Sometimes you just need some luck.

The rivers are in a bad way and there was no way we were going to get on them, so a plan had to be hatched to get out somewhere else. Was it to be jigging on a canal for perch or even big lures for pike. Another option was to get on the baits on some still water. Since there was to be Woody, myself and also Neil for this one we needed somewhere with a bit of water and room to give us all a fair crack. We eventually settled on a local still water, armed with a bundle of dead bait rods between us we could have a chat, a piss take and hopefully a fish or two. Set to meet before first light I picked Neil up and we rammed the car full of gear and went to find the place. Woody would probably be already there if he hadn't laid in and as we made our way along a pitch black road we weren't even sure if we were in the right spot but eventually we saw Woody parked up at the side of the road in the distance. As we approached he got out to meet us and I pulled along side and put the windows down. A brief greeting and then Woody explained how he thought he was in a bit of a bad spot. Pulling up in the dark he had parked off the road and plonked his car in a bit of mud and said it even slid a little. Of course this was met with great pleasure and the usual piss taking ensued, little sympathy from Neil and myself. Me and Woody were both beholding our new Christmas torches and so had a look round to see the damage. I then chose to park my car further up on what looked like a nice piece of solid grass.

Time for fishing, Woody was already in his peg by the time me and Neil got our gear out. Neil took the first peg to Woodys right and I went to his left. We all had two rods so that should give us a good chance, and Neil had even sneaked in his small lure rod so he could throw it around to ease the boredom. Recently I purchased two Wynchwood Agitator boat rods which would stop me having to borrow everyone else's gear if we are out with the baits and they were already set up ready to go. I tested the depth in my tight swim and realised I would have fun with overhanging trees, so I quickly picked up my gear and moved swims. There was loads of room this time and I felt much better, tested the depth and then lobbed out a couple of stinky baits under a float  ledger set up. I've not got any alarms, never needed them in lure fishing, so I opted on a tightened up line to my float. The float was set so that it was just pulling under and then the bait runner was set. Any pull on the line would see my float either lift up or shoot under. No alarms but I was happy that the indication would be good and since the pond was flat as a pancake I could see every indication. After the first half hour or so there wasn't a single indication on either of my floats. Woody appeared and jumped in the swim right next to me and he was now close enough that we could stand next to each other and have a chat, compare Christmas torches and take the piss out of Neil who had also moved swims but was now opposite us. A few texts were exchanged with Neil about how we could see a noddy on the far bank and he told us of the "two twenties" he'd just put back. I managed to get a good feel of Woody's new socks, some super awesome socks that Ranulph Fiennes, the Arctic explorer wears to keep his toes super warm. I reminded him he's the bloke that lost all his toes to frostbite. Neil appeared and we were all ready for a move once more. We worked each swim for half an hour or more and moved on. The twenties and thirties never appeared and we didn't even get a dropped run between us. I resorted to twitching dead baits and then wobbling them while all the time remembering I still had my jerk baits in the car. I still regret not getting that rod out and giving it a go because as a lure man you always feel that will work, though in reality it would have been a blank on the lures too no doubt. We tried and tried but it just wasn't to be and so made our way back to the car where we ribbed Woody about how we were going to take the piss out of him and his stuck car.

Arriving at his car, and in daylight this time we could see where it had slid. This looked like it might be a little tricky. Did I mention what car he drives? It's a rear wheel drive Mercedes. Now I'm sure these aren't the car that all the off road guys use, but I'm no expert. We decided to watch on as he made his first attempt. Of course we gave him plenty of stick and laughed as his rear wheels just span in the mud, and then the car slid a little more down the slope away from the road. This wasn't looking good at all.

 

Of course we took this opportunity to show even less sympathy and as I took plenty of photos Neil had a good old chuckle at Woodys expense.

Neither of us had a tow rope and my car wouldn't get him out of here anyway. It was time to muck in and we rolled up the sleeves. Deciding to reverse out this time with me and Neil giving a helping hand to push. This first attempt ended in failure again as we soon realised it wasn't getting any traction at all. There was a pile of old plywood scattered around so we pushed that under each wheel and went for another crack. No joy again. More wood, more grass and sticks and anything we could find but each time we tried the car moved, but also slid just a little further away from the road. There was an oasis of grass which was the target, but we just couldn't get anywhere near it. We were now trying to think of someone close by who owned a four wheel drive beast, a monster truck, tractor or even a crane, but no matter how much we racked our brains we couldn't come up with anyone. I was beginning to think that I would be taking Woody home and leaving his car here as the light was starting to fade and that we would be back tomorrow, though that wasn't the best idea and even then how would we get it out?

Neil always says that Woody is a lucky bugger. If he fell in a pile of shit he'd come out smelling of roses. In the distance, even though it was getting late and we were no where near civilisation, a shining beacon of hope. A saviour, a potential hero. Woody squeeks, " a four by four"  to which Neil replies, "where?.....you lucky barsteward". A local man had decided to take a drive around the pond to see if anyone was fishing, in his chunky beast of a range rover, together with huge mud gripping tyres. He happily offered to help and even had a tow rope to hand on his back seat. Honestly, how lucky! We attached the tow hook to the front of the car, and was ready. Even the huge 4x4 struggled a little and the first attempt of getting the car out wasn't going to plan. A couple of runs had the car going forward but also swinging wildly sideways. Just as the beast grabbed tarmac he realised it was too close to a tree and that the Merc' would be dragged through it. We had to switch ends and pull it out backwards. More grinding and wheel spinning ensued before eventually the off roader had done it's job and Woodys car was on tarmac once again. Muddy, clogged up to hell, embarrassed and hurting this was no time to be next to a mate with a camera. These socials are always a laugh, I just hope next time the laugh isn't on me but if it is I'd expect nothing less than a proper ribbing on the net for the whole world to see.