Dav wasn’t in either and this is merely a pun title. Dav had however, enquired about a species I could tick off my list…a brown trout. A wild brown trout. From a North Norfolk chalk stream no less! No, I hadn’t one, yes, I’d love one, great idea…and tied in with Cley too so it would merely be a diversion rather than a long, specific drive. Brown trout…we had some in the lake on the farm I worked on one summer in Denmark as a nineteen year old…twenty one years ago, the year they won the European Cup Final. They were escapees from a fish farm and apart from catching on rod and line I used to tickle them from the stream below the water wheel and pop them into the lake above. A lake that held monster roach over two pound, that was never fished and would give me a fish a chuck every minute of my free time…those were the days. And now I’d get personal with another brownie!
The old satnav I was given is usually okay. So some new roads have been built (that don’t all lead to Rome) but surely it would find Fakenham? It routed me past Costessey so I dropped in at Norfolk Canoes just to say hi to Steve in passing, having not seen him in probably a year. It’s nice to keep in touch, he always popped the kettle on when I delivered to him. Anyway, I set off again and longs tory short (just this part) I called Dav when I was three miles past Fakenham with 4 miles to go to tell him the satnav was not happy. He advised me to turn around…I then called again to say where I was this time (wrong again) and he came and got me before we headed for the river…
We started with a walk, scouting out the lie of the land, or river. He pointed out a few brownies, there were a fair amount of dace and roach too. Those could be an issue. Then it was back to the car to get the Tetra down, a rod and some maggots. Oh, did I mention that Dav is on a rival team? Us Anglians pull together, it’s only a bit of fun after all.
Off I went, in 1-2ft of water. Very naughty I am, I didn’t wear my buoyancy aid. It wasn’t because of the 27 degrees, it was because it couldn’t possibly have done me the slightest bit of good whatsoever and could potentially snag me onto a branch. Dav spotted for me. It was like a sniper team. The brownies were amongst other fish all the time though and if not spooking them while paddling the clear holes were too small to cast to accurately or if larger had faster maggot munchers.
But there was much to enjoy about such a tiny bit of water! Flowing fast it was, shallow and weedy, gin clear. A real challenge to fish. I loved it.
I couldn’t get my brownie though, just dace and roach, the latter not even staying still long enough for a photo!
That pallet uis ugly, but it jept the kayak in one place for a while.
I tangled my float up hopelessly. This would never do. I paddled back, spooking all the trout and went and rigged up again – a size 16 with 4 BB shot on 4lb line, my 7ft XtrafleXX rod and Maxximus reel. I’m going the other way this time, to the bridge and through. There’ll be trout around the bridge. “The pub owner might have a go, he’s a “. I’m sure he is, but he wouldn’t see me; in and out with the speed of a thousand gazelles, nice and low and unseen…I passed throught he bridge, watching trout darting past.
Out the other side, a very shallow weir pool. These images taken after give an impression of my spot; see that clump of weed in the water under the willow? I was on one side, stopped, and cast to the other side…
Why did I cast there…well, I saw a brown trout. The water was clear!
I spotted it, I cast, I saw a dace dart out and I thought “Go away”. I watched the shot shoot up the pool’s bed…I struck, fish on, the dace? It looked it as it flew out of the water…damn, lets clear you from the swim before you spook my trout…but you are my trout! YES! Done it! On red maggot!
Dav leans over and see’s I’ve done it. I come back to the launch point, we load up and then go have a look around the pool. Dav knows a fella fishing there and I spot a proper big trout; I put him onto it but the fish ain’t feeding and it slips away. Ah well…
What a fantastic, splendid little hour, thanks Dav! Now it was time to head for an overnighter on the beach at Cley…
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