Warwickshire Avon - Purity and Pullarians

The Wife and I were tucking in to another load of sweet and savory chicken wings the Butchers Social do so well, the combination of salted caramel, bacon bits and honeycomb are matched so well, with fried chicken that you wonder why others don't follow. But then it's not good to follow is it, best to take your own route and move away from the pack.

Now I have been a fan of Purity Brewing Co for sometime now and watched them go from humble beginnings to the business they are now. Certainly a leader now in the area and you only have to look at the pubs and supermarkets and small village shops that sell their products just how established they are now, that's down the testament of their products though, and for me they need to be celebrated.

I suppose it helps that they are just down the road from me and I've always been a supporter of local businesses when I can.

I'm yet to grow a beard, get a flat cap and a knitted cardigan but as my hair is receding at a rate of knots I've got to get in with the stereotype, I've never really been a larger drinker though, just not my thing.

While lagers are made using bottom-fermenting yeast, where the yeast sinks to the bottom of the fermenting vessel and fermentation takes place at a relatively low temperature, ales, which includes bitters, milds, stouts, porters, barley wines, golden ales and old ales, use top-fermenting yeast.

In this method, which is the traditional way of brewing British beer, the yeast forms a thick head on the top of the fermenting vessel and the process is shorter, more vigorous and carried out at higher temperatures than lager.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s many brewers made the decision to move away from producing traditional, flavoursome beers which continued to ferment in the cask from which they were served.

Anyway enough of the history lesson,whilst we were eating a delivery a Purity delivery van appeared opposite and even the simple thing as a logo to promote their brand and also the names and that have for their beers, and the ever expanding range hard to fault. Their limited batch of session IPA I was enjoying was a new one for me and is apparently the most Hops they've added to one of their beers, even more so that the aptly named Bunny Hop. 

The session IPA was unfiltered, infused with real grapefruit peel and brimming with tropical fruit notes and hop aromas, and for a Pale Ale probably my favorite of theirs now, and even dare I say it topping my default Purity Ale of choice, Mad Goose.

If you want to try some their shop can be found here....

Their full range is available including polypins and mini casks if you've a party to go to. Also if you're in the area go and like-minded have a factory tour, well worth a visit. Oh and if you're in Warwick and fancy no frills real ale or cider if that's your thing then the Old Post Office is worth a trip out, a proper pub with plenty of character and it helps that that the range of beers on offer that changes frequently are around £3 a pint, cannot say that about mans places these days can you. You can even nip a few doors away to the fish and chip shop and eat them on the premises. 

Ten a penny chain type pubs, take note, this place gives the customer what they want and has won awards because of it.

A little like this short evening session down at the Warwickshire Avon, back to basics if often needed on my fishing, that's how fishing should be in my opinion. Why do you need a brollie, a big chair and a trolley to cart your gear to the river bank ? maybe if you're not that mobile, but then wouldn't you be better off at one of the ten a penny commercial fisheries that have cropped up over the years.

After struggling in a couple of the banker swims I had to wade through a load of stingers and over hanging branches to where the Chevin felt more comfortable. I thought the cloud cover would have helped but they were still very cagey indeed. A fish was caught on the first float down of the bread, it gave a cracking fight too in the streamer weed and I thought I would lose it at one point. I didn't weigh it but it looked around 3lb.

Talking about not weighing it, considering I've caught thousands of Chub I'm still not good at gauging the weight.Warwickshire Avon fish are generally long and lean but then some are short and fat and the next swim down where the bigger fish seem to reside I managed the fish below after feeding what seemed like an age before putting a bait out. 

I'm sure they've worked me out now, there were multiple fish feeding quite close in, but now there seems less of them and further down the swim which is largely inaccessible.

The fish went 3lb 14oz's and again after the powerful fight it gave I thought it was bigger as it had a belly to fill. I've not switched to other species yet, such as barbel, mainly because the conditions are less favorable for barbel but with dusk getting ever closer I'm sure I'll move on to them soon. 

Hopefully some more rain will be forthcoming as the rivers need a top up desperately. The temperatures are set to drop though which is an encouraging sign, colder water should get them feeding I'm sure.

Zander, oh yeah, forgot about them, damn Chub !!!!