Warwickshire Avon - Torture and Toreumatography

A wet net propped up on the peg post the other day lead to torment, you see the drips started frequently at first and then once most of the water had expelled from the now vacant chub scoop, a drip every few seconds !! It really did get my anxiety hackles up however, plip, plop, plip, plop "FFS it's drop of water, Mick, get a grip !!!!"

Now Chinese water torture or a "dripping machine" is a mentally painful process in which cold water is slowly dripped onto the scalp, forehead or face for a prolonged period of time. The process causes fear and mental deterioration in the subject. The pattern of the drops is often irregular, and the cold sensation jarring, which causes anxiety as a person tries to anticipate the next drip.

Apparently there is very little evidence pertaining to the effectiveness of torture for interrogation purposes. The method itself causes lasting mental damage in victims proportional to the intensity of exposure. The television series MythBusters investigated the effectiveness of Chinese water torture, and while it was found quite effective, they noted that the restraining equipment was providing most of the effect by itself, and when testing the dripping water alone on a relaxed, unrestrained subject, it was found almost negligible.

The key apparently is randomising when the drops occurred was incredibly effective, you see anything that happens on a regular periodicity can become a type of meditation, and you can then tune it out. If you couldn't predict it, a psychotic break could be induced within 20 hours. (or me within 10 minutes)

In addition to the victims experiencing mental deterioration, psychosis is a common side effect when undergoing the Chinese Water Torture. During the psychosis episode, victims experience delusions, hallucinations, and losing touch with reality. 

Wonder if I could pass go and head straight to the happy ending ?

Now I'm no swim nicker, pot hunter, glory hunter, Instagram appeaser or instant gratification seeker (like many youngsters seem to be these days) usually, but James the boyfriend of a work colleague and fellow angler let slip of where he "Lost an enormous chub around there, it had to be a six" and I wanted in on it. I was disappointed I didn't require the shackles and the torture device though because without much pushing, or finger prodding I'd been given the actual bush where he lost the huge Chevin.

To be fair I've got him on as a guest on one of my club books sometime when the rivers are in better fettle for Pike. You scratch my back I scratch your back etc !!! nought comes free in piscatorial pistolography. 

It wasn't far from work you see, so once the days CAD bashing had finished I could head to the spot and would have the opportunity to fish in to dusk and beyond it need be. More of a reccy I suppose because would there be chub still there for starters ? it wasn't a week ago he lost it by the way, reading between the lines quite a long time ago. 

Still if "Steve's Bush" down the canal holds Zander year on year maybe this bush would hold the chub in similar vein.

Only one way to find out, better cast the bread out !!!

Now after making my way through to the river which is a public footpath 'the bush' was quite easy to spot, the problem was it had a visit to the Lady Garden parlour because it was rather sparse lets put it that way. With the clear and shallow on most of the stretch not ideal really as the cover had all but gone.

A good hour fishing static and also moving the bread around with the flow no bites at all, I got itchy feet and went opposite the other fish. This seemed more like it, a slack over at the far side and also to my left. I fed some mashed bread to that swim and gave it a good half an hour at the far side and also got the bait to drift right under the overhanging bush, but again no takers.

With dusk approaching the primed swim was my only hope with the clock ticking thankfully after dusk went and well in to dark the tip after a small pull, continued on its way riverward and a pulled in to a fish.

Within seconds it was trying to get under my feet but I knew straight away it wasn't a monster. It was in the net quick enough and looked 3lb or so. Still a fish is a fish is a fish. 

Just not a very big one, oh well blank avoided !!!

With a quick picture taken I was already running late but would I venture back here again ? maybe (thanks James), but after negotiating a fence to get in to the field in the first place, when I was there I was expecting a tap on ones shoulder !!!

It was a cold'un too, but thankfully with the Wife heading out to yoga when I got back, at least I had free reign of the kitchen and could concoct myself a winter warmer.

Prawns and lots of them, vindaloo hot with a sprinkling of extra chilli, not for the feint hearted, a bit like the fishing to be fair, the walk through the graveyard under the cover of darkness was 'interesting' lets put it that way. 

On to the next one !!!!