P-Funk Piking

Tom commented that my latest Pike fly bares more than a passing resemblance to the P-Funk legend George Clinton... I can definitely see where he's coming from!

This week I've really noticed that it's getting brighter & warmer, so with that 'George' & I snook down the river for a dabble. After searching out the weir pool for a while with George getting a couple of follows, a nice fish shot out and after a few good runs & a bit of tail walking to boot a superbly conditioned Pike was netted.

The flies have eyes

Here's a new Pike fly that I'm sure will coax out a monster next trip:

Hook: 6/0 mustad Cod hook
Body: cactus chenille
Tail: combed out parpost wing

Aspen-on-Toon

Skiing in Cumbria???? That was the response I got when I answered my phone at the top of Yad Moss on Saturday afternoon.
Yad Moss or 'Aspen-on Toon' as a Geordie I was chatting to called it or 'Englands premier ski resort' as their website calls it is located in the north east of Cumbria about 30 miles east of Penrith near Alston. Thanks to a lottery grant & the hard work of some dedicated enthusiasts Yad Moss offers the opportunity to ski within a couple of hours of Manchester, albeit for usually a handful of days a year.

View from the top station - 725m

Tweedy having a brew