Transient Towpath Trudging - Pt.4 - Deaths and Despots

I really cannot remember a weekend like it, bare in mind I've been to many many raves and dance events over the years. Such a likeminded crowd (1990's ravers like me basically) with Fatboy Slim attending the whole weekend where he performed from the most intimate of venues for a couple of hundred to the biggest of stages where he was on it for 2.5 hours in front of 6,000 fancy dress glowstick wavers, and even checked people in when arriving in Minehead. 

Huge wall art, pool parties, heck even some more mainstream music from his son Woody who was also performing. Plenty for everyone, well ok, a bit of an exaggeration but if you in to loud repetitive beats you'd have loved it.

Loads of DJ's Eats Everything with his history of rave, Idris Elba with his defected playlist and banging rave tunes from the past and all those dance music classics where from just one or two notes you can tell what tune it is.

Awesome stuff and my mates agreed, probably the best event we have been to from start to finish and I've got the tinnitus to show for it.

The worlds ills and normal life forgotten about for those 3 nights and 2 full days of revelling, however it had certainly taken its toll and after starting work on the Tuesday, word came in from my Sister that my Dad hadn't much time left after my Mum had to call the nurse out because of he was struggling to breathe.

Not unexpected as he was being cared for a home with my mum doing a sterling job with the help of carers, but the last month he was literally a living skeleton and he decided that time was up, and he took his last breathe, with the family around him.

Such a surreal experience when they wheeled out the body bag on to the waiting trolley, but thankfully he is in peace now after suffering from dementia and cancer, those horrible diseases that effect so many of our loved ones. His demise was a long and slow one, not nice to see at all. 

Anyway with that thankfully over with and he can now rest in peace I'd a few days off work to help out with all things behind the scenes it was nice to get on to the canal bank for a few hours. 

The local rivers were swollen to the brim so I fancied a dabble for a Zander or two.  

I did think about the Hallowed canal stretch as I've been shared some pictures of some beasts still being caught, but as I wasn't feeling 100% as still run down, I decided to have a few hours locally instead in an area that I banked a few recently. 

Now I didn't just return back from Minehead with an empty bank account either, you see after testing before I went over to see my Dad pass, the following day I felt groggy as anything. Yeap you guessed it COVID. 

Nothing to stop me going to do some fishing but clearly I need to be careful where I go, knowing that I have it. Feint positive line on the 1st day of testing with symptoms and not a full on red marker today as I'm typing this.

Not an issue but the register of death for example had been put back as well as a couple of things, Sore throat and stuff on my chest, but like a bad cold really.

Anyway after fishing two rods in three different swims I went on to an area where I caught those Zander recently, nothing was doing whatsoever so you need to find the fish, rather than them find you.

What I didn't expect was a tentative bite turned in to a proper one when I was fishing tight to cover and when I tightened up to the fish it felt solid. 

It was keeping low and was carting to the left but the first run after feeling the resistance of the rod, whatever it was bolted off at a rate if knots and the first proper bend of the rod the hook pulled and left me with a massive boil on the surface. 

And leaving me thinking "what the f**k was that !!!"

Almost certainly a Pike and a big'un I'd imagine but I've only caught the odd small pike here in the past despite seeing a picture of one caught about 40 yards away from here, that looked a good mid double. 

And that was my lot after fishing a couple more swims, the Zander didn't show whasoever!! I came here as there is hardly any mobile signal if any usually, but chatter from 'The Newey's" group was coming in thick and fast and I decided to head off before the rain started in anger and get on to my chores for the day.