Don’t Just Torque About Fishing…13/12/09

For me, Friday night was out for yakking and so was Saturday this week. With Sunday looking like a crap sea it was decided that what we really needed was to burn off the extra lard we’d put on our hips since the summer with a bit of a bimble up to the Locks, piking as we went. Of course Steve has been offshore and ship-bound for a month and so was looking decidedly porky but had also managed to break his finger so needed to make sure his finger was up to yakking first…which is why I stuck him in the Torque!

The Torque? Has Snapper got a Torque? Surely not!

Indeed not. While I often borrow different yaks from the demo fleet to get to know them better and thus advise better at demos I hadn’t really anticipated a need to take the Torque out for a fishing session. However, in this instance I’d had a request for some photographs of it in action and with fish magnet Steve back in town in need of some relaxation the plan was set and so it was that I pulled up at 7am in Beccles.

Steve was nowhere to be seen and all I had with me was the Torque and a brand spanking new yellow Trident 13 that Westie had bought. My Scupper Pro was on Steve’s car and with him being curled up in bed still the Torque was the only option for now…and I admit I was looking forward to it.

Onmas turned up a few minutes after me and we stood enjoying the rain before getting kitted up, this being the first mention of the phenomenal breakfasts available at the Posh Pigs café in Ellough. I dumped my float rod and maggots back inside the van (originally intending to fish for silvers and pike on livebaits) and we set out on the water for a troll down the town stretches. Having no rod holders on the Torque I only took one rod, holding it all the while. Initially I found it a bit dull a bit odd having nothing to do with my hands but, holding the rod, I soon got used to it and started to enjoy the relaxing and peaceful aspect of having something else do the work for a change.

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I got down to the quay before my first run – a beautifully marked bivvied-up fisherman began thrashing around on the bank, caught neatly by a Super Shad Rap trolled near the margins on the opposite bank to where he was sitting. I politely unhooked his snagged line and continued to the road bridge, by which time Steve was on the phone to say he’d arrived and was going to sleep in his car until we got back to the launch point.



As we sat waiting for him to get suited up, unsuited and suited up again I tried some doughnuts in the Torque followed by some maggot bashing from the bank but failed to find a fish. Eventually he was ready and we got into the water, heading upstream to the Locks. Now, I don’t know if this is a particular feature of the Torque but placid Steve turned into the kind of hooligan normally associated with jet-skis!



Zooming around at a reckless 4 knots he barged into my lines, upset some ducks, scared some roach and caused a family of voles on a Sunday outing to repent and go to church instead.







Disgraceful! Fortunately he had come to no harm (he wasn’t wearing a crash helmet) and so curbed his excitement and began to fish…



Five minutes, if that, and he had a fish on. This is what I wanted for a photograph and I was all set to go and do the honours but had to deal with my own fish first – a beautifully marked winter jack pike of a couple of pounds…



Steve’s was about the same and both were swimming away quite happily in no time, my ‘I don’t reckon we’ll catch, the water’s too high, it’s too cloudy, too much rain etc’ had produced the goods, as planned ;D



We carried on up, the weather alternating between bright sunshine and showers (and a fantastic double rainbow)…





…until finally we reached the Locks, going under the bridge that marks the limit of navigation and into the waters of the local angling club, the only other fish having been caught by me half a mile back.



We continued a bit further instead of the usual disembarking for a pint (it being 10am) and at the remains of the old Shipmeadow Lock changed over kayaks.



Onmas hopped into my Scupper Pro (after hopping into the river) in advance of buying himself one, Steve got into his Trident 13 and I nabbed the Torque. Steve then decided to seal launch rather than risk a dunking and hauled out the T13, slipping in before I was in position to record it (thankfully captured by Onmas).



With Steve due to attend a family lunch and Onmas filming rather than fishing the pair of them set off at normal speed while I trolled slowly (and quietly) back on the Torque. The ease with which I could follow the bank by utilising the rudder was an obvious advantage of the torque, as was feeling every pluck at the line from weed etc. It was certainly a more pleasant way to travel through heavy rain too!



Nearing Beccles I bumped into Westie, paddling his new ride up to meet us and we chatted as we headed back to the launch – Tim deciding to head to the Posh Pig with Onmas and I before returning for a proper session later. The tales of two of the famous Seppings sausages and two of everything else being, by now, irresistible. Open until two it is, best breakfasts in the area Onmas told us…we had to, it’d be rude not to!



Back on dry land we all loaded up and set course for Ellough. Pulling in we could see people through the windows enjoying their wonderful breakfasts. Sadly we could also see the closed sign – drooling, we were quarter of an hour two late…


Okay, that's quite enough of that...the intrepid trio are back out codding tonight and I hear that Norfolkboy has had a good bag today...