Mid Tide Express...01/05/2010

The weekend was on its way again, the plans were decided upon and I just had to dot the T’s and cross the I’s by getting my arse back from Torquay, abstain from the majority of the alcohol at the party and get home early enough for a 5am wake-up...the plan was simple, I’d get up, get the coffee on and await Tim who’d pick me up and perhaps load my Prowler 15 onto the roof for Amos who may arrive from London without a yak whereupon we’d head to Hopton where Steve would be ready with his Trident 13 and my Scupper Pro having dropped my van off at Dogger to allow for the fact we’d sail out to the banks, anchor up, fish until it got hairy then paddle and sail south on the mid-tide express to pick it up and ferry ourselves back to the launch point. Simple, yes? It was simplified further by Amos not coming up meaning we didn’t need to load up my spare yak and so the scene was set and by 11:30 I’d arrived home from the party for a kip, sober.

It was a pity I couldn’t sleep. It was an even bigger pity that I was up in the night with diarrhoea too. It was an even greater pity that I still had it in the morning...but I’d promised Tim coffee so got up anyway – the poor bugger has a bit of a trek to get here. So, as he drank his coffee and I explained why I wouldn’t be coming I had a change of heart – drysuits are dry both ways, right? I got changed again and we left for Hopton ;D

Arriving to no wind we unloaded, kitted up and the three of us headed out towards the banks. It was a big spring and after a while we decided that we’d be best not continuing and instead may as well drop down where we were. This we did, in 45ft+ of water, and sat to await developments.





Developments were slow, the current still being fairly slack but finally Steve was in and brought up his biggest east coast dogfish. At least he hadn’t blanked. Tim came next and after a bit of effort brought in his first ever Thornie and the first we’ve had off Hopton! Not a keeper but very welcome all the same.



Me, I just sat there trying to keep the inside of my drysuit clean ;D This became progressively harder as the wind picked up and the sea state got more of an issue, the odd wave breaking into the cockpit. By this time the current was picking up...



We up-anchored and headed out and inshore to try again. Drawing level with our landing spot we dropped down again. Once more it was impossible to keep my baits on the seabed and so I hauled anchor and paddle dup to the others, against the full flow of the tide. It’s the strongest I’ve come up against and progress was slow. On reaching them eventually the decision was made to head in and so we did, landing a fair distance from the ramp and having to drag our yaks some distance. In my state (and with nothing inside me) I was totally drained by the end of this and was pleased to get into the van and away ;D Mind you, it beat going back to bed and missing the morning on the water and in the sun with my mates.