Wawickshire Avon - Heat Domes and Harridans

Now the oldest brewery ever discovered by archaeologists, in a cave near Haifa, Israel back in 2018 is an astonishing 13,000 years old. That’s how long the bar has been open for. For context, 13,000 years ago there were still sabre-toothed tigers roaming around Britain and Stonehenge hadn’t been built yet. In fact, it wasn’t going to be built for another 8,000 years.

The chances are that this particular brewery wasn’t even the first one in the world. It’s just the oldest one we’ve found so far. In any event, it means that we have been drinking for longer than we have been farming the invention of which is dated to about 12,000 years ago. For some humans, finding a drink has always taken priority over having a meal.

With all the doom mongering going on at the minute alcohol consumption could well be on the increase as it can provide many that much needed brief psychological off-switch from the great treadmill of life, where the environmentalists preach fire and brimstone about CO2 emissions and the end of the world one minute and then hit the airport lounge the next.

Anyone enough of that, anyone else lacking fishing time of late ? work and family life is getting in the way at the moment so those small opportunities to go fishing needed to be grasped with both hands, like they would be for this short session before I had to do the school run. With the schools breaking up imminently at least the countdown to some time off from work will be in full swing.

We've a week in Looe in Cornwall the middle of August and then a week in Appledore Devon to see my brother and his family means that I can hopefully get some sea fishing in as well. Fingers crossed the weather picks up as it had been a bit pants hasn't it, certainly no red and black weather map and 'heat dome' here. 

Then luckily for me when we get back I've a few days back at work and then I'm off to Spain with a couple of mates where a night in Benidorm 😁is proceeded with 3 nights chilling at a mates new Villa. I've not been away on holiday since last October so it's been a long time coming I must admit.

For this trip I'd venture to a convenient stretch on the outskirts of Stratford-Upon-Avon to try and winkle out a chub off the top on bread. The river is low at the moment so I also had the polarised sunglasses as often when they are not up for taking off the top a squeeze of the bread and used slow sinking can often outwit a cautious loggerhead. 

Well we need rain and as I type this it is currently bucketing it down because the river was really low and gin clear and what I didn't expect was to lose 2 chub in subsequent casts that did me in the reeds before I could say  'Mission Impossible'  btw go and see Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One 😎 what a movie !!!

I could see both fish and the first one was a proper lump but did me over good and proper. In the end after a rove about I managed to not only bump in to Buffalo Si but also managed to winkle out a chub that came up to the bread and you could almost see the thought in its eyes before it decided to take it.

It was a tough session mind you and as I was on school pick up duties I decided to retrace my steps where those swims that were devoid of fish were still devoid of fish.

With the kids picked up it was off to bowling and for some food where my competitive dad mode kicked in, and after a pretty naff start after 3 strikes in a row and managed to finish off with 3 spares.

Ben somehow turned 14 you see and improving with his issues which is encouraging however he is likely to be able to be live independently and will need support when he becomes an adult, but life is life you just have to get on with it.

It didn't stop him beating Sam not only in the bike arcade game but also on Mario Kart too. 😀 we have got it easy with Ben mind you, he is happy all of the time and we haven't the aggressive behaviour that is often born out of frustration from autistic kids and those with development delay.  

So the next session ? well I fancy some trotting so I might head to an area that had a fish kill recently due to a suspected pollution issue. There was good chub there, are there any left ? well there is only one way to find out isn't there.