. Used to see them all the time when playing out during the summer hols. Saw one last year and went wow- not seen one of them for a long time
Thanks Andy glad you enjoy my stories, its not just the red admirals its other species as well even the moths have degenerated it is quite worrying as when i was young you would see loads i would like to think things will right them selves but i say that with a heavy heart its the same with bees i have come across two or three bumble bees struggling to fly on closer inspection i could see there backs were covered in some sort of eggs that had been laid there by some other parasite and they were slowly killing them what the parasite is i dont know i will have to do some reserch into it thanks again pete
In reply to Post #123
thanks for posting Pete- the reference to red admirals is spot on. Used to see them all the time when playing out during the summer hols. Saw one last year and went wow- not seen one of them for a long time
Thanks Andy glad you enjoy my stories, its not just the red admirals its other species as well even the moths have degenerated it is quite worrying as when i was young you would see loads i would like to think things will right them selves but i say that with a heavy heart its the same with bees i have come across two or three bumble bees struggling to fly on closer inspection i could see there backs were covered in some sort of eggs that had been laid there by some other parasite and they were slowly killing them what the parasite is i dont know i will have to do some reserch into it thanks again pete
In reply to Post #125
Going back a few years ago i was approached by a farmer who said his trout pool had been poached they had tried to catch the individuals that were doing the poaching waiting there all hours but they failed. Could i have a look for him well at the time i was fishing another pool close by i could see the land adjoining the trout pool from where i fished i could see if any one arrived well to cut a long story short they did arrive this one night i watched as they made there way up beside the wood five individuals i certainly would not approach far to many, i wound my rods in, and made my way through the woods and lay down in the undergrowth just above the pool i watched fascinated i had suspected they had been using night lines but had not looked around the pool for evidence i did not want to disturb the said poachers as yet, in fact i recognized the one chaps voice so i let them get on with there business i watch as they dragged the night lines in most had fish on i suppose they were not on the lake more than half and hour and they were away night lines recast, i watched as they vanished into the distance before returning to my swim on the other lake i would wait until morning then go and see the farmer and show him the night lines not only that the pool had a syndicate on it so the farmer contacted the bailiff who looked after the place and asked him to come down i had an old gaff at home so as i went around the pool i dragged the gaff through the water around the side pulling the night lines up thirty in all i saw the bailiff face he was a good friend of mine he could not believe what he was seeing i think we recovered ten with hooked fish not bad nights work for the poachers as they would get a quid a fish i soon found out they were selling them in a local pub .
We recast the lines minus bait and decided to wait it out and catch them when they returned the police were informed they arrived mob handed but the poachers never returned i wondered if they had been tipped off i don't know but they never returned for those lines so we got them out of the pool and destroyed them that was a few years ago. The lads were very happy and gave me a place free in there syndicate the farmer was also happy in fact still walk his land it was a few weeks latter i bumped into the one chap in our local i asked him if he was still catching the trout he smiled and said no Pete we watched you taking the night lines up we were not going to chance our arm any more, we had over three hundred out of that pool until you arrived on the scene so we are now fishing else where there was no animosity it was a few weeks latter i was told they were poaching the three lakes up in hill country. A good friend called Walter ran the syndicate of twelve rods on the the lakes, it was few weeks latter before he approached me can you catch my poachers Pete i really don't know Walter but i will have a go i would not make the same mistake i made at the other pool they certainly would not come back here by the time i had finished whether i caught them or not and so it was, i have already told you in my stories how i frightened them they never did return, and for favours done i was allowed to fish the place for trout and shoot the duck in season no money ever crossed your palm you did a favour and they did you one back that's how things worked in those days they say it takes one to catch one.
Well that's it for now more latter.
Going back a few years ago i was approached by a farmer who said his trout pool had been poached they had tried to catch the individuals that were doing the poaching waiting there all hours but they failed. Could i have a look for him well at the time i was fishing another pool close by i could see the land adjoining the trout pool from where i fished i could see if any one arrived well to cut a long story short they did arrive this one night i watched as they made there way up beside the wood five individuals i certainly would not approach far to many, i wound my rods in, and made my way through the woods and lay down in the undergrowth just above the pool i watched fascinated i had suspected they had been using night lines but had not looked around the pool for evidence i did not want to disturb the said poachers as yet, in fact i recognized the one chaps voice so i let them get on with there business i watch as they dragged the night lines in most had fish on i suppose they were not on the lake more than half and hour and they were away night lines recast, i watched as they vanished into the distance before returning to my swim on the other lake i would wait until morning then go and see the farmer and show him the night lines not only that the pool had a syndicate on it so the farmer contacted the bailiff who looked after the place and asked him to come down i had an old gaff at home so as i went around the pool i dragged the gaff through the water around the side pulling the night lines up thirty in all i saw the bailiff face he was a good friend of mine he could not believe what he was seeing i think we recovered ten with hooked fish not bad nights work for the poachers as they would get a quid a fish i soon found out they were selling them in a local pub .
We recast the lines minus bait and decided to wait it out and catch them when they returned the police were informed they arrived mob handed but the poachers never returned i wondered if they had been tipped off i don't know but they never returned for those lines so we got them out of the pool and destroyed them that was a few years ago. The lads were very happy and gave me a place free in there syndicate the farmer was also happy in fact still walk his land it was a few weeks latter i bumped into the one chap in our local i asked him if he was still catching the trout he smiled and said no Pete we watched you taking the night lines up we were not going to chance our arm any more, we had over three hundred out of that pool until you arrived on the scene so we are now fishing else where there was no animosity it was a few weeks latter i was told they were poaching the three lakes up in hill country. A good friend called Walter ran the syndicate of twelve rods on the the lakes, it was few weeks latter before he approached me can you catch my poachers Pete i really don't know Walter but i will have a go i would not make the same mistake i made at the other pool they certainly would not come back here by the time i had finished whether i caught them or not and so it was, i have already told you in my stories how i frightened them they never did return, and for favours done i was allowed to fish the place for trout and shoot the duck in season no money ever crossed your palm you did a favour and they did you one back that's how things worked in those days they say it takes one to catch one.
Well that's it for now more latter.
In reply to Post #126
I will carry on with my tales as i am not to busy today i suppose i had been a bit of a jack the lad myself when younger i would poach not for fun but out of the necessity for food as times were very hard most of the big estate lakes were strictly private on most estates shooting came first,, as it was revenue for the squire ,or the owner of the said estate Bomere was ,one such lake in my younger days no one fished there except the odd friend of the owner and then they only fished for the pike it was reputed to hold some huge fish. I poached right under Gerry Haze's noise I have watched him pass me by many times on his way to feed the pheasants not once did he suspect i was there if i had been caught i would have been given a good clip behind the ear or marched home to see my parents you may even go to court old Gerry and bell ruled the woods and fields around my home village of Bayston hill not many locals would venture into the woods around bomere after dark for fear it was haunted i think it was started years before by the old keepers to keep people away from the place lets put it like this i never saw any one worse than myself so it never really kept me away from the woods and lakes i have fished shomere with the pheasant release pen behind where i was fishing, and you could hear the keepers dogs barking at the house which was situated just in front of the release pen.
I have watched 0ld Gerry feed the birds and once he came so close he nearly stepped on me i have hidden up the old firs many times on shoot days i would pick the lost birds before the dogs got near i would maybe pick up seven or eight birds like this ,and pop them in a sack eight birds would be a bit heavy so i would hide them until latter on when everything went quite i have watched from the fir trees as they shot the duck they literally shot hundreds from that old lake mostly mallard in those days, they would be all dressed up in there plus fours the ladies used to load for there husbands they would be dressed up as well i would laugh to myself god they were posh and spoke like they had a plum in there mouth, i also fished the lakes usually i would spin for the pike i caught a few mainly small jacks but it was enjoyable fishing i got quite a kick from poaching the lakes as it was myself against the keepers i never once got caught i did get fired at by Gerry for poaching his pheasants i heard the pellets hit the under growth where i was i have told the story in part one of my stories. Not once was i caught my parents and neighbours were always grateful for the birds some times i got a lecture from my dad saying don't get caught as it worries your mother i would just say ill be alright dont worry i got to know those woods back to front maybe better than the keepers i always had an escape route if needed they were exiting days i bought my first real gun, when i was sixteen years old a webley scott four ten it was good for close work the licence in those days was seven shillings and sixpence it certainly opened up a new lease of life for me. Well theres a bit more a bit more to follow latter
I will carry on with my tales as i am not to busy today i suppose i had been a bit of a jack the lad myself when younger i would poach not for fun but out of the necessity for food as times were very hard most of the big estate lakes were strictly private on most estates shooting came first,, as it was revenue for the squire ,or the owner of the said estate Bomere was ,one such lake in my younger days no one fished there except the odd friend of the owner and then they only fished for the pike it was reputed to hold some huge fish. I poached right under Gerry Haze's noise I have watched him pass me by many times on his way to feed the pheasants not once did he suspect i was there if i had been caught i would have been given a good clip behind the ear or marched home to see my parents you may even go to court old Gerry and bell ruled the woods and fields around my home village of Bayston hill not many locals would venture into the woods around bomere after dark for fear it was haunted i think it was started years before by the old keepers to keep people away from the place lets put it like this i never saw any one worse than myself so it never really kept me away from the woods and lakes i have fished shomere with the pheasant release pen behind where i was fishing, and you could hear the keepers dogs barking at the house which was situated just in front of the release pen.
I have watched 0ld Gerry feed the birds and once he came so close he nearly stepped on me i have hidden up the old firs many times on shoot days i would pick the lost birds before the dogs got near i would maybe pick up seven or eight birds like this ,and pop them in a sack eight birds would be a bit heavy so i would hide them until latter on when everything went quite i have watched from the fir trees as they shot the duck they literally shot hundreds from that old lake mostly mallard in those days, they would be all dressed up in there plus fours the ladies used to load for there husbands they would be dressed up as well i would laugh to myself god they were posh and spoke like they had a plum in there mouth, i also fished the lakes usually i would spin for the pike i caught a few mainly small jacks but it was enjoyable fishing i got quite a kick from poaching the lakes as it was myself against the keepers i never once got caught i did get fired at by Gerry for poaching his pheasants i heard the pellets hit the under growth where i was i have told the story in part one of my stories. Not once was i caught my parents and neighbours were always grateful for the birds some times i got a lecture from my dad saying don't get caught as it worries your mother i would just say ill be alright dont worry i got to know those woods back to front maybe better than the keepers i always had an escape route if needed they were exiting days i bought my first real gun, when i was sixteen years old a webley scott four ten it was good for close work the licence in those days was seven shillings and sixpence it certainly opened up a new lease of life for me. Well theres a bit more a bit more to follow latter
In reply to Post #1000
Started to read a couple of the later posts and jus had to go back to the start and will now have to read the complete thing..Excellent stuff...Pete you should write a book!
Started to read a couple of the later posts and jus had to go back to the start and will now have to read the complete thing..Excellent stuff...Pete you should write a book!
In reply to Post #128
Thank you allan for the kind remarks i hope you enjoy part, one and two its a true story of my life the ups and downs thanks again pete
Thank you allan for the kind remarks i hope you enjoy part, one and two its a true story of my life the ups and downs thanks again pete
In reply to Post #129
When i was young august was one of my favorite months it was the month of plenty so was September the blackberries were ready to pick the orchards were full of fruit and on the hills the winberries were ready to pick one thing us lads loved was the harvest of the corn and barley we would surround the corn fields stick in hand and would chase any rabbits that broke cover. they could not run as fast because of the stuble every one we killed we would cut a notch on our stick some of those sticks were years old kept from one year to the next some had big club end which you hit the rabbit with, adults joined in the fun i suppose it was a necessity as it was late forties early fifties maxomatosis had not arrived on the scene as yet the rabbit was a good meal in those days full of protein, we more or less lived on them we would have them in a pie or roasted as i have stated in my earlier storeys part one it was our main meat ration and would have it for Sunday dinner lets get back to the corn feilds and the humble rabbit we would wait until the very last cut of corn there would only be a thin strip left you would see the corn or barley moving it was so full of rabbits not many got away from us lads those that did got tangled in the long net the farmer had put along the side of the far hedge at the end of the day there would be a big pile of rabbits maybe two or three hundred, if you were lucky the farmer would give you a couple to take home then the rest would be taken and sold in the market the revenue going to the farmer we did the work and he got the rewards i soon wised up, to this and would hide a few in the hedgerow or in between the sheaves of corn i would fetch them latter when all was quite, we would follow the harvest around the different farms as august was the school holidays.
Some farmers had no tractors and the big shire horses would pull the binder that cut the corn, it was a bit slower than a tractor i loved the fields of beans and peas they would be crawling with rabbits there were so many about when i was a youngster, if i had any rabbits spare they went to our neighbours and friend every one helped one another in those days, or i would take a few down to a shop, in the small town of craven arms it was owned by JP woods i would get six pence each not bad as i could buy a few odds and sods for my fishing floats hooks and such money was hard to get in those days the wages were not that good most adults worked for British rail, as Craven Arms was a huge shunting yard i would lie in bed at night you could hear The clang and bang of the trucks and the steam engines puffing away it was a great sound and it would not be long before i fell,asleep.
I was brought up in the country side i love my fishing and nature came a good second i soon learned to distinguish the different birds and animals, in summer and spring the fields and hedgerows were a blaze of colour with the different wild flowers then we had the butterflys, where ever you looked you saw something different you would see young rabbits every where you went, the habitat was never touched in those days no sprays they grew fields of clover which was ploughed back into the land before the crops were set they were smaller fields no hedge rows ripped out as yet, but that would come with the invention of the combine and that would be the begining of the end for some of our wild life. well thats it for now more latter
When i was young august was one of my favorite months it was the month of plenty so was September the blackberries were ready to pick the orchards were full of fruit and on the hills the winberries were ready to pick one thing us lads loved was the harvest of the corn and barley we would surround the corn fields stick in hand and would chase any rabbits that broke cover. they could not run as fast because of the stuble every one we killed we would cut a notch on our stick some of those sticks were years old kept from one year to the next some had big club end which you hit the rabbit with, adults joined in the fun i suppose it was a necessity as it was late forties early fifties maxomatosis had not arrived on the scene as yet the rabbit was a good meal in those days full of protein, we more or less lived on them we would have them in a pie or roasted as i have stated in my earlier storeys part one it was our main meat ration and would have it for Sunday dinner lets get back to the corn feilds and the humble rabbit we would wait until the very last cut of corn there would only be a thin strip left you would see the corn or barley moving it was so full of rabbits not many got away from us lads those that did got tangled in the long net the farmer had put along the side of the far hedge at the end of the day there would be a big pile of rabbits maybe two or three hundred, if you were lucky the farmer would give you a couple to take home then the rest would be taken and sold in the market the revenue going to the farmer we did the work and he got the rewards i soon wised up, to this and would hide a few in the hedgerow or in between the sheaves of corn i would fetch them latter when all was quite, we would follow the harvest around the different farms as august was the school holidays.
Some farmers had no tractors and the big shire horses would pull the binder that cut the corn, it was a bit slower than a tractor i loved the fields of beans and peas they would be crawling with rabbits there were so many about when i was a youngster, if i had any rabbits spare they went to our neighbours and friend every one helped one another in those days, or i would take a few down to a shop, in the small town of craven arms it was owned by JP woods i would get six pence each not bad as i could buy a few odds and sods for my fishing floats hooks and such money was hard to get in those days the wages were not that good most adults worked for British rail, as Craven Arms was a huge shunting yard i would lie in bed at night you could hear The clang and bang of the trucks and the steam engines puffing away it was a great sound and it would not be long before i fell,asleep.
I was brought up in the country side i love my fishing and nature came a good second i soon learned to distinguish the different birds and animals, in summer and spring the fields and hedgerows were a blaze of colour with the different wild flowers then we had the butterflys, where ever you looked you saw something different you would see young rabbits every where you went, the habitat was never touched in those days no sprays they grew fields of clover which was ploughed back into the land before the crops were set they were smaller fields no hedge rows ripped out as yet, but that would come with the invention of the combine and that would be the begining of the end for some of our wild life. well thats it for now more latter
In reply to Post #130
I suppose i have had a great life i have fished and shot met an awful lot of friends i have had my ups and downs mainly through my health but one can put up with that i wish i could do it all again but you only have one bite of the cherry so you make the best of it. Talking about cherries there was a few nice trees on our village mostly in peoples gardens well when we were young there was nothing nicer than a bit of scrumping the one garden was bordering a field called the foxes you could actually pick the cherries from the field side but if you wanted the real good ones it was through the hedge and up the tree we were up this tree the one day when out of the blue the owner and the police arrived on the scene, my friend was gone in seconds dropping from a branch into the field leaving me to face the law i lay across the branches height above and listened to them talking the owner was not happy his cherries were being taken the policeman was Stan sharp and Sgt landers not once did they look up the tree well so i thought it was not the first or last time i visited this garden as i would ferret the rabbits around the hedge bordering the garden as they were making a come back, well to cut a long story short i stayed very still not moving a muscle until i saw them move away i was down the tree and away home it was a few days latter i saw old Stan sharp the policeman come here he shouted i saw you up that tree the other day what tree you know what tree good job the Sgt did not see you he twisted my ear and with a smile said don't let me catch you there again no Mr sharp you wont but we did the year was about 1958 i think i had just left school.
Just below the field called the foxes was the railway line and then a big sheet of water called the Honey meadow alas not there any more the people that owned the quarry in those days filled it in shame really it was the over flow from Bomere as i have stated in my earlier stories i would put night lines down for the eels it was stuffed with them not huge but they grew to around three pounds or more i would give most away to the locals as times were still very hard. The keeper old Gerry would feed the ducks at honey meadow and the ladies and gents would shoot the place once a fort night i have told you all when i bought my first gun i would poach the place i shot a good many mallard from that place i would lie in the undergrowth and shoot them as they came in i was not fussy and would shoot them on the water as well but i have already told you about that in part one. It was not far from bomere only two fields away so i would go looking for the pheasants nests i usually found a few in the hedge rows this was mainly in the spring April may i would take a few eggs as old,, Harry Edwards the mole and rabbit catcher he liked them, most of the rabbits had died out by then but they were making a come back . its the ducks eggs we liked as a family and i would collect them from the willow trees they would nest in the tops were the trees had been cropped i have even had them out of a squirrels dray they were lovely eating and if i took a dozen or so home mum would be happy i would eat them for breakfast there was thousands of mallard around in those days as most estates reared a few as i have said before the estates relied on the shooting for revenue . shooting came before fishing all the lakes were private and most displayed big signs saying just that private keep, out or you will be shot on sight. But that did not worry me i did my fair share of poaching on these big estates but that was years ago there are not many of the old poachers left most have past on and there is no need to poach these days as there is plenty of food available with the big supermarkets and the wages for most are very good in my youth they were not when i left school i got two pounds ten shillings a week so you did a bit of poaching to help out. well thats it for now more latter
I suppose i have had a great life i have fished and shot met an awful lot of friends i have had my ups and downs mainly through my health but one can put up with that i wish i could do it all again but you only have one bite of the cherry so you make the best of it. Talking about cherries there was a few nice trees on our village mostly in peoples gardens well when we were young there was nothing nicer than a bit of scrumping the one garden was bordering a field called the foxes you could actually pick the cherries from the field side but if you wanted the real good ones it was through the hedge and up the tree we were up this tree the one day when out of the blue the owner and the police arrived on the scene, my friend was gone in seconds dropping from a branch into the field leaving me to face the law i lay across the branches height above and listened to them talking the owner was not happy his cherries were being taken the policeman was Stan sharp and Sgt landers not once did they look up the tree well so i thought it was not the first or last time i visited this garden as i would ferret the rabbits around the hedge bordering the garden as they were making a come back, well to cut a long story short i stayed very still not moving a muscle until i saw them move away i was down the tree and away home it was a few days latter i saw old Stan sharp the policeman come here he shouted i saw you up that tree the other day what tree you know what tree good job the Sgt did not see you he twisted my ear and with a smile said don't let me catch you there again no Mr sharp you wont but we did the year was about 1958 i think i had just left school.
Just below the field called the foxes was the railway line and then a big sheet of water called the Honey meadow alas not there any more the people that owned the quarry in those days filled it in shame really it was the over flow from Bomere as i have stated in my earlier stories i would put night lines down for the eels it was stuffed with them not huge but they grew to around three pounds or more i would give most away to the locals as times were still very hard. The keeper old Gerry would feed the ducks at honey meadow and the ladies and gents would shoot the place once a fort night i have told you all when i bought my first gun i would poach the place i shot a good many mallard from that place i would lie in the undergrowth and shoot them as they came in i was not fussy and would shoot them on the water as well but i have already told you about that in part one. It was not far from bomere only two fields away so i would go looking for the pheasants nests i usually found a few in the hedge rows this was mainly in the spring April may i would take a few eggs as old,, Harry Edwards the mole and rabbit catcher he liked them, most of the rabbits had died out by then but they were making a come back . its the ducks eggs we liked as a family and i would collect them from the willow trees they would nest in the tops were the trees had been cropped i have even had them out of a squirrels dray they were lovely eating and if i took a dozen or so home mum would be happy i would eat them for breakfast there was thousands of mallard around in those days as most estates reared a few as i have said before the estates relied on the shooting for revenue . shooting came before fishing all the lakes were private and most displayed big signs saying just that private keep, out or you will be shot on sight. But that did not worry me i did my fair share of poaching on these big estates but that was years ago there are not many of the old poachers left most have past on and there is no need to poach these days as there is plenty of food available with the big supermarkets and the wages for most are very good in my youth they were not when i left school i got two pounds ten shillings a week so you did a bit of poaching to help out. well thats it for now more latter
In reply to Post #131
Well i have a bit of time today so ill carry on going fishing tomorrow so i hope we have something to report i feel lucky as i have only blanked once up to now. Blanking does not bother me as there is always something to see and even at my age i really am still learning there's always something i have not seen or done i am never so happier than when i roam the banks of the Rea in search of the chub trout and grayling the wild life is also spectacular but alas the one or two friends are saying they are seeing otters on a regular basis a friend was sitting fishing the other day when one swam straight through his swim it never gave him a second look they used to be a shy animal but not any more they are quite used to humans as most were bred in captivity luckily there are quite a few eels in that little river so they might keep them happy but i really doubt that i think the trout and grayling will suffer big loses i was told there are eight pairs in a stretch far to many for a stretch of only ten or twelve miles because that all it is to the source.
pike from this old lake
A bag of roach and chub from the rea when i was a young man
If they get into the lake at the source they will have a field day its full of big gorgeous roach big fish i have sat out in a punt a few years ago and float fished the water with a sliding float in twenty five ft of water and caught some beautiful fish none under a pound plus it has some nice bream and a few carp with some lovely pike so i really hope the otters don't decimate this water as i have spent some happy hours pike fishing in the winter from the boat catching some quality pike they will definitely have to control these predators but i don't think it will be in my life time protect any animal and as long as the food is there they will breed and spread to other parts but they will only survive if the food levels are there and they are with all the fisheries around some one said to me the other day they are only back to the levels they were before hunting stopped i had a chuckle about this statement no way were they so common as today those days they were very shy you rarely saw them i have had to creep on my belly and lie in the undergrowth very quietly when watching them if they caught sight of you they were away so there is a big difference there are far to many around our water courses today, and to many do gooders who have released these these predators without giving any thought of how these animals will effect our environment in my opinion they know nothing about nature or the the country side.
Another pike from the old lake
I would not like to see them hunted again not as that will ever happen to me it was cruel as i have said before the river ran red it was not nice but in my day that's how they were controlled as a young boy i can still remember the otter hunts on the river onny at craven arms they would hunt this beautiful river where i spent most of my child hood two or three times a year. well more latter
Well i have a bit of time today so ill carry on going fishing tomorrow so i hope we have something to report i feel lucky as i have only blanked once up to now. Blanking does not bother me as there is always something to see and even at my age i really am still learning there's always something i have not seen or done i am never so happier than when i roam the banks of the Rea in search of the chub trout and grayling the wild life is also spectacular but alas the one or two friends are saying they are seeing otters on a regular basis a friend was sitting fishing the other day when one swam straight through his swim it never gave him a second look they used to be a shy animal but not any more they are quite used to humans as most were bred in captivity luckily there are quite a few eels in that little river so they might keep them happy but i really doubt that i think the trout and grayling will suffer big loses i was told there are eight pairs in a stretch far to many for a stretch of only ten or twelve miles because that all it is to the source.
pike from this old lake
A bag of roach and chub from the rea when i was a young manIf they get into the lake at the source they will have a field day its full of big gorgeous roach big fish i have sat out in a punt a few years ago and float fished the water with a sliding float in twenty five ft of water and caught some beautiful fish none under a pound plus it has some nice bream and a few carp with some lovely pike so i really hope the otters don't decimate this water as i have spent some happy hours pike fishing in the winter from the boat catching some quality pike they will definitely have to control these predators but i don't think it will be in my life time protect any animal and as long as the food is there they will breed and spread to other parts but they will only survive if the food levels are there and they are with all the fisheries around some one said to me the other day they are only back to the levels they were before hunting stopped i had a chuckle about this statement no way were they so common as today those days they were very shy you rarely saw them i have had to creep on my belly and lie in the undergrowth very quietly when watching them if they caught sight of you they were away so there is a big difference there are far to many around our water courses today, and to many do gooders who have released these these predators without giving any thought of how these animals will effect our environment in my opinion they know nothing about nature or the the country side.
Another pike from the old lakeI would not like to see them hunted again not as that will ever happen to me it was cruel as i have said before the river ran red it was not nice but in my day that's how they were controlled as a young boy i can still remember the otter hunts on the river onny at craven arms they would hunt this beautiful river where i spent most of my child hood two or three times a year. well more latter
In reply to Post #132
Fishing Tuesday was really a disaster the river a the moment is far to low it needs water badly, we did manage a chub or to but nothing big the barbel were none existent the bailiff came and sat with us and another friend popped down we had a good old natter about times passed and present the bailiff said no one had been catching in the last week not even me now for Rodger to say that things must be bad it needs fresh water i just hope the way its rained in wales today it should put a bit of colour in the water quite a few anglers have been visiting from Liverpool and Manchester long way to come for nothing one lot stayed over night in there motor home fished until dark and resumed first light they went home with nothing not even a chub graced there landing net i feel sorry for them as they had traveled a fair distance but that is angling.
We may try again on Friday if we get a bit of fresh water talking to the locals the carp fishing has not been that good of late probably the weather i had a look at one such water it was green all over i have never done very good in those conditions when it clears we may have a go one estate lake i fished always seemed to fish well in muggy conditions we always caught a few fish in these conditions one such lake was lordys is it always fished well in dull and muggy weather why i don't know yet another up the road not far from lordys would turn off completely.
well old foxy has done well this year the reports i have at the amount of cubs around its been a good breeding year there has been plenty of rabbits around to sustain the cubs there seems to be more foxes around than ever and a few years ago fox deaths were really caused by man indirectly treating cereal seeds with toxic dressings Aldrin dieldrin and Heptachlor pesticides before planting, Birds unfortunately died in great numbers due to eating the seeds old foxy being what he was a major scavenger of the countryside eats the poisoned birds which it led to a great many fox deaths especially in the 1960 that does not happen any more i am glad as i think there is so much to be learned from old foxy by direct observation as you know from my stories i have watched foxes all my life but i think the albinos with the white fir and pink eyes was the highlight of my life although being born like that is a big disadvantage and they seldom live to breed i have come across black foxes over the years i have seen them shot in hill country usualy they are black belled but i have seen them with a black head and black brush and belly funny how these animals vary in colour and size i hope i am not boring you with my tales of foxey he has been my favorite animal over the years it would be a sad place whithout him. a bit more latter
Fishing Tuesday was really a disaster the river a the moment is far to low it needs water badly, we did manage a chub or to but nothing big the barbel were none existent the bailiff came and sat with us and another friend popped down we had a good old natter about times passed and present the bailiff said no one had been catching in the last week not even me now for Rodger to say that things must be bad it needs fresh water i just hope the way its rained in wales today it should put a bit of colour in the water quite a few anglers have been visiting from Liverpool and Manchester long way to come for nothing one lot stayed over night in there motor home fished until dark and resumed first light they went home with nothing not even a chub graced there landing net i feel sorry for them as they had traveled a fair distance but that is angling.
We may try again on Friday if we get a bit of fresh water talking to the locals the carp fishing has not been that good of late probably the weather i had a look at one such water it was green all over i have never done very good in those conditions when it clears we may have a go one estate lake i fished always seemed to fish well in muggy conditions we always caught a few fish in these conditions one such lake was lordys is it always fished well in dull and muggy weather why i don't know yet another up the road not far from lordys would turn off completely.
well old foxy has done well this year the reports i have at the amount of cubs around its been a good breeding year there has been plenty of rabbits around to sustain the cubs there seems to be more foxes around than ever and a few years ago fox deaths were really caused by man indirectly treating cereal seeds with toxic dressings Aldrin dieldrin and Heptachlor pesticides before planting, Birds unfortunately died in great numbers due to eating the seeds old foxy being what he was a major scavenger of the countryside eats the poisoned birds which it led to a great many fox deaths especially in the 1960 that does not happen any more i am glad as i think there is so much to be learned from old foxy by direct observation as you know from my stories i have watched foxes all my life but i think the albinos with the white fir and pink eyes was the highlight of my life although being born like that is a big disadvantage and they seldom live to breed i have come across black foxes over the years i have seen them shot in hill country usualy they are black belled but i have seen them with a black head and black brush and belly funny how these animals vary in colour and size i hope i am not boring you with my tales of foxey he has been my favorite animal over the years it would be a sad place whithout him. a bit more latter