Good Evening.
I am sat in my porch as outside it is spitting a little with rain . The fire is burning away brightly and I have just cooked my dinner on the hot embers. Tonight I ate a bacon and egg omelette to make a change; I ate pasta for lunch! It was very gratifying to cook on the fire and I ate each mouthful with a sense of smug satisfaction. Moving swims was the best medicine and things are now going from strength to strength.
I am feeling much better thank you!
Charley has definitely shown signs of her usual self today and that is great news. Your support amazes me and it really does make a big difference to the dogs and I. As Charley was showing signs of improvement I decided to dedicate a little time to myself today, so I had a shower! I always try to pick a suitable day when showering in the winter and I find a day with sunshine much more comfortable and better for drying off afterwards and getting dressed. I found a suitable spot for setting up my new bathroom and then got everything prepared.
I got everything ready for my shower...
A good branch was used as a pulley to lift the filled shower container.
I boiled 10 litres of water.
After my refreshing shower which felt amazing I got changed into nice clean clothes and decided to go and check on a couple of rods. I wanted to see if my 26mm Red Fish boilies are withstanding the attention of any nuisance species, without the need for meshing up. In the other swim I had a few boilie issues and I have decided that in this swim I will fish without mesh and change the rods more often if I start to have any problems. Fortunately, the baits looked intact and untampered with, so I redropped them in position and I am happy with that small part of the fishing equation.
Rodent eradication!
I have now got everything just how I like it in my new home. I noticed a few unwelcome visitors on my first night so last night I started the process of rodent removal. I have lots of bait and food with me and I don’t want any visitors in my bivvies while I stay here. I bought two rat traps and four mice traps in France before I left and these are the plastic bodied versions. These are much better than the wooden ones as they tend to warp and split over time. On long sessions you have to do something about rodents otherwise they will destroy equipment and you will end up with them sleeping in your luggage!
It is a place I call my home!
My beautiful fireplace!
All the logs for my fire incidentally were cut by a friend of the two anglers who were fishing before me. It is all dead wood so it is very dry and burns really well. The winds the other day washed up lots of dead reeds that are littered along the shore of the lake. This makes brilliant kindling which starts the fire off really well each evening. I probably have enough wood for about ten days and then I will have to go searching for some fallen trees in the woods near my swim. A bow saw is an essential piece of equipment and a small axe is also a good tool to own.
I love this style of fishing.
Even when a pike angler is fishing on top of your marker first thing in the morning!!
My trailer boat with its custom 'Cassien' paint job that has proved invaluable.
The waiting game now begins. I have done all I need to and now it is up to the carp to do their bit. I am very confident though and feel it is just a matter of time before I will be rewarded for my efforts.
Flash waiting patiently for some action!!
I will be back tomorrow with news from Italy as my quest continues.
Cheers
Jake and the dogs.
