Wallerawang - May 2009

Wallerawang

Date: 15 - 17 May 2009

Forecast: Saturday: Possible Showers; Wind, S, SW fresh to strong; Temp, Air 6 - 12, Water - ; Tide, N/A; Barometer, - : Moon, last quarter Sunday: Mostly sunny, isolated early frosts & fogs. S, SW winds

Due to the success of the Interclub meet held at Wallerawang a couple of weeks ago & that this months trip targeted trout it was decided that we would return there. Mac Lyall organised some dormitory style accommodation, welcome news as the night time temps were in the single figures & small ones at that. Along with Mac, Murray Keating, Richard Hassel, Andrew Waters, Col Breese, Roy Browne, Max Gear & Jim Hollet turned up ready to brave the elements & tame those tricky trout. The elements were there in abundance on Saturday morning with winds reported as fresh (read blow the milk out of your tea) & temperatures equally “fresh“. Mac & Murray went to the Fish River where they found that while the trees were thrashing about on the stream things were much calmer. Col Breese & Richard Hassel had arrived Friday afternoon & went to the Fish River which they found low & slow. After spending several hours there without turning up so much as a scale they renamed it the Fishless River & concentrated on Thompson’s Creek Dam for the rest of the weekend. Saturday morning as mentioned before was wet, windy, overcast & bloody cold but Col & Richard soldiered on as only men who know they’ve used up a heap brownie points just to be there can. It’s no use complaining, She who must be obeyed doesn‘t give refunds. They used woolly buggers to good effect, catching Rainbows of 2 to 4lb on the windward shore. They put in some hard yards punching flies out into the teeth of the wind before deciding to fish the opposite side. Here they met up with Jimmy Hollet, who, having never been to this area before, had got himself lost & had been driving here & there trying to find club members. The day ended around 4.00 pm with Richard having caught 4 fish & Col 2. Jimmy had lost time driving around & he had yet to open his dam fish account. Sticker, Max & Browny arrived too late to fish Saturday but that didn’t stop them catching whoppers from the comfort of their bar stools when they gathered with the rest at the Commercial Hotel for dinner. Then it was back to Luft Stalag 17 for further mature discussion & contemplation, all the while paying homage to Bacchus, God of wine. The next morning revealed Murray taking on the chef’s role assisted by Stick & feeding the troops some truly delicious egg & bacon rolls. The eggs were donated by Maisie & Daisy, Mac’s chooks, and were acclaimed by all. Once again Mac & Muzz headed off to The Fish River while they rest went to Thompson’s Creek Dam. At least the weather had improved. Which one of the dam mob caught the first fish is unclear but get amongst them they did. Richard & Col almost shared a double hookup when Richard hooked a reel screamer then lost it as soon as he applied pressure with Col coming up solid about 30 seconds later. Richard did land a rainbow which he tried to release but for some reason his usually impeccable fish handling skills were of no avail & the trout floated off belly-up. A bloke of around Sticker’s size tried to snag it with his fly, not to claim but to eat but it eluded him. Andy moved to another spot when guess who came floating by? Even so Sticker’s enthusiasm was waning when a huge fish swam almost within touch in fairly shallow water. He reckoned it had no idea he was there. This had a galvanic effect on his gumption & he went on to catch 2 fish, live ones this time. Brownie is no stranger to this area & has done well in years past but on this visit the fish proved elusive, even dead ones. Max had a slow time too which is out of character for the club’s quiet achiever. I can’t remember a trip where Max hasn’t caught something. Jim Hollet did catch something though, & he broke 2 ducks in doing it. He finally bagged a trout in a dam & it was his first Rainbow, proving good things come to those who wade. In the end Murray caught 9 fish over 2 days, Mac 6, Richard 5, Col 4, Sticker 2 & Jim 1. Bare numbers never truly reflect the experience of getting out there & the camaraderie of like minded individuals pursuing their sport. Thanks to all the guys who put up with my interrogation in order to produce this trip report. Everyone enjoyed this trip & really liked the venue. Me, I can’t wait to fish it myself.

Lake Macquarie - April 2009

Lake Macquarie

Date: Sunday, 19 April 2009

Forecast: Showers; Wind, S , SE @ 12, gusting to 37 knots; Temp, Air 21, Water 22 ; Tide, High, 4.50pm Low,10.45pm ; Barometer, 1017, rising : Moon, Half waning

I woke in the dark to the sound of wind & rain . It was cold too. I’d hate to be out working in that I thought, thank Christ I’m going fishing instead. After completing my first magic act of the day, making a couple eggs on toast & a cup of tea disappear without the aid of a rabbit or a hat I then embarked on my second trick. Turning a fly into a fish. To this end I travelled up the highway to Gwandalan & the meeting place near the roundabout where I found Ken Colmer performing marvels of his own. It seems a few of our members had discovered prior engagements & had pulled out leaving Ken to work out a new boat/crew roster on the spot. Water off a duck’s back apparently as soon every one was teamed up & on the water. Ken took John Roberts , Bob Williams shared with Craig Parker , Rob Harwood shared the delightful “Dora D” with yours truly while Andrew Waters lived up to his party animal reputation by taking both Jim Hyatt & Mac Lyall on “Kamikaze, resplendent in her new livery. The wind was strong, the sky brooding, fishing a lee shore the best option. Most of the fleet tried the nearest southern point while Rob & I in the larger boat decided on a reconnoitre of Pulbah Island. The wind was swinging from SSE to SSW & left few places untouched by it’s presence. We rounded the northern point of Pulbah to find a few yachts & motor cruisers anchored up out of the weather. We found a spot, anchored up & started a berly trail. Jumping fish, the flash of scales, signs that drive fishermen on were there in front of us although the sounder was telling a different story, one far less hopeful. Lake Macquarie has fished well recently due to the commercial fishers licence buy back . There are reports & rumours of the many species being caught there, from Dolphin fish & Giant Herring to Kingfish & Hammerhead sharks. This day however the weather was denying us the opportunity to target anything that didn’t swim close to a sheltered shore. Rob & I chose to fish intermediate lines & we varied our flies often, trying to fish different flies from each other as we searched for something that worked. Bob & Craig braved the passage to the island. They had fled the slim pickings of the bay to try their luck on the wide. Our tale of woe left them undaunted & they were soon a dot on the horizon, proceeding no doubt to destination “X”. Ken & John turned up & Ken promptly gave us a slap on the wrist for using berly. It gave us an unfair advantage he said as he had left his prawn heads & bread at home. Right. When asked they predicted mayhem on Kamikaze which is what you’d expect on a boat of 4.3m with 3 Fly Rodders all waving at once. While we stayed put Ken & JR let the wind be their guide & drifted, casting all the while. Meanwhile back in the bay the 3 amigos had worked out a system whereby all of them could cast without drawing blood or bruises. Mac stood on the for’ard casting deck, Sticker had the aft deck while Jimmy as the best caster took ‘midships. What made this system work was Jim’s ability to perform a steeple cast, no mean feat in conditions which saw gusts over 30kts. The boys worked both sides of the bay up to Point Wollstonecraft, wisely forgoing a trip to Pulbah as the open water was quite choppy. As was the case they missed out on nothing by staying in the bay. By 11.00 Rob & I decided we had done all we could & had to admit defeat at the island. Both Bob & Ken had returned to the bay with neither they nor their crew hooking up. The trip back was predictably wet but with the ramp in sight we had to have one last cast. Rob has a passion for birds of the feathered variety & he kept a weather eye on any sea birds in our vicinity . He was hoping our luck would take a tern for the better. It payed off as his eagle eye spotted a ball of baitfish. We motored up & drifted back several times & while my white haystack attracted some follows & a couple of tail nips that solid connection remained elusive. A smaller fly seemed the answer so it was off with the haystack & on with a small Charlie. It was too late I’m afraid as 2 casts later the heavens opened & stumps were pulled. There was a surprise waiting for us back at the ramp. Paul McGrath & Richard Hassel had launched 1/2hr before the rest of us & were there now to welcome us back. They had done better than most of us, boating mixed bag of 10 fish. These were Bream, Tailor, Flathead, Pike, Trumpeter & Snapper, the latter being a new species for Richard. Two other members also bagged a new species, Craig with a Bream while Stickerman nabbed a Trumpeter. Jimmy too scored with several Bream & a Flathead. As for the rest, well there’s always next time.

Flies: Crazy Charlie (various colours), Golden Dog (weighted)

Lake St Clair - March 2009

Lake St Clair

Date: 14 -15 March 2009

Forecast: Wind, S turning to the NE @ 15 to 20 knots; Temp, Air 30, Water 25 ; Tide N.A ; Barometer, 1016, steady : Chance of storms

The St Clair Bass trip is a favourite of many of our members. The location is picturesque, it’s not too far from home & the inhabitants can usually be relied on to smash almost any offering. Accordingly yours truly set off on Friday in order to bags our usual spot. I arrived around 2pm & I couldn’t believe the crowd already in place. I mean it wasn’t school holidays yet it seemed half the state & his dog had beat me there. I still managed to secure some real estate near where we usually camp & awaited the troops. Recent rains had swelled the lake to levels not seen for quite a while, submerging some landmarks & transforming others. Next to turn up was Ken Colmer & while we were celebrating the all important positioning of the barbie with a well earned cuppa Col Breese arrived. Ken & I left Col to his setting up & went for a reccie. We tried lures (it wasn’t club day so to the purists I say “chewie on ya boot “) as well as surface, shallow & deep flies. There was no joy but it was early days & it was great to be back in such a top spot. Back to the camp & after dinner & a couple of quiet beverages it was time to turn in when I discovered my airbed had sprung a leak & was as flat as a tack. Col saved my bacon (not to mention my spine) by producing his wader repair kit. I had to wait 12 hrs for the glue to set properly so I suffered that night but the next was heaven. Ta mate. A cuppa or 2 was breakfast enough & we were off, Ken kindly taking me along as mobile ballast. Col had lent me a spinning outfit & as it’s been a while I thought I’d give it a go. A big bonus was the handle being on the right side for right hander’s, this being the left side. Soon after arriving at destination X Ken bagged a 28cm Bass. I opened my account on a shallow diving orange thingy about 3 casts later. The higher levels of water had made for some new tasty bass habitat all easily seen in the lightly tinted water. New bays & snags had been created every where making choosing “that” spot all the more difficult. It must have been confusing for the fish as well for while they could be discerned by the sounder they weren’t acting like the greedy guts, smash first & ask questions later bass we all know & love. 9:30 saw us back at camp & a chat with a member of the Valentine Bowling & Fishing Club revealed the extent of our fishing woes. They had been at the lake a day longer than us & in spite of the larger amount of water covered due to their greater numbers the result was much like ours. They had also tried soft plastics in addition to hard bodies & reported that even bait soakers were doing it tough. Nothing like a challenge. Dave’s Pajero was parked next to Ken‘s ‘Cruiser & the boat trailer was empty. He & Paul McGrath were out there somewhere & we could only hope they knew something we didn’t. Ken grabbed some drinks & munchables & headed back out while Col & I ducked into Singleton for supplies. We got back to the lake a couple of hours later to discover Dave & Paul had pulled the pin & left. I discovered later they went to Liddel where higher water levels brought the Carp in closer & they both bagged fish. Col & I attended to chores around the camp & before long guys started to turn up. Ken returned with nothing to report. Then Mac Lyall, Jimmy Hyatt, Richard Hassel & Max Gear arrived with Murray Keating & Gary Kent not too far behind. Gary brought his new toy, a 429 Nomad Stacer. A nice unit it is too with front & rear casting decks. He & Max wasted no time in launching it while the rest of us took a much more relaxed view & decided a very late lunch would be more in order especially as some very ominous clouds were looming closer. We copped some light showers after lunch then it was time to check gear & saddle up. Jimmy & Col teamed up as did Ken & Murray. Mac & I were the other team which meant Richard played a solo hand. Each boat load went their own way. Mac & I decided to attack the bank as did every one else. We mooched around for a while then headed over to a small inlet just before dusk & on my 2nd cast my black popper scored a hit & I was connected for 3 seconds. About 2 casts latter Mac was on but this time the Gods smiled & he boated a 29cm fish. Things were definitely looking up. We then tried the right arm of the inlet & again Mac got smacked. Unfortunately the line parted & Mac was without his now favourite (& only) popper. I had made 4 poppers 2 nights before so he was back into the action. I had another swipe & a miss then Mac was on again & once more the light [8lb] tippet parted. New tippet was the answer & as my popper box was looking a bit bare I voted for 50kg. In the end it was just too dark to cast with any confidence as between the bank & trees the odds of hitting the water were about 3/2. Back in camp & it was time to turn on the bush tele, once more supplied by Mac. Gary had opened his account with a bass as had Jimmy. Both on fly, & combined with Mac’s effort it proved we still had a chance. A couple of jokes later & it started to rain lightly but with the lightning flashing like paparazzo’s strobes we decided to retire to the ballroom of Jimmy’s Hyatt Hotel Du Wheels. I say ballroom because there wasn’t any. It then teemed. The comedy continued, complete with heckler, & it was late to bed perchance to dream. Morning came all too soon but caffeine, sweet caffeine made sense of the world & the task at hand. We set off as before, Mac & I trying the banks. Mac saw 1 tail slap on the surface & that was it for us. Young Mr Hyatt bagged a fish on a popper that he was too ashamed to let be photographed, such an ugly example of the tiers craft it were. The fish were so hard to come by I believe his tale that “the fly landed on it’s head” was not just to save our feelings. Well he’s never tried to spare us before so why start now? Elsewhere the same sad song was being sung; impeccable fly selection & millimetre perfect casting yielded no result. As usual breakfast was fit for the Gods & it gave us time to ruminate on our efforts. The brains trust came up with this equation: Too much water + too much food = very content fish & no joy for fishermen. Maybe Dave & Paul did know something we didn’t after all. All I know is once the level starts to fall in StClair I’m going back & this time I’m not so sure that 50kg tippets are such a joke. All that food is going to make for some bloody big bass.

The Entrance - February 2009

The Entrance

Date: Saturday, 21 February 2009

Forecast: Wind, E , SE @ 15 to 20 knots; Temp, Air 25, Water 22 ; Tide, High, 7.33pm Low,1.41pm ; Barometer, 1016, steady : Chance of showers/rain

After an exceptionally dry January the heavens opened 8 days before our club trip & drenched the coast. Some said we should move our trip forward ; poor souls they’ve only known foul weather. The rest held firm as the forecast was only for the chance of rain. Damian & I launched first, some 2 ½ hrs early as we live close by & Damo was in sore need of some fly therapy. Work really is the curse of the angler. Thank God our club isn’t over competitive or hidebound so such a head start is not a problem. As was we motored up to the main boat ramp at 3.45 we reported very little seen on the sounder & even less action. The sky reflected our gloomy news with dark clouds growing darker & even the odd low growl of thunder. Bad news doesn’t deter stout hearts so in spite of our tale of woe the club still sailed. The roll call of courage will note that Mac Lyall, Andrew Waters, Ken Colmer, Jim Hollet, Chris Bannerman, Richard Hassel, Dave Witham, Roy Brown & Ivan Malby chanced their vessels with Jimmy Hyatt, Paul McGrath, Murray Keating, Craig Parker, John Roberts & Bob “Vincent” Williams also putting themselves in harms way. Most picked the channel for starters, feeling their way about so to speak. Mac went his own way cruising around some of the small islands & flicking the flats. Richard Hassel anchored up, hopped out of his tinney & waded a sandbank. As the clock neared 5pm most had the same story to tell, much waving with no result. One of the first to turn things around was the club fish magnet Jim Hyatt who bagged a small flattie under the Entrance bridge. Jim was fishing with Jim, Hollett that is. Mr Hollet travelled a long way to make this trip as did Ivan Malby. On ya, Lads. After drifting down the channel on the western side of the bridge 3 or 4 times Damo & I proceed to the seaward side & things started to get interesting. We stopped near Stickerman & Muzz to have a chat & Sticker showed off his prize catch, a fully rigged egg beater & rod. It was a Shimano Matchline 6-8kg with a Surecatch reel & still sported the hook, line & sinker. It was bagged on a P. Frere tied fly & yes I do take orders. We were still nagging when Muzz scored a small tailor. We soon spotted small swirls in the water & it was on, with much frantic casting & even more frantic retrieves. Damian caught a little flattie then I opened my account with a chopper. Damian & I worked the drift back towards the bridge several times. However on one of the return trips the strangest thing happened when a gust of wind flicked Damo’s fly over the side while we were still underway. You wouldn’t believe it, a chopper tailor hopped straight on to it & he had to drag it in to release it. He swears hand on tiller, I mean heart that he was not trolling, long line casting, boat assisted stripping or all of the above. As I hope to fish with him again plus the fact he knows where I live, I believe him. As for the second “ Act of God “ I saw nothing, nothing!

Swansea - January 2009

Swansea

Date: Saturday, 18 January 2009

Forecast: Wind, E @ 8knots; Temp, Air 23, Water 21.5 ; Tide, High, 2.40pm Low 8.59am; Barometer, 1019, steady

The sun rose on calm morning, with clear skies & balmy temperatures. We had a good turn out which included 2 new boat owners. Damian Webber was keen to “christen“ his newly acquired 4.5 Polycraft as was Rob Harwood with the lovely “Dora D“. Mac Lyall, Chris Bannerman, Richard Hassel, Hamish Read, Andrew Waters launched with Bob Williams, Murray Keating, Russell Piper, Peter Frere & John Robinson acting as swabs. We set off around 7 & headed out of the breakwall. Maritime Services were out & checking licences, wearing of life jackets etc, your tax dollars in action. The sea was a bit lumpy, around 2m with a 2m swell. The Bommie off Moon Island was well & truly working so Mac & I anchored up, berlied up, I almost threw up then set to the important task of fly selection. Mac had a small head start & was working a small surf candy with a will but I had a hybrid epoxy headed thingy I tied the night before that I had high hopes for. I also had a new 8/9 wt so I was all set, just feed out a little line, flick it back, first false cast & bang! The rod broke. This was later judged to be a “Golden Duck” in rod breaking & saw yours truly on the side lines as neither of us had a spare rod. Damo & Muz motored south & found themselves in a large patch of rat kings. They tried numerous flies, berly; if they’d had a kitchen sink they would’ve throw that at them as well. Nothing, complete lack of interest. The Maritime guy zoomed up, checked licences, jackets, had a chat then racked off. This also failed to get any reaction out of these fish. Damian reckoned they drifted along with this school for over ½ hr before they pulled the pin & tried their luck closer in. Chris & John had a lovely voyage almost up to Newcastle but didn’t see so much as a scale. Meanwhile after Mac & I had a visit from Richard we decided to fish closer in as well. Here we found Sticker & Russ & more importantly, a spare rod for yours truly. May your beard flourish flea free for a thousand years most noble Stick man. Back in the game but the new rod brought no luck & although we tried off the beach & the inside channels hoping for a flattie we remained fishless. No so Herr Hassel. He managed 5 Pike 35 to 45cm as well as a slimy Mackerel fishing just off the beach. Rob & Steve also saw some action with Rob christening the Dora D on her first club trip. He managed to fool a rat king with a bread fly tied on a 16 hook. He also bagged 3 butterfish to come third behind Richard.Who scored the most fish you ask? Hamish & Bob got stuck into the rats catching 20, 3 or 4 beating the magic 70cm mark. They also accounted for 9 sweep, the majority falling to Bob. Hamish won’t have fill up his fountain pen for while either after a large squid donated a couple of litres of ink, mostly onto Hamish’s shirt. They had gone a touch further south than the rest & had again been rewarded. Things like who caught the most don’t matter much especially when the Barbie’s fired up & stomachs are growling like big bore outboards. Mr Harwood was the celebrity chef this week & managed to shut us up, for a little while at least. He also nearly set fire to Damian’s Polycraft but this was put down to the increasing wind & not fishing rivalry. More good fellowship followed with Bob showing us the much chewed fly that worked so well on the Kingies. Swansea has proved a bit patchy for the club with some doing well while the majority scratch their heads wondering what they’re doing wrong. Maybe a human sacrifice will appease the gods; if you’re still limping at the next meeting Russell, watch out

Patonga - December 2008

Patonga

Date: Sunday, 7 December 2008

Light showers in the early morning deterred all but a few anglers & only 1 family. Murray Keating, Mac Lyall, Damian Webber, Chris Bannerman, Richard Hassel, Rob Harwood & Russell Piper all had a cast but only 1 or 2 fish were caught. So close to Xmas it was no wonder everyone had something to do or somewhere to be so the pin was pulled early with most enjoying a feed of the famous Patonga Fish & chips. Pete Frere turned up around 11am with family in tow only to find it was all over bar the shouting. Such was the end to our fishing year, not with a bang but a whimper. Still, that was 2008 & I’m sure 2009 will be a lot better. Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to all our members & their families & till next we meet, tight lines.

Williams River - November 2008

Williams River, A.K.A "The Wind in the Willows"

Date: 15 November 2008

Forecast: Sat. Windy [30-50 knots] with showers, 16-23 degrees, barometric pressure: 994 and falling

We sure can pick ‘em. The club outing was supposed to be the weekend before this one but it was moved due to lack of boats, many owners unable to get away then. I don’t think any of the vessels that were brought to the Williams River had sails but it would have saved a lot of fuel if they did. The wind was so strong I reckon a 5min spinnaker run would have landed you in Newcastle, without getting the keel wet! The biggest challenge most of us faced was getting our tents up, even 1 or 2 man jobs proving a handful. So when Russell Piper turned up with a 6 man Taj Mahal it was all hands on deck. Ken Colmer and his Grandson Mitch, Damian Webber, Mac Lyall & Murray Keating, Andrew Waters and Col Breese all pitched in which was handy as the fly was put on back to front & a comical game of Ring-a-Ring-a-Rosie was needed to set things straight. Check the trees in the back ground of the photo around here somewhere & you’ll see why Stickerman yelled out “you guys hold onto the tent, I’ll hold onto Mitch”. While canvas capers occupied most of us Chris Bannerman, ably supported by Max Gear, was out flogging the river. Rather than setting up they went fishing. Once sighted near the bridge they ignited the fighting spirit for which our club is so justly famous and soon every thing we had was launched into the teeth of the gale. Unfortunately this sight was so stirring I forgot to take any pictures, so let me paint the scene. Col Breese reversed up the river no doubt believing a backing Breese would reverse the wind. Ken Colmer took Mr Piper as a wind break albeit a skinny one while using his own flesh & blood (Mitch) as a sea anchor thus taking the definition of a double ended canoe to new heights. Next it was “Rub a dub dub 2 men in a tub” as Mac & Muzz roared off racing to beat Stickerman to the bridge. Andy, who had a 1/2hr & a 1 fish landed head start in Ken’s spare Kayak flogged ’em hollow, no so easy in a vessel with no keel, making impromptu wind driven 180s & even 360s . Last but not least was Roy “Browny” Brown with First Mate Jake in Bob’s ex trusty old punt bouncing up the river. As I waved them good-bye I realised“ Err, guys, where’s my ride? My ride was already on the river. Richard Hassel was afloat & trying his heart out. Unfortunately he was also out of sight so I wandered up to the newly installed jetties. Choosing the westerly one (there are two) I started flicking around & I was encouraged to see a fish mouth something on the surface. This experience put me in the top 50% of the club as apart from Col & Sticker (1 each) nobody caught anything. Chris got silver with a couple of flies taken but dropped while my measly “saw something” took bronze. Given the conditions & the abysmal barometer a fair day’s fishing.The wind was not only strong it was also flukey, backing & swinging, pushing boats & canoes around this way then that, making it even harder to cast & retrieve. People started arriving back at camp around 5 where some only then made the decision to stay, such was the power & uncertainty of the weather. Others who had made plans to turn up late or arrive on Sunday proved we’re not all mad by staying at home. Mac & Murray arrived back late, Col & Damian even later although the latter pushed further up stream than most due to Col’s Friday arvo, Sat’dy morning pre-fish. They found calm water but unlike Col’s previous forays (4 healthy Bass) b-all fish were found, just the one “Pan-Sized”* specimen. (* = small) The Barbie was arced up & full bellies, not to mention glasses, inspired good cheer. Mac rescued us all from a dismal & early night by making a dead-set grouse campfire. He produced a drum from an old clothes dryer as well as a heap of dry fire wood & “ Hey Presto” 1 authentic bush tellie! The beauty of this critter was that even in gale force winds it shed no sparks or embers. With this you saved the trip from the depths of mediocrity Mac, & all concerned had a great night swapping yarns (& insults) thanks to you. The next morning the weather was no better, the best that could be said was it didn’t rain. Breakfast and striking camp were all any one was concerned with, at least the tents were easier to manage. As always the tucker was plentiful & delicious, cooked with TLC by Stickerman. All that remained was to help Col retrieve his quinnie & we’d be off like a bride’s nightie. Col was going to use the boat ramp but as that was over a kilometre away & we had a dozen pairs of hands we reckoned we could haul it up the bank no worries. Note the hand in the photo below. Some one about to dash in & help? A step back reveals the true picture, another council job; the only worker the ever ready Ken. Again no fish but the good humour & fellowship shown this trip highlights the true strength of our club; the character of it’s members.