Got up 7.30am, just as Helen was leaving for work, got dressed, had a cuppa tea, then started packing the rucksack, it holds 100 litres,and yes I managed to completely fill it lol. Then loaded the car up and headed for the open road, after stopping at ASDA for the pot noodles and a couple of tiger prawn containers, stopped at a petrol station, filled the car up, also got some Rennie's, pot noodles often give me indigestion lol.
There were a couple of roadworks on the A47, but apart from that it was an easy ride to Lowestoft, once at Lowestoft the plan was to go to Sam hooks for the bait, missed the turning for the road its on but parked the next road along, I think I was on double yellow lines, but was hard to see with the snow laying on the ground, started walking along the path, toes gripping my boots as I slipped this way and that way, I'm glad nobody saw me as they might have thought I was practicing my ice dancing skills lol.
Arrived at the shop, got my 100 worms which I ordered the day before, along with a box of squid, plus a mantle for my lamp.
I had a spare set, so now I've got a spare set lol. so back to the car my toes gripping harder in my now ice dancing boots, then the short trip to Kessingland, parked in my usual place, ok I know it’s only my second trip there but it feels like home already lol, unpacked the car, put on my rucksack, thinking to myself, oh my this thing is heavy, lol, I wobbled as I walked the concrete path getting my balance with the weight on my back wasn’t easy, decided that walking passed the sluice was way out of the question decided to set up camp opposite number 8th caravan along, I think there was two or three others fishing further along towards the sluice, the wind was blowing stiffly out to sea as I was putting up my shelter, snow showers passing over head and at one point I was flying a kite lol, shelter up and ground sheet down it was time for a nice cuppa tea, and make the shelter feels like home for the next how ever many hours I was staying, rods made up and line threaded as I waited for the kettle to boil, the kettles whistling interrupts me before I get chance to cast out, tea made it’s back to the rods, rigs on, weights attached, opened my worms and was pleased to see some better bait, thank you Whitebridges for telling me about Sam hooks, straight worm on one rod, the other was worm and tiger prawn tipped, both cast out it was back to my warm mug of tea. the tide was running hard and the weed was a pain so it wasn’t long before both rods was in and re-baited and cast out again, this was the same for the next hour or so, only interrupted by hot mugs of tea and hiding from the chilly wind. later that afternoon a man set up to my left, and another a bit further along, I had just cast out when this man approached me, I wouldn’t say he was a big ugly brute of a man, (I’m not that brave) but yes you’ve guessed it, it was Kagger lol, beer can in one hand I noticed, nice to meet you Kagger, we had a short chat and I think we agreed on most of what was said, by that point I think he had caught two whiting and a cod, by that point I had caught bugga all, take mental note of Kagger's hot spot for another day lol, Kagger goes back to his shelter beer still in hand, I go back and put the kettle on. I cast short I cast far and one time I didn’t cast at all and nearly went for a surf, bail arm shut as I was about to thump my lead out as far as the eye can see, roughly 70ish yards, yes I’ve got bad eyesight lol it gets dark, I light my lamp, and I’m its not running right, but its working better than not having a lamp, didn’t see the bite but the first fish was caught, undersized cod, gently placed back in the surf, fast retreat by me as the next wave tries and gets me, re-baited and cast out, not taking my eye of the rod tips, well apart from making a hot mug of tea lol left rod tip gives a rattle, I jump up and grab my rod, strike hard and the fight is on, it came easy to start with but as soon as it near the beach it raced of down tide, rod was bending hard over I was battled against the surf line, slowly I was making ground on it with each wave that washed ashore until it was finally beached, I was now the proud owner of a Tesco's bag lol, last time I was at Kessingland I also caught a Tesco’s bag, I’ve never blanked on catching Tesco’s bags at Kessingland so far lol second cod was caught, this time I did see the bite, two and a half pound of pure Kessingland cod, time for a cuppa tea and celebrate. last cod caught undersized and replaced to grow by midnight I was the only one on the beach, an hour later and the weed started, an hour later I stopped fishing and made a mug of hot tea and closed my shelter up, made myself comfy and had about 4 hours sleep, awoke to find frost on the inside of my shelter, by that time the sun was up and other fishermen and started to show up along the coast to start there fishing days, I re-baited and cast my baits out to start my second day fishing, hot mug of tea made I sat back and watched the sun rise higher over the sea, it is still fishing if you don’t mind if you don’t catch?? sat in my shelter and looked left and a man was approaching, with his sunglasses on he looked like a bouncer, wasn’t until he was ten yards away I realized it was Whitebridges, was nice to meet you again, shame you didn’t catch reading your report though you was in Kagger's hot spot, but you should have fished it the day before lol, we gota fish north Norfolk together sometime hey?? I did hear that bang, I thought someone was lighting a fire with petrol, it sure went booooooom, makes you think though when driving your rod rest spikes it just whets there?? packed my gear up, picked some litter that was laying around my site, including a number of plastic bags and bottles, had a last hot mug of tea and wobbled my way back to the car, got chatting to a local, he said he always fishes straight over nowadays, when he was younger he fished the sluice end, we bid each other farewell, he walked away stooped over and I thought to myself, I bet his rucksack was heavy as well lol got home 3.20 after a good couple of days out, drove 170 miles, cost me £30 in petrol, bait cost me £30, food cost me £10, was it worth it?? you bet, will I go again, you bet, can I afford to go, no, but I don’t get many days out where the catching of a fish comes second to being there.