smufter

Red letter day here today. Another Common (12lb) very similar to the second fish I've never had such a good day at White Cottage 😁😁😁

Small Common. 
Damn that sun 😁😁😁😉

25lb wake up call... Took an overnight break from gardening! 
Crofties coconuts doing the business. 

25lb wake up call... Took an overnight break from gardening! 
Crofties coconuts doing the business. 

Had a delivery earlier today of 20 x 2.4m sleepers to replace and extend the existing retaining wall... They were heavy!! 
Also had a guy around with a grinder to remove the remains of the bay tree that we've wanted to get shot of for years. 
While he was here he gave us a very competitive quote to get most of the large Ash tree that you can see in picture two removed. It's massive and a bit of a hazard as it's rotten around one side of the roots. If it ever came down it would hit the house. That's being done next Thursday... 

Your garden's looking lovely , Smufter , but as you are feeling the strain why not hire Highy for a morning , and you'll have The Hanging Gardens Of Babylon by Lunch Time ? .
Just give Highy something from Sonik , maybe a new pair of football boots for his lad , and everyone's a winner ! .
😁

Loaded some pics "before" and "at the moment but still plenty to do" below. As you can see from picture one, there was plenty of work needing doing on our much neglected embarrassment of a "garden"....😨
Still lots and lots to do, we are totally replacing the sleeper retaining wall that you can just see in picture number 2 (behind the big tree) and are extending this across the whole width of the garden so that we can backfill and level out the very top tier which is on a severe slope. 
The fence on the left badly needs replacement, that is our neighbours and he has informed us that he is planning to sort it within the next couple of months. Should make it look a lot better.  The new border on the left is in the process of being carried on right up to the house, just need to get a large tree stump out (guy coming to do that tomorrow) so that we can move the new water feature over to there. As I say, it's been a really busy couple of months and we are not half way through yet. All the big, heavy work is still to go with posts to be concreted in and a large amount of earth to be dug out to allow the laying of the new retaining wall. Also still got a lot of plants and shrubs to plant in, once the remaining soil has been prepared. Three new rose bushes and a couple of Azaleas, along with a plum and apple tree are waiting in the wings (or should I say their pots) ready for transplant lol!
I haven't really given much thought to the career change if I'm honest. I've had a lot on my plate with all of this. And boy, do I ache!!
 

Sorry mate. I didn't go in the end.....😣😣😣
I was umming and ahhing anyway, didn't really fancy it if I'm honest, but what decided it for me was when I went to get my barrow out of the shed. Flat tyre!! Thought it had just gone down, pumped it up but within two minutes it was flat again. Couldn't be bothered to sort it out, so stayed home. Glad I did if I'm honest. It was so hot on Wednesday I wouldn't have enjoyed it mate. 

The swim I'm fishing tonight is quite secluded, and gets a fair bit of shade during the day so hopefully it won't be affected too much. 
I'll bring my rods in overnight, or at least two of them. There are quite a few snags around which are tricky enough in daylight. Trying to avoid them in the dark will be asking for trouble. I may just leave one rod out but bring my bait in just under the rod tip, see if I can pick up a lone, brave warrior. At least I'd have a chance to get on my rod before trouble looms 😉😉😉

The swim I'm fishing tonight is quite secluded, and gets a fair bit of shade during the day so hopefully it won't be affected too much. 
I'll bring my rods in overnight, or at least two of them. There are quite a few snags around which are tricky enough in daylight. Trying to avoid them in the dark will be asking for trouble. I may just leave one rod out but bring my bait in just under the rod tip, see if I can pick up a lone, brave warrior. At least I'd have a chance to get on my rod before trouble looms 😉😉😉

I hope not mate. I've shaved it off now.....🙄
Out again tomorrow night for 24.  A bit in two minds 'cos the temps are supposed to be quite high on Wednesday. But you've got to be in it to win it I guess.....😉😉😉

Thanks mate. 
Was trying out a new(ish) bait. Mate of mine makes and sells boilies and I've used his coconut ones before to good effect. I was chatting with him last week and asked him if he could make me some more up, but make them a bit whiter, a bit more visible if you like. White Cottage is very silty, and lighter colours tend to work best. His "normal" coconut boilies are a light beige colour, I was just thinking that something even lighter might give me an edge. 
He bought a couple of kilos around on Sunday and they looked spot on. Really bright white in comparison to his usual. On my suggestion, he had also added some black seed to them to try to break up the shape a little (from the fishes viewpoint obviously). He was so impressed with how they turned out, he made a few more kilos and stuck them in the freezer for himself. 
Whether it was the bait or other factors I don't know. But it's certainly given me confidence in them. I was using them on all three rods by the way. 

Small Common. 
Damn that sun 😁😁😁😉

25lb wake up call... Took an overnight break from gardening! 
Crofties coconuts doing the business. 

Thanks mate. 
Was trying out a new(ish) bait. Mate of mine makes and sells boilies and I've used his coconut ones before to good effect. I was chatting with him last week and asked him if he could make me some more up, but make them a bit whiter, a bit more visible if you like. White Cottage is very silty, and lighter colours tend to work best. His "normal" coconut boilies are a light beige colour, I was just thinking that something even lighter might give me an edge. 
He bought a couple of kilos around on Sunday and they looked spot on. Really bright white in comparison to his usual. On my suggestion, he had also added some black seed to them to try to break up the shape a little (from the fishes viewpoint obviously). He was so impressed with how they turned out, he made a few more kilos and stuck them in the freezer for himself. 
Whether it was the bait or other factors I don't know. But it's certainly given me confidence in them. I was using them on all three rods by the way. 

Small Common. 
Damn that sun 😁😁😁😉

25lb wake up call... Took an overnight break from gardening! 
Crofties coconuts doing the business. 

Nice smuft ... great session mate 😎
Well done all cracking fish 😎

25lb wake up call... Took an overnight break from gardening! 
Crofties coconuts doing the business. 

Small Common. 
Damn that sun 😁😁😁😉

Red letter day here today. Another Common (12lb) very similar to the second fish I've never had such a good day at White Cottage 😁😁😁

Small Common. 
Damn that sun 😁😁😁😉

25lb wake up call... Took an overnight break from gardening! 
Crofties coconuts doing the business. 

Red letter day here today. Another Common (12lb) very similar to the second fish I've never had such a good day at White Cottage 😁😁😁

Love the T shirt 👍