Warwickshire Avon - Maltesers and Malfeasance

19p for a packet of sprouts isn't going to break the bank now is it, but when the sprouts are the size of those spheroid malted milk centre surrounded by milk chocolate, chocolates, yeah ok, maltesers, they won't be going anywhere near my Christmas dinner. What was Tesco thinking, I'd sack those in charge of the quality control. 

Now talking about sacking, Nicola Sturgeon flouted her own diktat , but then like many of her cronies do as I say not as I do. Resignation surely Shirley, well like many paid for by the public purse, they wouldn't know what to do when the gravy train has come to a halt, get in the real world, my dear. 

Anyway criss avoided, you see a few last bits and pieces from The Farm the plan B worked out well and now I've sprouts 4 or 5 times the size. Now Consuming Brussels sprouts in excess may not be suitable for people taking anticoagulants, such as warfarin, since they contain vitamin K, a blood-clotting factor. In one incident, eating too many Brussels sprouts led to hospitalisation for an individual on blood-thinning therapy

So why then out of the Newey family and my Father-in-Law and Nanny Brenda who will be at the Xmas dinner it's only me that likes them ? they are not on warfarin so haven't that excuse. Even Ben turns his nose up at them and his food intake is as varied as mine.

So as I hate food waste a sprout soup was concocted and the peelings added to the wormery, and I must admit it was very nice indeed. I do like my homemade soups this time of the year and this will be added to my growing list. It was easy to make too, like most soups are generally. So soften some garlic and onion in butter, add the peeled maltesers sprouts and some chicken stock and boil for 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, liquidise and jobs a good'un.

Oddly the flatulence remained at normal levels which was a surprise as considering I consumed not far off the whole packet. Talking about normal levels sadly the same couldn't be the same as the Warwickshire Avon. By the end of the day you see it will be properly in flood again, so I had to get out for a Barbel, before I'd struggle to get bankside. 

I would prefer to use meat in these conditions but I cobbled together some pungent shrimp and krill groundbait that was laced with various goodies to go in the feeder, and I'd fish a hot fish boilie wrapped in my homemade paste for added attraction. Now I chose a convenient swim where even when the river is bombing through there is a nice slack that can be fished. 

I haven't fished it that many times thinking about it, but I know from fellow Blogger Sean  it can provide a bite when you're on limited time. The river is very wide here indeed and you could walk a mile and not find another fishable swim. There is cover above and below where I'm sure Barbel are tucked up out of the way. 

The problem here was quite evident after a few casts and no bites, I don't know it enough, you see within the slack over a small'ish area was soft ground, hard ground and reeds. I wasn't confident that I had the presentation of the bait right and when you're only fishing short sessions like I do, confidence is key.

Eventually after switching the feeder for a lead I felt my way around the swim and finally found a decent amount of clear gravel which was a little further out than I had been fishing at the start of the session. Within minutes after getting the set-up out again I started to get indications there were fish in the swim. 

I've made a mental note to return in the summer when it's low and clear and map the swim out because it can well be a goto swim when the river is over the bank in places. With an hour left without a proper bite I searched out some red maggots from the groundbait bucket, removed the paste from the boilie and threaded 4 or 5 grubs on the size 10 hook. 

Within ten minutes or so the rod top sprang in to life and something had taken the bait. I had thought a Barbel bite might develop but no, it looked like a small roach had hooked itself and was trying to break free. So I lifted the rod and instantly knew what it was, a dreaded bootlace eel.

It was luckily lip hooked and returned before it could a mess of ones landing net. The problem was I caught another one within minutes of the bait going out again. 

The rain had picked up big time after being relatively light when I got there and it was a session I could see wasn't going to improve. Luckily I had a self imposed pack up time and that was only half an hour away.

Sadly the 3ft twitch never arrived.... at least the scavenged chair provided some comfort !!!!