stevetheangler

And Tuesday, 3rd June 2014, was definitely one of  THOSE days…

Started at bedtime on the night previous when my usual aching hip and knee were worse that usual and consequently I was awake until 0400 and when I did eventually succumb to tiredness I had a nightmare’ish dream until the alarm went off at 0500 ready for me to rise to get ready to venture out at 0600.

As I’ve said previously, the destination of the day was to be a pool I’d not visited before near Newport, Shropshire – and surprisingly getting to the pool was without most of the usual ‘getting lost’ bits that are part of going to new places although I did have to do one turn around in Newport village itself.

So, I arrived at the pool – and the start of the major problems of the day which ensured that having arrived at the pool at 0700, I left again at 0900 – without even unpacking one item of tackle!

Instructions for parking on the club’s card said to ensure that the farm track down which you travelled was clear when parking your vehicle – looked to be no problem as there was a grass patch off the track on the edge of the pool. However, there was a slope down to the pool at the edge of it and attempting to reverse the car so that I could easily drive back out the rear wheels just went over – and with the damp conditions the front wheels lost enough grip to be unable to pull the back end back up – and with each attempt the back slid round and further down the slope despite trying to fit twigs, bits of branches, a blanket, etc under the front to try to gain the necessary traction. And in the end the ONLY thing preventing the car going into the pool was a tree which the back end of the motor eventually came to rest on – but at least did so gently so no damage or scratches. Anyway, there I was 30 miles from home, in the middle of nowhere virtually, with no-one to call who would know how to get to me and completely stuck. So, I did the only thing that I could do, walked back up to the road and scanned around and spotted some barns across the fields and so headed over there to see if I could get a farmer with a tractor to come give me a pull out. Anyway, after a good half mile of walking I reached a farmhouse, but it was not a working farm. However, I was pointed to another place another quarter of a mile away… and headed off up there. And to my great joy the people were all to happy to assist me in my plight and shortly I was sat in a tractor heading back to the car… which the guy quickly hooked up to and towed out back on the path… Which would have been OK even at that point … BUT looking a little way down the track there appeared to be another cut patch of grass for car parking and it looked level .. and in ways ideal. But looks can deceive (plus the fact that even 40+ years after passing my test I stall cannot reverse, even up my home driveway which generally takes 4-5 attempts to get close to right and then I give up) and just off the edge of this level patch was a slope that was hidden under a patch of tall weeds… and, yes, I ventured 6” off the flat patch onto the slope, and then couldn’t get the back end up again. ANOTHER walk to the farm to ask the guy if he could rescue me again which thankfully he did. But at this point in time I’d had enough and followed the tractor back up the track with the intention of heading back home. So two hours I’d been there, and all of it virtually spent dealing with the car.

Anyway, I did get a look at this new pool before leaving as I had walked all round it looking for anything that help me free the car initially. It looked nice albeit a bit smaller than imagined – to those that know the BAA Nordley Pools, I think it’s around the size of Pool 5 and to AA members around the size of 3 Oak Pools. And had a nice but short length of River Meese alongside which is also on the club’s card. I think I may return when the ground is a bit firmer J

OK, so heading home with all the tackle in the back and then I thought possibly stopping off at the usual tench pool… but then passed a Lilleshall sign and decided to have a few hours at a pool my main club has there…

So arrived at the pool at 1000 and set up in a nice looking swim right next to where the car was parked (peg 4)… with an island opposite with an overhanging bush and reeds lining it’s bank. Typically perchy/tenchy feel… So baited up with a few spombs of particle baits with maggots and small pellets just off the overhanging bush and over the session also catapulted a small but regular supply of maggots and pellets. Also a few mussels and prawns were fed just off the edge of the main baited area.

Tackle was 2 11’ 1.75lb TC Avon type rods both with 8lb line… one was baited with maggot and/or worm on a size 12 hook, the other with mussel on a size 6. Both legered.

Two hours later and not a touch! At this point I was considering packing and heading home as tiredness from the sleepless night started to catch up but I first thought to have a little wander along the banks… and on reaching peg 7, the open  water just off the end of the island, there seemed to be a large amount of ‘bubbling’ activity taking place and so I nipped back and moved my tackle, etc up to that peg, catapulted out some feed and cast out the rods… which seemed to kill all sort of activity DEAD! Bubbling stopped, even the fry dappling the surface seemed to disappear… and another two hours later I had still not had one touch.

At this point I decided to call it a day, packed up and headed home…..

And so I find myself in great accord with these feelings of the late and great Fred J. Taylor:

“His companion, the redoubtable Richard Walker, seemed impervious to the cold. Not Fred, despite the extra layers of flesh that nature had generously equipped him with. As the raindrops turned to sleet, Fred turned to Walker and said: “I’ll be glad when I’ve had enough of this!”

But may that be a VERY long way away!!

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