Operation Brazzers Breach - The Reccy

For many, pigs in blankets are the highlight of Christmas dinner, yes really. Turkey slices, and cranberry sauce, golden roast potatoes, colourful veg, chestnut stuffing and lashing of gravy are all very well but it's all about the tasty chipolatas.

Those succulent sausages wrapped in crispy bacon definitely tastier than sprouts especially for the whipper snappers who point at the vegetables in-front of them and say "errrr what's that"

Now, Papas Fish & Chips, in Cleethorpes, has taken the Christmas classic and pushed it to the extreme with its latest creation the “world’s largest” battered pigs in blankets.

The indulgent festive treat is no less than a whopping 2ft long meaning it’ll take some eating.

In fact, they’re so large they’re being called “hog in duvets” The enormous battered sausages are being sold for £3.99 and will be available until Christmas.

As an added bonus, all proceeds made from the sales are going to the Cash For Kids charity.

The 2ft treats have been especially made by a sausage maker used by Papas and is made with British pork as well as the bacon being British and is served in wrapping paper.

Here BeardMeatsFood tackles it in his usual quick speedy fashion, for the layman it won't be as easy.

I'd give it a good go though at this time of year ones taste buds change for the worse they really do.

The healthy eating goes out the window you see, who doesn't like to eat food you usually don't for fear of belt loosening, and with the weather cold something 2 foot long and greasy to warm the cockles. It can look very appetising indeed especially when the huge consumption of 'meat' is likely to produce effects matching some mild hallucinogens.

Ok the fact that it is likely to clog the arteries can be overlooked, well for the seasonal period anyway. As long as you can maintain a few mince pies and glasses of port away from gout, which is a fine balance I must admit, fill your boots I say, till the body says, "Hey hang on a minute"

Anyway back to the fishing talking of big, some information shared last weekend was very interesting indeed.

Money exchanged hands with the maggot manager, the tea maker, malted milk provider

'Turns head left, turns head right' all clear.

"Right listen to this Mick, think you'll be surprised what I'm about to tell you"

To cut a long story short.....

"200 Grayling fingerlings were were stocked in the early 90's ** ********** **** **** ** ** **** ****** and have proceeded to do very well in that stretch and subsequent surveys that my source had partaken in had shown that they are still there in that area and also downstream to the **** ******

"You what, really, Grayling in Warwickshire !!!!" "I'm amazed !!!!"

"Yeap, mad isn't it"

"I'm ON IT !!!!"

'Dez Taylor, nothing to be seen here !!!!'

1lb 8oz, my biggest Grayling caught from the Lower Itchen

So after some Googling and Bing satellite map plurging, with a tub of Lanes finest, this session was a quick reconnaissance trip straight after work to try and winkle out a fish or two, before my cover was blown, the mission over.

A 7ft Quiver Rod, a maggot feeder, two red grubs on the hook....

To be fair the first venture in to enemy grounds I was unlikely to come across another angler, a dog poop bag swinger may well put a kibosh on proceedings. If there is Grayling in Warwickshire though and potentially even some big ones, it could me no need to travel down the chalk streams of the South.

Rivers like this to be honest don't really get fished like they used to, but for me, waterways like this is where I belong, small and intimate the chance of a specimen fish low, but wonderful for mindfulness and one's sanity.

I was hoping this inaugural introduction went ok,  I could return where I'd enter before sunrise in temperatures where even the dog would turn his nose up, and would rather stay tucked up indoors in the sanctuary of his warm blanket.

The clarity wouldn't be ideal either with the rain again coming down in big buckets the river on the rise, to be honest, probably a good thing as the public right of way hopefully would be quiet.

So enough of the planning, enough of the preamble, how did I get on....

Well to be honest despite the tackle in the car I didn't bother to take it out. The rain had made a mess of the local roads where there was a ridiculous amount of standing water, but the local rivers were heading over the banks and were in flood in lots of areas. When I got to the river though I could really see why Grayling could well be happy here.

Wide and shallow in the main in normal weather conditions it looked just right, we get that feeling as anglers and this location really did look ideal. The banks were dangerous though so getting to the river would have been difficult and probably a bit stupid.

A good introduction though, fingers crossed the weather sorts itself out, I really cannot wait to see what I can winkle out.

Watch this space !!!!