Apathy & Sprats

I think this is a week I'll look back on in the closed season and regret! After my barbel last Thursday Dan and myself hit the river again the following day. Two barbel hooked and lost, the first looked about a pound, the second shed the hook unseen - at least we knew they were feeding.

We haven't been since, we are both working but we could have squeezed a few hours in here and there... Need to sort that out!

My apathy was spreading over to Saturday's trip to Penton Hook, that is until I was preparing the bait earlier - can't wait to get there now - it's funny what fires up the interest again.

Sprats are bought fresh from the fishmonger, and wrapped in batches of four in cling film so they don't touch each other and break when they are unwrapped frozen. Once my hands are well and truly clean the process goes as follows:

1. Untangle end of cling film
2. Pull out about 18 inches
3. Pull against rippy thing (it'll work one day)
4. Hack through it with scissors
5. Get it stuck around itself
6. Untangle it and spread it flat
7. Swear at cling film
8. Place sprat on cling film wrap it around twice
9. Push cat off kitchen counter
10. Place 2nd sprat on cling film wrap it around twice
11. Push cat off kitchen counter
12. Place 3rd sprat on cling film wrap it around twice
13. Push cat off kitchen counter
14. Place 4th sprat on cling film wrap it around to finish
15. Push cat off kitchen counter...

Repeat ten times before starting on the other baits (bigger baits get freezer bags - yay!).


And I also need to make some new wire traces:

1. Put cat outside
2. Wish I'd thought of it earlier...