We took the opportunity of a short break before the busy Easter break to take the caravan to Suffolk and for me to indulge in a little fishing expedition. And jolly nice it was.
We stayed at Heathside in Wenhaston, not far from Southwold. When I say that we had the place to ourselves, that was literally true.
Quite apart from the view and the nature trail walks, Heathside has full hookup facilities (electricity, water, and drainage) which we very much value.
We’d never been to Southwold before. It’s a most pleasant little town, with plenty of interesting shops and a pier. It’s also famous for its beach huts – how about that for old-fashioned holiday charm?
Although I thoroughly enjoyed the fishing, I’d grievously misjudged both the location and the conditions. I’d forgotten the strength of the tides. The best time to fish was on a falling tide. At the predicted optimum time, the water was ripping below the pier at an enormous rate, assisted by a southerly wind that must have been over 20 miles an hour.
What I really needed was a light downtide boat rod and enough weight to keep the bait on the bottom. What I’d taken was a lightweight spinning rod! Never mind; I’ll know better next time.
A word about the rod and reel. It was the first time that I’d used the rod, an Abu Garcia Veritas. I bought it last year when Abu brought out a new version. The old ones were being sold off cheaply, down from around £100 to £30. Now you don’t have high hopes of a thirty quid rod, and even at full price it was hardly top of the range. But I have to say that it was a delight to use. I’d paired it with a Shimano Aernos reel in 4000 size, which was exactly right. If, as claimed, the Series 2.0 rods are even better and stronger, they’re a bargain, and highly recommended.
So to both Heathside and Southwold, “We’ll be back!”
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