It's time for a catch up...

Where to begin... It’s been a very busy time since my last post, which has involved a job change, 2 house moves, acquiring a kitten and receiving a “significant diagnosis” (Sounds like a hair dye advert). It has been incredibly hectic, often stressful and generally tiring, but when my partner and I moved house (the first time) I had every intention of getting down to the nearest brook (near Fulneck) and carrying out some jungle warfare style fishing, chasing some elusive wild brown trout...



A bit of a walk, but this stream held fish!

To get the ball rolling, the boots were on and off I went down to the brook the scope out the fishing situation. Unfortunately the stream skirts a golf course, so it would be tricky, (as I did not want to become target practice) but it definitely looked fishy. This dream of coaxing trout out of the stream never came to fruition, and escaping down the stream didn’t materialise over the coming months. The main difference of now living in Pudsey rather than in Kirkstall meant there was no longer a river at the end of my street, or a canal a few minutes’ walk away. So those quick impromptu trips down the river were now sadly at an end.

My new job also meant that I was extremely busy, a lot of the time. My work also had the annoying habit of overflowing into my spare time, which meant less time on the bank, and on more than one occasion I found myself logging into works systems on the weekend to make my job that little bit easier come Monday morning. Spare time was now getting to be a premium, and with a resurgence of my diving activities, I wasn’t going to be able to get a line in the water anytime soon. Although, given half the chance I did have a few encounters feeding some fish.

One feeding frenzy happened 6 meters under water at Capernwray Quarry, Cumbria, during a diving trip with a local dive club. I was surrounded by a cloud of sweetcorn (from a tin I took in my pocket and opened at the bottom), specimen roach, rudd and enormous trout  - I did grab one. It was a rainbow, it was massive (10lb+), and yes, it was an unusual experience holding such a large fish in the standard capture pose underwater (it felt like the fish had won).

 

One of the many thousand Capernwray trout.

On the same trip I also saw a lot of baby perch and roach hiding beneath a sunken helicopter and saw 2 sturgeons! This was a first for me, and in my excitement I broke some diving protocol and swam after them.

Odd looking things! I had to follow it.

I also had the chance to dive at Stoney Cove in the midlands, on a cold, wet October day. Apparently it has the potential to be a big pike venue, although I’m not sure the divers there would appreciate any baits going in. Unfortunately, no one in my dive party saw any pike, but the other team on our trip did. I did glimpse hundreds of fry (couldn’t guess what they were though as visibility as 26 meters isn’t great). Both trips did however confirm what almost every angler should already know. Fish live under cover, whether it is in reed beds, under sunken platforms or submerged vehicles. Find cover and more often than not you’ll find fish.

A very fishy and very deep Stoney Cove!

Between my dive trips and the new year, I did at last manage to fit in the occasional fishing trip and visit a few new tackle stores (which I will report on in due course), but only on the odd occasion and on trips back to Wales. 

It’s was around the new year that the trouble with my health started.  I started developing symptoms of a mysterious illness which has only recently (June 2013) been diagnosed as CIDP (Chronic Inflammatory Demylinating Polyneuropathy). The symptoms are extensive and exhaustive, and cause the sufferer varying levels of discomfort, along with personal frustration due to one’s own clumsiness and inability to carry out certain functions. I am fortunately on the lesser end of the scale, with hardly any pain, but a lot of frustration. Fitting together pole sections and tying size 20 spade end hooks with 1.5lb line is now out of the question and has been for the best part of 7 months. The good news is thanks to the quick(ish) work by the Neurology team at Leeds General Infirmary I am now undergoing a course of treatment which should see me back on the bank within a few months. This illness also presented itself with a number of problems, most predominantly the inability to work. It is unpredictable, and one day you can feel reasonable, and the next, unable to walk, or get out of bed. So I have been medically advised to rest up and take some time off. Unfortunately I am the type of person who does not rest easily. If you are reading this and think “poor bugger” or “what’s he talking about?” You can read about the progression of my symptoms and treatment in my other blog - A Business of Bodies here.

Since then my partner and I have had to move to South Wales to be nearer the support of family (and live in a bungalow - the stairs in the houses up north are steep and tiring believe it or not). Now that I’m back here I have already viewed 2 new (for me) venues and have a few tackle store reviews lined up a soon as I’m fully mobile. Furthermore, now that I have some spare time on my hands, I can pick up where I left my other blog posts unfinished, get those on here and begin posting again. I’m even more keen to do this now as having so little to do is driving me up the wall! I will also go on to provide any relevant commentary regarding the angling press from magazines or shows that I receive/watch while resting.

So keep your eyes peeled and watch this space, as there are plenty more blog posts to come and will begin appearing shortly.