Now my twin brother moved from Coventry down to North Devon quite a few years ago now and despite a few hiccups along the way, he's settled nicely and the move well worth the effort.
There will be many businesses closing this year never to re-open and many tending to their wounds well in to the New Year I'd imagine. This picture from his 'local' pub of #frostweethesnowman summing up very well indeed what 2020 has been like for the hospitality industry in general.
As a keyboard basher sorry software infrastructure IT bloke his commute up to Birmingham once in a while has been curtailed almost completely because the rubbish time we are in, and he for one ain't complaining. That 180 mile trip in the morning from Devon cannot be easy especially when the final destination is somewhere I luckily escaped from.
He like many workers in these times can work from home without an issue. Broadband, yeap got that my old mucker ✅, jobs a good'un, you're good to go.
Ok it's not the most affluent area in the world because of the shortage of jobs but staying in Coventry or being able to see the sea, experience magnificent sunsets and walk the dog on the beach at the drop of a hat can do wonder for your wellbeing.
I'm scratching ones scruffy beard wondering if I could make it work too.
When we make visits down there to meet up with him and his kids the friendships he has made down there clear to see. The locals make it a nice little community when especially when the Grockles have gone AWOL.
He frequents the pub more than I do, and I've probably wet a line longer than he has in the local waters, but still, it's nice to see him in a much better place as it cannot have been easy moving lock-stock with the kids making a new life for themselves too.
Maybe if my adopted 'local' was in walking distance my allegiances what change somewhat. I do enjoy our yearly pub crawl where there is manner of entertainment going on. Open mic nights at the Champ in Appledore, with a porter or five, one of life's simple pleasures right there, it really is.
North Devon is in tier two as I type this and many of the places he frequents having to entice people in by offering a substantial meal and a drink for not much more than a fiver, not far off a pint of beer up this neck of the woods. (wouldn't that be nice)
So 2020 can do one really, I'll be glad when its been and gone, heck might have to retrieve that bottle of Buckfast on New Years Eve that was chucked in the back of the booze cupboard just so I'm not nodding off leading up to the chimes of Big Ben. I want to still be up to celebrate it, the conclusion that is, and I'm sure the impulse purchase will come good in the end.
Still for me the fishing hasn't been 'that' bad in 2020, I've been out more than ever, bettered my Warwickshire Avon Chub PB back in March with a fish of 5lb 8oz and also managed to register a PB gonk too.
So what are my plans for 2021, well one of them is to try and catch a Warwickshire Avon 6lb Chub.
Ok mindful that it took me long enough to catch a Avon 5lber, but having gotten that monkey off my back now, and subsequently caught quite a few more fish over that magic weight.
I see it as a realistic target especially when they are there to catch, well I've seen them with my own eyes which always help. The quest for a canal double figure Zander will start back up in anger again in the close season in March but I've some ideas that will hopefully get me back on track again. I aim to re-join a club I've not been a member of for some years.
A club where some of the waters I'm sure are harbouring big fish and waters where I've rarely fished for canal Zeds. Sometimes a change of tact can often bring results rather than persistent plundering a stretch time after time. The thing with decent canal Zander is they can appear when you least expect it, that's what so enticing about the quest for me.
Anyway enough of that, better get fishing....
A short after work session in to dark this, where I'd hopefully winkle out a decent Chub. It's a bit hiss and miss when they are up for a feed here they really are up for it, in the pitch black they can be ravenous, they really can. Bites every 5 or 10 minutes, cheesepaste doing the honours as always in these cold conditions.
The river had been dropping over the last 24 hours and was a perfect level when I got bankside. With the sun just setting I could set-up before the light went completely. With dusk been and gone there was nothing doing so I tried 2 more swims tight to cover to see if they were any holding up out of the way.
The water temperature had risen a degree from the session a few days ago so maybe Barbel was the better option, the thrive when the rivers are up they really do. 20 minutes in each swim I moved back to the starting swim and gave it another 45 minutes before throwing the towel in and I headed home.
Still with a chicken curry concocted with a plum porter the fact that the quiver remained biteless was quickly forgotten. So where to go ? what to do the weekend ? decisions decisions. I finish work Friday till the 4th of January so it's not like there won't be much fishing opportunity over the Christmas break.
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