The Cotswold way is one of Britains best known long distance trails and one which is well achievable with just a weeks holiday unlike longer treks such as the Pennine way or Coast to Coast.
Orignally I had intended to walk the latter route during a period off prior to starting a new job. Sadly the 10 days, minimum, required for the coast to coast were not available to me so I was looking for an alternative target. After a swift bit of Googling I settled on the Cotswold way.
Stretching some 100 miles, from north of Cheltenham, to Bath, the Cotswold way has become one of Britains most popular long distant routes. With 5 days to spare I had to cover 20 miles per day, and whilst this seems a fairly modest target it did prove fairly challening.
Choosing to camp or bivvy would ensure an economical way of covering the route although it is certainly true to say that this route is not massively well catered for from a camping perspective. However with 1 nights bivvying aside the rest of the route did provide suitable camping spots, which also offered good character.
I split the route as follows:
Chipping Campden - Winchcombe: Sneaky bivvy for the night.
Winchcomber - Coopers Hill: Say hello to Rosemary if stopping here for a tea at Coopers Hill Haven. And yes the famous cheese rolling hill looks desperately steep.
Coopers Hill - North Nibley: Grand camping at the house
North Nibley to Tormarten: Slightly surreal but friendly camping at the Best Western Compass Inn.
Tormarten to Bath: Some would say the least interesting stretch but actually very pleasant.
Pubs along the route proved very friendly and a cost effective way to stock up on much needed carbs.
More useful information when get a chance.
Tuesday 20 October 2009
Saturday 4 July 2009
BBC Click looks at open source software
Nice to see the BBC news 24 Click program doing a feature on open source software. Long being a fan of open source software it's good to see it getting some mainstream coverage. At my old company we even ran the office on Linux and software like Open Office.
Open Office
Open office is a brilliant Microsoft Office alternative which offers pretty much the same set of features as the costly alternatives + a few more such as easy and relaible PDF creation. Cross compatibility with Office is pretty good with only some minor formatting issues found so far.
Open office site
Inkscape
Inkscape is a free vector graphics program in the mould of Adobe illustrator. The interface can sometimes seem a little unintuitive but the progam is stable and great from doing all manner of design and vector graphics work such as logo or web layout design.
Open Office
Open office is a brilliant Microsoft Office alternative which offers pretty much the same set of features as the costly alternatives + a few more such as easy and relaible PDF creation. Cross compatibility with Office is pretty good with only some minor formatting issues found so far.
Open office site
Inkscape
Inkscape is a free vector graphics program in the mould of Adobe illustrator. The interface can sometimes seem a little unintuitive but the progam is stable and great from doing all manner of design and vector graphics work such as logo or web layout design.
Monday 22 June 2009
MSR Hubba HP 1 Man Tent First Impressions
Have just taken delivery of a shiny new MSR Hubba HP so here are the reasons I made this choice and my first impressions.
Having been looking for a tent for long cycle tour next year my main criteria were, ease of pitching, lightweight, twin skin, robust enough to survive at least a few months on the road and preferably free standing. Hubbas are often recommended for these purposes.
Ease of pitching - Generally I prefer a tent which pitches outer first as this makes life so much easier when it's raining. My trusty Vaude Spider, much like a the current taurus, is fantastic in this respect. The hubba pitches inner first although this is a pretty quick process. The singular pole system is quite a clever means of creating a freestanding tent with only one pole connection. Essentially a long central pole with twin prongs at each end and in the middle, all interconnected with elastic.
Quality - Intitial impressions are good. Welded strong points at the corners of the fly look robust and all general finish is to a high standard. A waterproof zip on the fly is chosen in preference to a storm flap and time will tell if this is as effective as the simpler but slightly heavier flap. The inner is a pretty soft and silky fabric which is very light and looks to offer good ventilation for a non mesh. Mesh ventilation panels are in the apex of the roof and side walls. Pegs seem light and fairly robust although will probably swap them for my Vaude pegs which are just as light and with a broader V shaper will hold better in softer ground.
Weight - At 1.3kg this is a pretty lightweight tent considering the twin skins and a usable vestibule. There aren't many lighter that fit this criteria without some compromise in robustness and consequently more suited to mountain marathons than long trips.
So overall initial impressions seem good but will report when has been put through the paces. Now real criticisms, would prefer a green to yellow colour for more subtle camping! Also the pegs seem fine but as I say I prefer the uber strong alloy v type peg,
Having been looking for a tent for long cycle tour next year my main criteria were, ease of pitching, lightweight, twin skin, robust enough to survive at least a few months on the road and preferably free standing. Hubbas are often recommended for these purposes.
Ease of pitching - Generally I prefer a tent which pitches outer first as this makes life so much easier when it's raining. My trusty Vaude Spider, much like a the current taurus, is fantastic in this respect. The hubba pitches inner first although this is a pretty quick process. The singular pole system is quite a clever means of creating a freestanding tent with only one pole connection. Essentially a long central pole with twin prongs at each end and in the middle, all interconnected with elastic.
Quality - Intitial impressions are good. Welded strong points at the corners of the fly look robust and all general finish is to a high standard. A waterproof zip on the fly is chosen in preference to a storm flap and time will tell if this is as effective as the simpler but slightly heavier flap. The inner is a pretty soft and silky fabric which is very light and looks to offer good ventilation for a non mesh. Mesh ventilation panels are in the apex of the roof and side walls. Pegs seem light and fairly robust although will probably swap them for my Vaude pegs which are just as light and with a broader V shaper will hold better in softer ground.
Weight - At 1.3kg this is a pretty lightweight tent considering the twin skins and a usable vestibule. There aren't many lighter that fit this criteria without some compromise in robustness and consequently more suited to mountain marathons than long trips.
So overall initial impressions seem good but will report when has been put through the paces. Now real criticisms, would prefer a green to yellow colour for more subtle camping! Also the pegs seem fine but as I say I prefer the uber strong alloy v type peg,
Tuesday 16 June 2009
Reclaiming a Bike removed by TFL when chained to railings - London Cycle Commuting
Well the bike is reclaimed and London is once my my pedalling oyster. Have to admit wasn't optimistic at first however thought it would be useful to share the process of getting the bike back in case any other of London's cycling brethren suffer a similar fate. i.e. Having your bike removed by TFL when changing railings. Earlier posts indicate initial seething rage slightly better!! The bike was legally parked on an unmarked railing by the way.
Upon establishing my bike was missing, and ascertaining that shiny new railings and a busy street implied some scally teenager was not to blame my first stop was the local council. Local councils tend to have an emergency line where you can report problems with council related things after hours. After chatting to the guy on the Wandsworth council emergency line I secured a direct line to the roads department.
As it was after hours I left a message with them and rang again the next morning. On chatting to the person at the end of the phone it became apparent they weren't from the roads department so they promptly put me through to the correct lot.
It transpired as the road is a red route the "street furniture" is actually maintained by TFL so I then secured a number for the TFL transport line. 0845 305 1234. TFL Roadworks page
Chatting to a friendly guy named Zinny I was initially told after he contacted the contractors that nope no roadworks had been carried out there, junction of Battersea rise and Northcott Road. Upon getting more insistant and mentioning that this was effectively theft he tried again with the contractor, Ringway Jacobs.
It popped to the Ringway Jacobs guys mind that in fact a street decluttering scheme may have been responsible for removing bent railings so maybe this was responsible. I was given a number for a Ringway Jacobs man.
Having chatted to this bloke whilst initially told it was illegal to chain bikes to railings, not true if we go by a 2008 lords ruling, I was told he would ring me back and later, lo and behold, I did get a call telling me my bike would be available for pick up from the Bow depot. Not the most convenient. However I should ring back for confirmation later.
On ringing back I was told the bike would actually be available for pick up from the Tulse Hill depot, and given a number. Whilst I couldn't seem to get through to them on the phone I was told by the lads at Bow depot that I could pick up the bike from Tulse Hill this morning. Far more convenient as I live in Brixton although still not the happiest to have to travel about to pick up my property which was unlawfully removed from my possession. However after a couple more calls to confirm that if I turned up this morning I could pick up the bike.
Lo and behold this is what I did and even better did get my locks back which was a result. Was planning an official complaint to TFL to claim the cost of locks back if that had not been the case so one less hassle!!!
So to summarise if your bike does get removed by TFL when attached to street furniture
Upon establishing my bike was missing, and ascertaining that shiny new railings and a busy street implied some scally teenager was not to blame my first stop was the local council. Local councils tend to have an emergency line where you can report problems with council related things after hours. After chatting to the guy on the Wandsworth council emergency line I secured a direct line to the roads department.
As it was after hours I left a message with them and rang again the next morning. On chatting to the person at the end of the phone it became apparent they weren't from the roads department so they promptly put me through to the correct lot.
It transpired as the road is a red route the "street furniture" is actually maintained by TFL so I then secured a number for the TFL transport line. 0845 305 1234. TFL Roadworks page
Chatting to a friendly guy named Zinny I was initially told after he contacted the contractors that nope no roadworks had been carried out there, junction of Battersea rise and Northcott Road. Upon getting more insistant and mentioning that this was effectively theft he tried again with the contractor, Ringway Jacobs.
It popped to the Ringway Jacobs guys mind that in fact a street decluttering scheme may have been responsible for removing bent railings so maybe this was responsible. I was given a number for a Ringway Jacobs man.
Having chatted to this bloke whilst initially told it was illegal to chain bikes to railings, not true if we go by a 2008 lords ruling, I was told he would ring me back and later, lo and behold, I did get a call telling me my bike would be available for pick up from the Bow depot. Not the most convenient. However I should ring back for confirmation later.
On ringing back I was told the bike would actually be available for pick up from the Tulse Hill depot, and given a number. Whilst I couldn't seem to get through to them on the phone I was told by the lads at Bow depot that I could pick up the bike from Tulse Hill this morning. Far more convenient as I live in Brixton although still not the happiest to have to travel about to pick up my property which was unlawfully removed from my possession. However after a couple more calls to confirm that if I turned up this morning I could pick up the bike.
Lo and behold this is what I did and even better did get my locks back which was a result. Was planning an official complaint to TFL to claim the cost of locks back if that had not been the case so one less hassle!!!
So to summarise if your bike does get removed by TFL when attached to street furniture
- Decide who you should contact. Red Route = Transport for London. Number: 0845 305 1234.
- Other = Local council
- If you are not getting a satisfactory result be persistant and threaten the police or legal action if your bike was legally parked.
- IT IS LEGAL TO LEAVE YOUR BIKE ATTACHED TO STREET RAILINGS.
- The contractors seem to think they are acting correctly so need clarification from TFL. Probably not worth getting angsty with them as they are doing their job, or at least think they are, so were helpful.
Friday 12 June 2009
Bike Theft Latest
Ok having chatted to Wandsworth council it appears this particular route is managed by TFL. Having spoke to TFL their contractors deny all responsibility. Having threatened legal action it is now thought there may be a scheme to declutter road furniture which may be responsible. This is currently being investigated.
Have a chap at TFL attempting to help though so they're not all bad.
Have a chap at TFL attempting to help though so they're not all bad.
Thursday 11 June 2009
TFL contractors/scheme steal bike
In yet another great example idiocy some random TFL road scheme/contractors my bike has been stolen. Left chained to railings, with no warning notice posted, road workers have come along and removed railings with my bike chained to it for replacement. The bike was chained at 7.15pm and within an hour, whilst I was happily tucking into an enchilada up the road the council in their wisdom had decided to change the railings with bike attached.
Now if a warning notice had been posted not to chain bikes there, there would be some argument for getting on with the job and making me reclaim my bike later. However you simply can't do this with no warning in my humble opinion. It's no different to removing a car, legally parked because you have scheduled in work and not told anyone about it. This is especially true in light of a recent house of Lords ruling specifically stating the legality of chaining bikes to railings.
So much for encouraging cycling. Tomorrow will see me crushed onto the tube to get to work at greater cost and inconvenience to myself and probably to the council who will now be tasked with returning bike to me as well as intact locks. These things aint cheap and if they break the locks will be expecting compensation for this.
Anyway will post again on the outcome of this latest inconvenience after no doubt a painful chat to the council tomorrow where I suspect I will be passed from piller to post and probably told I'll have to pay a fee for bike release.
(Please excuse angry nature of the post but if your means of transportation, legally parked, is removed without your permission causing you great inconvenience am sure most people would be rather narked)
Now if a warning notice had been posted not to chain bikes there, there would be some argument for getting on with the job and making me reclaim my bike later. However you simply can't do this with no warning in my humble opinion. It's no different to removing a car, legally parked because you have scheduled in work and not told anyone about it. This is especially true in light of a recent house of Lords ruling specifically stating the legality of chaining bikes to railings.
So much for encouraging cycling. Tomorrow will see me crushed onto the tube to get to work at greater cost and inconvenience to myself and probably to the council who will now be tasked with returning bike to me as well as intact locks. These things aint cheap and if they break the locks will be expecting compensation for this.
Anyway will post again on the outcome of this latest inconvenience after no doubt a painful chat to the council tomorrow where I suspect I will be passed from piller to post and probably told I'll have to pay a fee for bike release.
(Please excuse angry nature of the post but if your means of transportation, legally parked, is removed without your permission causing you great inconvenience am sure most people would be rather narked)
Tuesday 9 June 2009
Carp Fishing Set Up
Whether starting out carp fishing or looking to buy a complete carp fishing set up for the beginner to carp fishing this a brief guide as to what to look out for on a budget.
Carp fishing is a kit intensive sport. Whilst there is an argument for cutting your teeth stalking with light kit most anglers getting into the sport are looking to angle in the most common way with a two or three rod set up and static approach. Complete set ups are generally a bit poor so you are often better assembling a set up of reasonable quality from scratch.
With modern well stocked carp fisheries it's never been easier to catch a carp for youngsters so this brief guide should give you some idea on what you need to start and allow you to progress for a number of years.
Rods
The quality and price of rods nowadays is phenomenal. If you started the sport in the 80s or even 90s you would have had to endure broomstick thick floppy rods if you were buying on a budget.
Most beginners should not really be concerning themselves with stiff distance chuckers so 12ft 2.5lb or 2.75lb rods are ideal. A mid action to through action is also slightly more forgiving for beginners playing fish.
When you upgrade your kit, eventually, these can then make ideal floater or stalking rods if of sufficient quality.
Most of the big manufacturers now offer good quality rods on a budget. As the theme of this article is budget set ups all these rods a reels are sub £50 and will do the job. Worth a look are:
Chub Snooper - £49
Daiwa Regal X - £49
Shimano Alivio - £49
Shakespeare Cypry - £39
There are load of other rods out there so it's always worth a chat in your local tackle shop. Ridiculously cheap rods, sub £30, are usually false economy and will require replacement very quickly and of course the rod is probably the one piece of kit that will affect your angling ability the most (outside rigs and bait) so spending a little more here is usually worthwhile.
You will also need a marker rod if you are going to take the sport seriously, look for something slightly stiffer with a more tip action.
Reels
There are two main schools of thought in modern carp fishing. Baitrunner or Big Pit. As you need a smooth progressive drag and free spool mechanism, which will be slackened clutch on a Big Pit, reel quality is important. For beginners a reel with a baitrunner facility is probably easiest to get used to. The classic suggestions for these are:
Shimano Baitrunner ST - £55
Daiwa Regal RG4000 - £39
Alarms
Reliability is key here and Fox is known for good cheap alarms.
The trusty old Fox Micron Ms are a proven winner at around £29 and have been used by some great anglers to catch the countries biggest fish.
Swingers, Hangers or Monkey Climbers??
For simplicity, price and effectiveness it is hard to beat hangers. The key things to look for a smooth well finished line clip and sufficient weight to not suffer too heavily in wind.
Bank Sticks
Trusty stainless is still hard to beat for longevity and 12"-16" sticks should suffice. I have never liked rod pods and few top anglers use them unless absolutely necessary so that tells it's own story. Just leave the mallet at home if you don't want to get other anglers backs up. A screw in peg to make a pilot hole will suffice in all but concrete.
Line
There are loads of good quality lines available on a budget. 12lb is just abolut right for a beginner. One of the best is Daiwa Sensor which has a proven track record and is only around £8 for a 1200yd spool.
Landing net
Again a wide range of nets are available. The key things to look for are a micro mesh, larger meshes entangle leads, and sufficient depth. Preferably look for at least 40". Handles should be light and stiff and a solid metal spreader block is preferable.
This covers the big pieces of kit. Bedchairs, bivvys etc. are a another matter. For most anglers, note not campers, a profile style brolly with sides should suffice however there is a degree of personal comfort to be considered. Rigs are a book in themselves and a chat in a good tackle shop is usually the best bet, rig tying tips can also often be picked up here.
Kit is very personal and no doubt many would disagree with elements of these set up choices however the kit here will happily allow you to angler for some pretty big carp all over the country.
Carp fishing is a kit intensive sport. Whilst there is an argument for cutting your teeth stalking with light kit most anglers getting into the sport are looking to angle in the most common way with a two or three rod set up and static approach. Complete set ups are generally a bit poor so you are often better assembling a set up of reasonable quality from scratch.
With modern well stocked carp fisheries it's never been easier to catch a carp for youngsters so this brief guide should give you some idea on what you need to start and allow you to progress for a number of years.
Rods
The quality and price of rods nowadays is phenomenal. If you started the sport in the 80s or even 90s you would have had to endure broomstick thick floppy rods if you were buying on a budget.
Most beginners should not really be concerning themselves with stiff distance chuckers so 12ft 2.5lb or 2.75lb rods are ideal. A mid action to through action is also slightly more forgiving for beginners playing fish.
When you upgrade your kit, eventually, these can then make ideal floater or stalking rods if of sufficient quality.
Most of the big manufacturers now offer good quality rods on a budget. As the theme of this article is budget set ups all these rods a reels are sub £50 and will do the job. Worth a look are:
Chub Snooper - £49
Daiwa Regal X - £49
Shimano Alivio - £49
Shakespeare Cypry - £39
There are load of other rods out there so it's always worth a chat in your local tackle shop. Ridiculously cheap rods, sub £30, are usually false economy and will require replacement very quickly and of course the rod is probably the one piece of kit that will affect your angling ability the most (outside rigs and bait) so spending a little more here is usually worthwhile.
You will also need a marker rod if you are going to take the sport seriously, look for something slightly stiffer with a more tip action.
Reels
There are two main schools of thought in modern carp fishing. Baitrunner or Big Pit. As you need a smooth progressive drag and free spool mechanism, which will be slackened clutch on a Big Pit, reel quality is important. For beginners a reel with a baitrunner facility is probably easiest to get used to. The classic suggestions for these are:
Shimano Baitrunner ST - £55
Daiwa Regal RG4000 - £39
Alarms
Reliability is key here and Fox is known for good cheap alarms.
The trusty old Fox Micron Ms are a proven winner at around £29 and have been used by some great anglers to catch the countries biggest fish.
Swingers, Hangers or Monkey Climbers??
For simplicity, price and effectiveness it is hard to beat hangers. The key things to look for a smooth well finished line clip and sufficient weight to not suffer too heavily in wind.
Bank Sticks
Trusty stainless is still hard to beat for longevity and 12"-16" sticks should suffice. I have never liked rod pods and few top anglers use them unless absolutely necessary so that tells it's own story. Just leave the mallet at home if you don't want to get other anglers backs up. A screw in peg to make a pilot hole will suffice in all but concrete.
Line
There are loads of good quality lines available on a budget. 12lb is just abolut right for a beginner. One of the best is Daiwa Sensor which has a proven track record and is only around £8 for a 1200yd spool.
Landing net
Again a wide range of nets are available. The key things to look for are a micro mesh, larger meshes entangle leads, and sufficient depth. Preferably look for at least 40". Handles should be light and stiff and a solid metal spreader block is preferable.
This covers the big pieces of kit. Bedchairs, bivvys etc. are a another matter. For most anglers, note not campers, a profile style brolly with sides should suffice however there is a degree of personal comfort to be considered. Rigs are a book in themselves and a chat in a good tackle shop is usually the best bet, rig tying tips can also often be picked up here.
Kit is very personal and no doubt many would disagree with elements of these set up choices however the kit here will happily allow you to angler for some pretty big carp all over the country.
MG Midget Spotlight Fitting
Spots look pretty good on any sporty old car and was always keen to fit them to my MG Midget. The first step was rubber bumper removal and will cover that in a another post.
The spots themselves were Wipac ones and cost me just shy of £20. The other items needed are of course some wire, of sufficient ampage rating, you don't to burn your car down and a relay. You can wire them to come on with their own switch, old fashioned toggle switches available from the likes of maplins or other online dealers, or as I did when main beam is engaged.
The way I achieved this was to add the relay parallel to the main beam switch so that it triggers when the main beam is switched on and voila spots.
Fitment wise, i bolted the spot bracket which comes with the spots straight to the front of the car, at the top of the front valance.
It's an hours work or so and satisfying being able to floodlight those dark country roads!!
Monday 8 June 2009
Rock Climbing near London
"Where is there to climb near London?" crops up on forums pretty regularly. Whilst the answer "well nowhere" is fairly accurate and it is a place which might drive the seasoned outdoors man/woman crazy there are a range of top quality crags, and not so quality ones a reasonable distance away, a sub 2hr drive with a fair wind, and therefore suitable for a day trip. This post will look at the main candidates.
Southern Sandstone
The closest set of crags to London, spread between East Grinstead and Tunbridge Wells (to the South of London near Gatwick), are a bit of an aquired taste. Despite being diminutive, often uncomfortably busy and featuring rock which often has the texture and solidity of icing sugar they do offer some really good quality climbing if we're prepared to focus on the moves. Having climbed all over the UK and Europe I believe I am as qualified as most average climbers to comment but grade for grade I find the place bloody desperate and a good place to show flaws in technique and strength.
The three most popular crags are probably Harrisons, High Rocks and Bowles. Climbing Club and Jingo Wobbly guides are available.
Given the fragile nature of the rock there is a top roping or soloing only ethic. The rock simply can't take trad pro. The tops are bolted for belays. Climbers should use a length of static rope or long slings to extend the top rope anchor over the edge of the crag. Deep grooves worn in the rock, often repaired with cement indicate how easily the rock is damaged if this is not adhered too.
Swanage
Swanage is a crag is a bit like Pembroke's slightly less refined cousin. Often steep, loose in places and with some fun wobbly stake abseils it is not a place for the beginner in the main. It is positioned on the headland just past Bournemouth and accessible in a couple of hours from London. If heading down on a sunny weekend day it is recommended to leave early as the M3/M27 quickly snarls up with sun seekers day tripping to Bournemouth.
Whilst there are some relatively easier areas, Subliminal and Cattle Troughs for instance, the big draw is the Boulder Ruckle. The Ruckle is steep, blocky, serious and often requires pitching but is one of those crags which offers an involving experience. There is not much to go at for the sub HVS climber but from mid grade up a big range of big routes exists. Top outs are entertaining and a good test of mental calm with a very much push don't pull method to reach the relative security of a stake, heart pounding. Approaches are predominantly by abseil and leaving a rope in situ is the norm.
Swange does offer some good sport climbing but not as good as Portland below. A definitive climbers club guide is available althouh there is also a rockfax which also covers:
Portland
The South of Englands premier sport climbing destination, it typically sneaks just outside a 2hr drive, an extra 20mins on Swanage in the same direction. Portland Bill, famous for cement and stone, is a large peninsular, linked by narrow causeway and Chesil beach to the mainland. Whilst the coastal scenery is rugged and beautiful a mere hundred or two hundred yards from the cliff top lie a range of drab and ugly council estates. Whilst parking must be done sensitively in specified areas and valuables are best not left on show, once you descend to the sea side cliffs you can quickly forget the estates above, barring the odd flying fridge (thankfully rare).
Portland offers a good range of Cliffs on both sides with a big big range of routes in across the grade range. The 6a-7b climber will find a massive amount to go at though. Routes are typically well bolted although the indoor climber may find a few of the first clips exciting on first aquaintance. Rock is limestone, and offers a range of challenges including some fine tufa routes. The lower grade popular routes at Blacknor and Battleship cliffs especially seem to be getting quite polished but there are lots to choose from. Bolts are the glued staple type and typically good. Lower offs are typically twin staples. If top roping it is best practice to use a pair of quickdraws to avoid unnecessarily wearing these.
A total sun trap it is advisable to choose the shady side of the island on really hot days or you are liable to fry. A rockfax guide covers the area including the range of bouldering available.
Wye Valley - Shorn Cliff
Heading west limestone lovers will find some great routes in the Wye Valley near Chepstow. Again possible in a good 2 hr run from London the Wye offers sports and trad climbing, across a range of crags. My personal favourite is Shorn Cliff which is especially delightful for mid grade slab climbers. Unmissable though is the considerably more sustained Tigers Don't Cry*** at HVS 5a.
Shorn is generally compact and solid limestone with a range of features from cracks to pockets but generally slabby to vertical. The great central cave area is HVS slab heaven with a range of fairly amenable routes to go at. Lush wooded crags mean it can be slow to dry in damp conditions but is a lovely placy to climb overlooking the River Wye and Tintern Abbey.
Shorn does seem to attract more than it's fair share of accidents. In 5 or so visits I have made there have been 3 serious accidents on other parts of the crag. This shouldn't put you off, as it is lovely climbing in a beautiful location, merely encourage care. Many accidents occur with falling rock from the top of the cliffs. As they are wooded crags, tree roots are constantly breaking the rock at the top so it is all too easy to knock a rock on someones head. Additionally due to the friendly feel of the cliffs they are also probably underestimated. Whilst protection is typically good it must be placed carefully. This is not Granite or Grit. Small wires are very useful.
Descents from routes are by abseils from trees. To avoid ringbarking the poor things tat and a maillon should be used to abseil from.
Avon Gorge
Avon and Cheddar Gorges, in and close to Bristol respectively are the other two main options within the distance bracket. Having not climbed at Avon I cannot comment in detail but the general consensus seems to be of fairly polished limestone of good height and atmosphere. I've only done one route at Cheddar, the awe inspiring Coronation Street, worth a visit in itself.
Living in London need not limit the keen climber too badly, ok so you're not going to pop to Burbage for the evening, but there is loads to go at within reasonable distance and lots of a fantasic standard. Anybody who claims they can;t climb for living in London needs to make more effort :)
Southern Sandstone
The closest set of crags to London, spread between East Grinstead and Tunbridge Wells (to the South of London near Gatwick), are a bit of an aquired taste. Despite being diminutive, often uncomfortably busy and featuring rock which often has the texture and solidity of icing sugar they do offer some really good quality climbing if we're prepared to focus on the moves. Having climbed all over the UK and Europe I believe I am as qualified as most average climbers to comment but grade for grade I find the place bloody desperate and a good place to show flaws in technique and strength.
The three most popular crags are probably Harrisons, High Rocks and Bowles. Climbing Club and Jingo Wobbly guides are available.
Given the fragile nature of the rock there is a top roping or soloing only ethic. The rock simply can't take trad pro. The tops are bolted for belays. Climbers should use a length of static rope or long slings to extend the top rope anchor over the edge of the crag. Deep grooves worn in the rock, often repaired with cement indicate how easily the rock is damaged if this is not adhered too.
Swanage
Swanage is a crag is a bit like Pembroke's slightly less refined cousin. Often steep, loose in places and with some fun wobbly stake abseils it is not a place for the beginner in the main. It is positioned on the headland just past Bournemouth and accessible in a couple of hours from London. If heading down on a sunny weekend day it is recommended to leave early as the M3/M27 quickly snarls up with sun seekers day tripping to Bournemouth.
Whilst there are some relatively easier areas, Subliminal and Cattle Troughs for instance, the big draw is the Boulder Ruckle. The Ruckle is steep, blocky, serious and often requires pitching but is one of those crags which offers an involving experience. There is not much to go at for the sub HVS climber but from mid grade up a big range of big routes exists. Top outs are entertaining and a good test of mental calm with a very much push don't pull method to reach the relative security of a stake, heart pounding. Approaches are predominantly by abseil and leaving a rope in situ is the norm.
Swange does offer some good sport climbing but not as good as Portland below. A definitive climbers club guide is available althouh there is also a rockfax which also covers:
Portland
The South of Englands premier sport climbing destination, it typically sneaks just outside a 2hr drive, an extra 20mins on Swanage in the same direction. Portland Bill, famous for cement and stone, is a large peninsular, linked by narrow causeway and Chesil beach to the mainland. Whilst the coastal scenery is rugged and beautiful a mere hundred or two hundred yards from the cliff top lie a range of drab and ugly council estates. Whilst parking must be done sensitively in specified areas and valuables are best not left on show, once you descend to the sea side cliffs you can quickly forget the estates above, barring the odd flying fridge (thankfully rare).
Portland offers a good range of Cliffs on both sides with a big big range of routes in across the grade range. The 6a-7b climber will find a massive amount to go at though. Routes are typically well bolted although the indoor climber may find a few of the first clips exciting on first aquaintance. Rock is limestone, and offers a range of challenges including some fine tufa routes. The lower grade popular routes at Blacknor and Battleship cliffs especially seem to be getting quite polished but there are lots to choose from. Bolts are the glued staple type and typically good. Lower offs are typically twin staples. If top roping it is best practice to use a pair of quickdraws to avoid unnecessarily wearing these.
A total sun trap it is advisable to choose the shady side of the island on really hot days or you are liable to fry. A rockfax guide covers the area including the range of bouldering available.
Wye Valley - Shorn Cliff
Heading west limestone lovers will find some great routes in the Wye Valley near Chepstow. Again possible in a good 2 hr run from London the Wye offers sports and trad climbing, across a range of crags. My personal favourite is Shorn Cliff which is especially delightful for mid grade slab climbers. Unmissable though is the considerably more sustained Tigers Don't Cry*** at HVS 5a.
Shorn is generally compact and solid limestone with a range of features from cracks to pockets but generally slabby to vertical. The great central cave area is HVS slab heaven with a range of fairly amenable routes to go at. Lush wooded crags mean it can be slow to dry in damp conditions but is a lovely placy to climb overlooking the River Wye and Tintern Abbey.
Shorn does seem to attract more than it's fair share of accidents. In 5 or so visits I have made there have been 3 serious accidents on other parts of the crag. This shouldn't put you off, as it is lovely climbing in a beautiful location, merely encourage care. Many accidents occur with falling rock from the top of the cliffs. As they are wooded crags, tree roots are constantly breaking the rock at the top so it is all too easy to knock a rock on someones head. Additionally due to the friendly feel of the cliffs they are also probably underestimated. Whilst protection is typically good it must be placed carefully. This is not Granite or Grit. Small wires are very useful.
Descents from routes are by abseils from trees. To avoid ringbarking the poor things tat and a maillon should be used to abseil from.
Avon Gorge
Avon and Cheddar Gorges, in and close to Bristol respectively are the other two main options within the distance bracket. Having not climbed at Avon I cannot comment in detail but the general consensus seems to be of fairly polished limestone of good height and atmosphere. I've only done one route at Cheddar, the awe inspiring Coronation Street, worth a visit in itself.
Living in London need not limit the keen climber too badly, ok so you're not going to pop to Burbage for the evening, but there is loads to go at within reasonable distance and lots of a fantasic standard. Anybody who claims they can;t climb for living in London needs to make more effort :)
Castle Climbing Wall London
A review of the the Castle Climbing center in London.
Being a keen climber and living in London are fairly unlikely bedfellows. The nearest crags are realistically an hour or so away from the center, with good traffic, but more on that in a future post. However a number of good quality walls exist and the Castle is certainly one of the best.
Spread over 2 floors,plus a mezzanine area, in a, you guessed it, castle, the wall boasts 450 routes and 250 marked boulder problems covering the full span of grades. The Castle despite it's rather impressive appearance is actually victorian and certainly makes for an atmospheric climbing center.
Bouldering
The ground floor hosts a typically vertical bouldering wall of about 25 m width as well as a variety of training facilities, campus boards, finger boards, system boards etc. so is certainly a good place for the training obsessive. There is also a short 20ft or so traversing wall and a smaller bouldering cubby hole esque area near the reception. They certainly pack the routes in everywhere they can!!
The mezzanine floor is purely bouldering and the best all round area offering a range of problems from slabby to step to some fun roof pulling.
The upper floor holds a sprayed concrete style featured wall, with additional bolt ons.
Route setting is of a high standard with a good range to suit all. It's nice to find a wall with some really tenous delicate stuff as well as ovehanging power fests. As with any grading there will always be some soft touches and some desperate problems but that's the nature of the beast. Grades are typically shown in the V grade system with sometimes a UK tech grade.
One of the particular strong points of the Castle is how often the routes are reset. Given the range of bouldering areas there always seems some new problems to go at every couple of weeks. You certainly won't get bored or stand a chance of completing everything before there are new challenges.
Routes
There are a huge array of routes on offer at the Castle. The largest quantity of these can be found downstairs although the upstairs routes are bigger, downstairs ones being fairly short, this is indoors though. As with the bouldering there is a good range of routes including slabs and some sustained steep walls. Given the fact the wall is in London there seems perhaps a disproportionate number of top ropes as opposed to lead walls but this makes commercial sense given the large quantity of relative beginners who frequent the wall. Very understandable in London and given the rising popularity of the sport.
Prices
See the Castle website for up to date prices. One off visiting climbers will find it pricey to turn up and climb but regulars have a range of passes on offer. Currently I am using a quarterly pass at £115 and this is very reasonable if you are going once or twice a week.
Criticisms
It's hard to find fault and would probably go so far to say this is probably the most "complete" climbing wall I have visited, although do not consider myself an indoor climber by preference. Being London, and being good, the wall can get a bit packed which isn't ideal for shrinking violets but better a vibrant busy wall then a bankrupt closed one!!
Some beginnery friends have found the shop staff a bit surly on occasion but have generally found the staff to be pleasant and helpful. Given the large quantity of inexperienced climbers the floor staff can seem slightly over zealous to the experienced climber being ticked off for not using a fairly unnecessary stop knot on a fig 8 but this seems necessary in todays litigous society so no complaints from me there.
Summary
All in all a great wall with a great choice of routes and lively atmosphere. Ok so it's a bit busy some times but a quality wall in London will always be.
Being a keen climber and living in London are fairly unlikely bedfellows. The nearest crags are realistically an hour or so away from the center, with good traffic, but more on that in a future post. However a number of good quality walls exist and the Castle is certainly one of the best.
Spread over 2 floors,plus a mezzanine area, in a, you guessed it, castle, the wall boasts 450 routes and 250 marked boulder problems covering the full span of grades. The Castle despite it's rather impressive appearance is actually victorian and certainly makes for an atmospheric climbing center.
Bouldering
The ground floor hosts a typically vertical bouldering wall of about 25 m width as well as a variety of training facilities, campus boards, finger boards, system boards etc. so is certainly a good place for the training obsessive. There is also a short 20ft or so traversing wall and a smaller bouldering cubby hole esque area near the reception. They certainly pack the routes in everywhere they can!!
The mezzanine floor is purely bouldering and the best all round area offering a range of problems from slabby to step to some fun roof pulling.
The upper floor holds a sprayed concrete style featured wall, with additional bolt ons.
Route setting is of a high standard with a good range to suit all. It's nice to find a wall with some really tenous delicate stuff as well as ovehanging power fests. As with any grading there will always be some soft touches and some desperate problems but that's the nature of the beast. Grades are typically shown in the V grade system with sometimes a UK tech grade.
One of the particular strong points of the Castle is how often the routes are reset. Given the range of bouldering areas there always seems some new problems to go at every couple of weeks. You certainly won't get bored or stand a chance of completing everything before there are new challenges.
Routes
There are a huge array of routes on offer at the Castle. The largest quantity of these can be found downstairs although the upstairs routes are bigger, downstairs ones being fairly short, this is indoors though. As with the bouldering there is a good range of routes including slabs and some sustained steep walls. Given the fact the wall is in London there seems perhaps a disproportionate number of top ropes as opposed to lead walls but this makes commercial sense given the large quantity of relative beginners who frequent the wall. Very understandable in London and given the rising popularity of the sport.
Prices
See the Castle website for up to date prices. One off visiting climbers will find it pricey to turn up and climb but regulars have a range of passes on offer. Currently I am using a quarterly pass at £115 and this is very reasonable if you are going once or twice a week.
Criticisms
It's hard to find fault and would probably go so far to say this is probably the most "complete" climbing wall I have visited, although do not consider myself an indoor climber by preference. Being London, and being good, the wall can get a bit packed which isn't ideal for shrinking violets but better a vibrant busy wall then a bankrupt closed one!!
Some beginnery friends have found the shop staff a bit surly on occasion but have generally found the staff to be pleasant and helpful. Given the large quantity of inexperienced climbers the floor staff can seem slightly over zealous to the experienced climber being ticked off for not using a fairly unnecessary stop knot on a fig 8 but this seems necessary in todays litigous society so no complaints from me there.
Summary
All in all a great wall with a great choice of routes and lively atmosphere. Ok so it's a bit busy some times but a quality wall in London will always be.
Saturday 6 June 2009
NHS Blog Doctor: An old Amstrad will not save Gordon Brown
NHS Blog Doctor: An old Amstrad will not save Gordon Brown
A nice trip down computing memory lane and good analogy for Mr Sugar. "Yesterdays Entrepreneur". I think old Gordon will have to do better than this to curry favour with the general public. He could always ring a few reality TV stars.
A nice trip down computing memory lane and good analogy for Mr Sugar. "Yesterdays Entrepreneur". I think old Gordon will have to do better than this to curry favour with the general public. He could always ring a few reality TV stars.
Shiply Cheap Delivery Service
I discovered this service whilst trying to work the intricacies of moving my MG Midget from an ex girlfriends folks place in Nottinghamshire back to the folks in Bracknell. My initial though was to hire a trailer and car with tow bar and collect. All in though this would have cost me £300 or so for a weekend, commercial quotes on the delivery were even more.
Then I spotted Shiply and thought would give it a go. Essentially Shiply operates on an Ebay auction type system whereby you specify your item for delivery alongside where it is and where it's going and transporters/couriers bid on who can deliver it most cheaply. The winning bid was £125 which was obviously a big saving. There were a number of competing bids around the same price and the facility exists to choose which bidder you wish to go with. As wih Ebay there is a feedback system which keeps things nice and simple.
Shiply traders work on the premise that they can combine deliveries with other jobs so it is still economical to transport the item, as obviously to move a car that distance would chew up at least half that amount in fuel and of course it's a days work.
The other key advantage of this service was that I didn't even have to leave London to coordinate it. I arranged with Tony, the courier who had won the bid, suitable times to do this for both of us and he got on with it. The car was delivered right on time and the service was excellent with the car well looked after. Most car transporters will offer insurance and specify this so if you are transporting something like an old car with some value to it you are covered.
I have no hestitation in recommending the service. It saved me money, a day and achieved exactly what I set out to do.
Shiply can be found here.
Then I spotted Shiply and thought would give it a go. Essentially Shiply operates on an Ebay auction type system whereby you specify your item for delivery alongside where it is and where it's going and transporters/couriers bid on who can deliver it most cheaply. The winning bid was £125 which was obviously a big saving. There were a number of competing bids around the same price and the facility exists to choose which bidder you wish to go with. As wih Ebay there is a feedback system which keeps things nice and simple.
Shiply traders work on the premise that they can combine deliveries with other jobs so it is still economical to transport the item, as obviously to move a car that distance would chew up at least half that amount in fuel and of course it's a days work.
The other key advantage of this service was that I didn't even have to leave London to coordinate it. I arranged with Tony, the courier who had won the bid, suitable times to do this for both of us and he got on with it. The car was delivered right on time and the service was excellent with the car well looked after. Most car transporters will offer insurance and specify this so if you are transporting something like an old car with some value to it you are covered.
I have no hestitation in recommending the service. It saved me money, a day and achieved exactly what I set out to do.
Shiply can be found here.
Friday 5 June 2009
Icepeak Mauno Soft Shell Review
An unknown brand to me spotted a cheap Icepeak Mauno soft shell in the Gelert shop in North Wales and thought would give it a go.
Icepeak is a small Finnish outdoor clothing manufacturer who recently seem to have appeared more in UK shops and offer attractively styled garments for very reasonable prices. As with anything outdoorsy you often get what you pay for but decided to give it a go. I was after a cheap, not overly warm jacket for a bit of english cragging and spring/autumn wear.
Pros
Being of fairly slim build, 5' 11" and around 11 stone, the jacket fits well.
It has a fairly slim cut and has a standard soft shell finish.
It has proved pretty windproof and shower resistant
Pockets are well laid out and a chest pocket is always useful when wearing a harness.
Stretchy enough not to limit movement negatively.
Nice bright colours and reflective detailing.
Cons
The zips are not great. A little bit rough feeling in use and could benefit from an upgrade to YKKs or somesuch.
Not the most breathable softshell can get a little warm.
For the price I think these are fair value. Yes they are not quite as high quality of the premium brands but for those on a budget provide a reasonable buy. Just be careful with the zips.
Icepeak is a small Finnish outdoor clothing manufacturer who recently seem to have appeared more in UK shops and offer attractively styled garments for very reasonable prices. As with anything outdoorsy you often get what you pay for but decided to give it a go. I was after a cheap, not overly warm jacket for a bit of english cragging and spring/autumn wear.
Pros
Being of fairly slim build, 5' 11" and around 11 stone, the jacket fits well.
It has a fairly slim cut and has a standard soft shell finish.
It has proved pretty windproof and shower resistant
Pockets are well laid out and a chest pocket is always useful when wearing a harness.
Stretchy enough not to limit movement negatively.
Nice bright colours and reflective detailing.
Cons
The zips are not great. A little bit rough feeling in use and could benefit from an upgrade to YKKs or somesuch.
Not the most breathable softshell can get a little warm.
For the price I think these are fair value. Yes they are not quite as high quality of the premium brands but for those on a budget provide a reasonable buy. Just be careful with the zips.
Yateley Car Park - The Dustbin Disaster
The is a short tale of carp fishing semi disaster and lessons learned on that classic carp pit the Yateley Car Park Lake.
I fished one season on the Car Park back in 2005. As a boy I had seen pictures of the Yateley legends such as the awesome Basil and Heather. I even did my GCSE oral presentation on carp fishing and mentioned the great fish as an inspiration at the time. My original fishing partner, Steve Fudge, had gone on to catch many of the Yateley legends such as Basil over the years and I thought it was time to wet a line on the hallowed complex.
I had spent most of the previous few years angling on Mill Lane, a great Yateley Club water which sadly is now a bit ramme d out and has lost a lot of character. However I had had a fair few fish out of there, 20 odd including the 2 biggest mirrors, and it was time to move on. A few earlier ventures onto Yateley, the Match and Sandhurst, had yielded a few fish but nothing big and none of the really special Yateley Warriors, although a stalked capture of Nige's fish at an early 24lb stands out. My how she's grown.
Anyway back to the Car Park and a fresh season with shiny new Syndicate ticket. I was very familiar with the fish having made friends with many of the Car Park regulars over the years as a long time tea visitor, so started the season with something of a plan.
The draw and subsequent first night saw me lodged in the Chair, well baited in the close, although this may have been slightly contrary to current rules. However confidently feeding fish, including Arfur and Ugloe in the Chair left bush had me skipping with confidence. The Chair is always a nice option when the lake is rammed as you hold a fairly quiet corner with the left bank a bit of a haven for pressured fish who spend hot days milling around the End Works weed and fairly untouchable. Anyway a rod was fished to the aforementioned left hand spot at the just the depth in the margins Arfur had appeared to feed most confidently in the close. The right hand rod fished to the right hand margin. Both rods were fished on Mainline's activ8, a bait that had done a lot of business for Fudgey over the years on the venue.
The first morning dawned just the way I would have liked. With a locked up rod bent at an alarming angling around the Chair Boards. Piling the pressure on, perhaps a little too much I made a yard or two before locking. With the assistance of Od I waded to the spot in an attempt to free the weed from the line and was sad to find nothing but a ball of weed and no fish. Never mind. First night would be a little jammy. However I couldn't of course help feeling I blown the spot.
Never being the earliest arriving angler on a Friday night I'd always made my plans around the less popular swims such as the Chair, Steps, Back Bay and Middle Secret. The popular Des's/Curly bank usually permanently occupied. Being fairly Yateley local, at the time, I was fortunate to have the option of weeknight fishing and this has always been my preferred choice as the weekend circus has !
My second take and first fish landed came a month or two later. Turning up for a worknight I slotted neatly straight into the middle secret. Never the most popular fish I still liked the swim when fish were getting down the car park end of the lake. When they were moving around the Gate swim it was not uncommon to see them cruising down towards the middle secret and out towards the islands swim. Fishing one rod left, line angles were at the time very limited to two weed channels, with hemp and tigers a bubbler appeared on the right hand line. Always worth popping a bait on activity a single boilie was dropped down on a soft bottom at 30 yds.
Around 11am a single noter on the right hand rod signalled a fast take. A short and spirited fight followed before one of the Car Parks small population of commons nestled in the net. At 22lb not the finest prize in the lake but welcome nevertheless. You're always angling for one of the originals on the lake but the commons don't give themselves up too easily either.
Two weeks later and I was back in the middle secret on a warm clear evening. Again I decided to fish a single on the same spot and again a take resulted. This time at first light. Sadly this one didn't end so well. As the fish charge d left the line remained caught solid down in the weedy channel. A grey hump popped to the surface before the line parted. Gutted. The quick glimpse of the fish suggested Pearly which had yet to make an appearance that season and was looking big. She later came out at over 40lb a few weeks later for the first time.
So all in all a mixed bag season had resulted so far. 3 takes and one fish landed, a common to boot. Still, on a lake where 3/4 of the syndicate will blank the season it was hard to be too downhearted. The first step of catching of course is getting the takes.
A few weeks later and I was back on the CP for a walk. Stopping in the chair I sat chatting to "Listen here mate" Steve. Another angler keen on my much fancied Chair Swim we were discussing prospects over a cup of tea when a common boshed out in front of the Snags swim. Keen to encourage each other to ease the pressure on the Chair a mutual expression of "should try the snags" ensued. And rather than being caught up in a race for the swim constantly i would probably have made some sense!!! First lesson of carp fishing really is location so to ignore that kind of activity is pretty criminal.
Needless to say the Chair was still a focus of attention for the next weeks. When back in there angling one evening though it happened again. This time I didn;t see the fish but decided to fish this my next work night in the Snags.
The next nights angling saw me plotted up in the swim. Fishing a single to the edge of small ball of weed to the right, around where I'd seen the activity I settled down for the night. A couple of hours before dawn the rod on the spot took off with a slow plodding take. Tightening down on the fish this was definately a good fish. A splashy but not wild fight continued directly in front of the swim. Clearly not the hardest fighting fish but one with a bit of weight. After a labourious ten minuter the fish was folded neatly into the net. Leaning down on the and feeling down into the dark net i ran my hand down what was obviously a good chunk and sparsely scaled to boot. An original was mine.
My hand reached the tail and there wasn't much of it. Containing my excitement, believing the fish to be Arfur at the time, I propped the next on bank sticks and went to fetch my headtorch from the bivvy. Shining down into the net I was greated by a bare leathery flank, a moments thought, not Arfur, no not Heather but the Dustbin sat plumply in my net. Gently resting from the exhaustion of the fight. Yes yes YESSS.
Breathing deeply I sat back and mulled the options. A quick shout would get others around fairly quickly for a weigh and photo. Will ring Fudgey first though.
"Geez, got the dustbin in the net!!"
" I'm coming down"
Decision made. Would wait for Steve to turn up. The water not being too warm and the fish looking comfortable I was happy for her to sit in the net for a bit whilst a contemplative tea was drunk.
With Fudgey on his way and dawn not too far away I readied the kit for weighing and photos. If there is one thing I have seen to extreme levels on the Car Park, and rightly so, it's obsessive fish care on the bank. Water bucket filled to wet the fish and wet the matt, sling and scales ready to go, medicarp for the hook hold and any other marks laid out.
Fudgey duely turned up and we settled down for a quick tea. With it getting lighter by the minute a decision was made to give it 10 minutes or so for some proper light. Whilst it's not about the photo it's always nice to get those first light shots. A final brew was boiled and as we sat by the lake, holding the net whilst supping tea, Dusty stirred. Obviously with more light she was livening up a bit.
Then a surge in the net. As i was holding it not a problem, although it concerned me slightly so I decided probably best not leave it too much longer.
Ready to go. Light was now fast approaching, 5 minutes more should do it, and, perhaps foolishly, desire for a good trophy shot perhaps slightly overweighing common sense we left it 5 minutes more.
With a final tea on the go and nearly drank I sat holding the net once more. About to make the shout I paused instead. Rather then shout I reached down picked up my mug and drained the last few swigs from my Tea.
As i returned the mug to the ground Dusty surged again in the net. In actual fact it was more of a leap for freedom. Her head landed across the drawstring and at that moment the left net arm snapped and swung down. In one fluid moment she was out the net and gone. Gutted. What a numpty.
Why did I wait??? I paced about the swim. Why did I wait?? Why did I fucking wait!!!!
I didn't get much chance to angler further that year before the winter. Heading off to sea a few times on a career change mission and in fact, due to moving house, that was my only season on the CP. However it was a great season and whilst the only fish from 4 takes to see my unhooking mat was a common that's carp fishing at times.
It was also interesting to have had 3 of 4 takes on a single and on non conventional spots. Not a common method on the lake, anglers fishing an expensive pressured pit tend to be more confident on beds of bait on banker areas it seems, but singles had done a few fish over the years to anglers such as Darren Emberson, another old school work night regular. Whilst fishing single hook baits was generally met with accusations of pub chucking by friends, with three takes on the method couldn't really dismiss it!!
I got to thinking about singles and for the limited time angler I tend to think it's got some mileage. Especially on waters which see a lot of bait. The fish on lakes like the Car Park come out so infrequently they are obviously pretty adept at evading capture and a lot of this must come down to learning by association. When loads are fishing tight, boat dropped beds it doesn't take too much a stretch of the imagination to imagine the carp getting wary when caught consistantly in this fashion. Interestingly one angler a few years before had also had good success in widely scattered baits. Despite accusations of catapult ineptitude he caught!!
Another possible success factor with singles for short sessions is of course is that you are looking to put the bait to where the fish may already be feeding confidently, or even just present rather than pull the fish to your bait by using a baited area. If fishing singles encourages me to go with the old adage "location location location" then all the better.
I have no doubt for long term campaign purposes there is no substitute for a well thought out baiting campaign but it is all to easy to get sucked into the "everybody catches fishing a bed of bait on this gravel spot, therefore that's where I'll fish" mentalility and hoping to bore them out. It's not a suprising attitude as when you approach a hard pressured water, fishing tried and tested spots with tried and tested methods is reassuring and gives you the belief you are in with a chance. Not for me though.
More info on the Yateley Car Park.
I fished one season on the Car Park back in 2005. As a boy I had seen pictures of the Yateley legends such as the awesome Basil and Heather. I even did my GCSE oral presentation on carp fishing and mentioned the great fish as an inspiration at the time. My original fishing partner, Steve Fudge, had gone on to catch many of the Yateley legends such as Basil over the years and I thought it was time to wet a line on the hallowed complex.
I had spent most of the previous few years angling on Mill Lane, a great Yateley Club water which sadly is now a bit ramme d out and has lost a lot of character. However I had had a fair few fish out of there, 20 odd including the 2 biggest mirrors, and it was time to move on. A few earlier ventures onto Yateley, the Match and Sandhurst, had yielded a few fish but nothing big and none of the really special Yateley Warriors, although a stalked capture of Nige's fish at an early 24lb stands out. My how she's grown.
Anyway back to the Car Park and a fresh season with shiny new Syndicate ticket. I was very familiar with the fish having made friends with many of the Car Park regulars over the years as a long time tea visitor, so started the season with something of a plan.
The draw and subsequent first night saw me lodged in the Chair, well baited in the close, although this may have been slightly contrary to current rules. However confidently feeding fish, including Arfur and Ugloe in the Chair left bush had me skipping with confidence. The Chair is always a nice option when the lake is rammed as you hold a fairly quiet corner with the left bank a bit of a haven for pressured fish who spend hot days milling around the End Works weed and fairly untouchable. Anyway a rod was fished to the aforementioned left hand spot at the just the depth in the margins Arfur had appeared to feed most confidently in the close. The right hand rod fished to the right hand margin. Both rods were fished on Mainline's activ8, a bait that had done a lot of business for Fudgey over the years on the venue.
The first morning dawned just the way I would have liked. With a locked up rod bent at an alarming angling around the Chair Boards. Piling the pressure on, perhaps a little too much I made a yard or two before locking. With the assistance of Od I waded to the spot in an attempt to free the weed from the line and was sad to find nothing but a ball of weed and no fish. Never mind. First night would be a little jammy. However I couldn't of course help feeling I blown the spot.
Never being the earliest arriving angler on a Friday night I'd always made my plans around the less popular swims such as the Chair, Steps, Back Bay and Middle Secret. The popular Des's/Curly bank usually permanently occupied. Being fairly Yateley local, at the time, I was fortunate to have the option of weeknight fishing and this has always been my preferred choice as the weekend circus has !
My second take and first fish landed came a month or two later. Turning up for a worknight I slotted neatly straight into the middle secret. Never the most popular fish I still liked the swim when fish were getting down the car park end of the lake. When they were moving around the Gate swim it was not uncommon to see them cruising down towards the middle secret and out towards the islands swim. Fishing one rod left, line angles were at the time very limited to two weed channels, with hemp and tigers a bubbler appeared on the right hand line. Always worth popping a bait on activity a single boilie was dropped down on a soft bottom at 30 yds.
Around 11am a single noter on the right hand rod signalled a fast take. A short and spirited fight followed before one of the Car Parks small population of commons nestled in the net. At 22lb not the finest prize in the lake but welcome nevertheless. You're always angling for one of the originals on the lake but the commons don't give themselves up too easily either.
Two weeks later and I was back in the middle secret on a warm clear evening. Again I decided to fish a single on the same spot and again a take resulted. This time at first light. Sadly this one didn't end so well. As the fish charge d left the line remained caught solid down in the weedy channel. A grey hump popped to the surface before the line parted. Gutted. The quick glimpse of the fish suggested Pearly which had yet to make an appearance that season and was looking big. She later came out at over 40lb a few weeks later for the first time.
So all in all a mixed bag season had resulted so far. 3 takes and one fish landed, a common to boot. Still, on a lake where 3/4 of the syndicate will blank the season it was hard to be too downhearted. The first step of catching of course is getting the takes.
A few weeks later and I was back on the CP for a walk. Stopping in the chair I sat chatting to "Listen here mate" Steve. Another angler keen on my much fancied Chair Swim we were discussing prospects over a cup of tea when a common boshed out in front of the Snags swim. Keen to encourage each other to ease the pressure on the Chair a mutual expression of "should try the snags" ensued. And rather than being caught up in a race for the swim constantly i would probably have made some sense!!! First lesson of carp fishing really is location so to ignore that kind of activity is pretty criminal.
Needless to say the Chair was still a focus of attention for the next weeks. When back in there angling one evening though it happened again. This time I didn;t see the fish but decided to fish this my next work night in the Snags.
The next nights angling saw me plotted up in the swim. Fishing a single to the edge of small ball of weed to the right, around where I'd seen the activity I settled down for the night. A couple of hours before dawn the rod on the spot took off with a slow plodding take. Tightening down on the fish this was definately a good fish. A splashy but not wild fight continued directly in front of the swim. Clearly not the hardest fighting fish but one with a bit of weight. After a labourious ten minuter the fish was folded neatly into the net. Leaning down on the and feeling down into the dark net i ran my hand down what was obviously a good chunk and sparsely scaled to boot. An original was mine.
My hand reached the tail and there wasn't much of it. Containing my excitement, believing the fish to be Arfur at the time, I propped the next on bank sticks and went to fetch my headtorch from the bivvy. Shining down into the net I was greated by a bare leathery flank, a moments thought, not Arfur, no not Heather but the Dustbin sat plumply in my net. Gently resting from the exhaustion of the fight. Yes yes YESSS.
Breathing deeply I sat back and mulled the options. A quick shout would get others around fairly quickly for a weigh and photo. Will ring Fudgey first though.
"Geez, got the dustbin in the net!!"
" I'm coming down"
Decision made. Would wait for Steve to turn up. The water not being too warm and the fish looking comfortable I was happy for her to sit in the net for a bit whilst a contemplative tea was drunk.
With Fudgey on his way and dawn not too far away I readied the kit for weighing and photos. If there is one thing I have seen to extreme levels on the Car Park, and rightly so, it's obsessive fish care on the bank. Water bucket filled to wet the fish and wet the matt, sling and scales ready to go, medicarp for the hook hold and any other marks laid out.
Fudgey duely turned up and we settled down for a quick tea. With it getting lighter by the minute a decision was made to give it 10 minutes or so for some proper light. Whilst it's not about the photo it's always nice to get those first light shots. A final brew was boiled and as we sat by the lake, holding the net whilst supping tea, Dusty stirred. Obviously with more light she was livening up a bit.
Then a surge in the net. As i was holding it not a problem, although it concerned me slightly so I decided probably best not leave it too much longer.
Ready to go. Light was now fast approaching, 5 minutes more should do it, and, perhaps foolishly, desire for a good trophy shot perhaps slightly overweighing common sense we left it 5 minutes more.
With a final tea on the go and nearly drank I sat holding the net once more. About to make the shout I paused instead. Rather then shout I reached down picked up my mug and drained the last few swigs from my Tea.
As i returned the mug to the ground Dusty surged again in the net. In actual fact it was more of a leap for freedom. Her head landed across the drawstring and at that moment the left net arm snapped and swung down. In one fluid moment she was out the net and gone. Gutted. What a numpty.
Why did I wait??? I paced about the swim. Why did I wait?? Why did I fucking wait!!!!
I didn't get much chance to angler further that year before the winter. Heading off to sea a few times on a career change mission and in fact, due to moving house, that was my only season on the CP. However it was a great season and whilst the only fish from 4 takes to see my unhooking mat was a common that's carp fishing at times.
It was also interesting to have had 3 of 4 takes on a single and on non conventional spots. Not a common method on the lake, anglers fishing an expensive pressured pit tend to be more confident on beds of bait on banker areas it seems, but singles had done a few fish over the years to anglers such as Darren Emberson, another old school work night regular. Whilst fishing single hook baits was generally met with accusations of pub chucking by friends, with three takes on the method couldn't really dismiss it!!
I got to thinking about singles and for the limited time angler I tend to think it's got some mileage. Especially on waters which see a lot of bait. The fish on lakes like the Car Park come out so infrequently they are obviously pretty adept at evading capture and a lot of this must come down to learning by association. When loads are fishing tight, boat dropped beds it doesn't take too much a stretch of the imagination to imagine the carp getting wary when caught consistantly in this fashion. Interestingly one angler a few years before had also had good success in widely scattered baits. Despite accusations of catapult ineptitude he caught!!
Another possible success factor with singles for short sessions is of course is that you are looking to put the bait to where the fish may already be feeding confidently, or even just present rather than pull the fish to your bait by using a baited area. If fishing singles encourages me to go with the old adage "location location location" then all the better.
I have no doubt for long term campaign purposes there is no substitute for a well thought out baiting campaign but it is all to easy to get sucked into the "everybody catches fishing a bed of bait on this gravel spot, therefore that's where I'll fish" mentalility and hoping to bore them out. It's not a suprising attitude as when you approach a hard pressured water, fishing tried and tested spots with tried and tested methods is reassuring and gives you the belief you are in with a chance. Not for me though.
More info on the Yateley Car Park.
Wednesday 3 June 2009
5 favourite slab routes - Rock Climbing
I have now replushid this article on my new blog here. 5 great UK slab routes.
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