An Eeling Comedy…02/09/13

An Eeling Comedy…02/09/13 Back to Slater’s. Desperation it was. I’d had both my girls plus looked after two more kids all day, after finishing four shifts, and carried this onto to dinner for another plus me and my wife…super hero dad time. It was late by the time I could escape, had to be close, had to try for the tench and carp known to be in and seen in Slater’s pit where I’ve never had a fish… “Paul, I’m going to Slater’s. You coming?” Of course he was. I know nothing about carp fishing. I’m not ashamed to say that. I turned to izaak Walton: [i]”And my first direction is, that if you will Fish for a Carp, you must put on a very large measure of patience; … But first you are to know, that it must be either early or late; and let me tell you, that in hot weather (for he will seldom bite in cold) you cannot be too early or too late at it.”[/i] Patience. I haven’t got that. Lateness. I have got that. What bait izaak? [i]”The Carp bites either at worms or at paste, and of worms I think the blewish Marsh or Meadow worm is best, but possibly another worm not too big may do as well, and so may a green Gentle; And as for pastes, there are almost as many sorts as there are Medicines for the Toothach, but doubtless sweet pastes are best; I mean, pastes made with honey or with sugar: which, that you may the better beguile this crafty Fish, should be thrown into the Pond or place in which you fish for him some hours before you undertake your tryal of skill with the Angle-rod: and doubtless if it be thrown into the water a day or two before, at several times and in small pellets, you are the likelier when you fish for the Carp to obtain your desired sport: or in a large Pond to draw them to any certain place, that they may the better and with more hope be fished for, you are to throw into it in some certain place, either Grains or Bloud mixt with Cow-dung, or with Bran; or any Garbage, as Chickens guts or the like, and then some of your small sweet pellets with which you purpose to angle: and these small pellets being a few of them also thrown in as you are Angling.”[/i] I’m out of cow-dung and chickens guts and I can’t wind the clock back Izaak…anything else? [i]”And your paste must be thus made: Take the flesh of a Rabbet or Cat cut small, and Bean-flowre, and if that may not be easily got, get other flowre, and then mix these together, and put to them either Sugar, or Honey, which I think better, and then beat these together in a Mortar, or sometimes work them in your hands (your hands being very clean) and then make it into a Ball, or two, or three, as you like best for your use: but you must work or pound it so long in the Mortar, as to make it so tough as to hang upon your hook without washing from it, yet not too hard: or that you may the better keep it on your hook, you may knead with your paste a little (and not much) white or yellowish wool.”[/i] Damn, out of rabbits and the cat would annoy the rest of the family…what is bean-flower? Okay, OTHER flower. Plain flour. Honey, yeah, I have that. Bugger the wool. I made some honey and flour paste, whizzed some breadcrumbs up in the Kenwood too, stuck a bit of excess honey paste in too. Groundbait. And went. Paul was there, we unloaded, tackled up, went down to the pit and started to fish. I threw in the groundbait, cast in my paste and missed a couple of bites. A bit late, a bit dark, but biting now and again, great. Restricted to fishing spots as another guy had just arrived for a carp too. His alarm sounded, out came a seven pounder, his dog barked, paul went with the camera to try and get a snap for the report. I called him back, I’d seen movement, put on a couple of maggots and cast to it, I had a good pull and now had something lodged in a snag…they both came over; it had tail-wrapped a branch or something. Finally it let go and it wasn’t a tench. Felt good on my angle-rod though! Finally I’d had something out of this place. I returned to the honey paste and had more bites. Paul had none on corn, I had none trying hat either. The maggots failed to attract any fish. We nattered and laughed and failed to get any more joy and, falling sleep, I went home. Will I add those points?