Thursday 10 July 2014

The River Wissey and a meeting with old acquaintances.

So now we've done the Wissey. To be perfectly honest it was not the best trip we've done this year, very little wildlife and not a lot to look at.


There is a very large sugar beet processing plant at Wissington and


quite a large lake just upstream of it, the lake is well decorated with "No mooring" signs all over the bank.

We were expecting the big combine type cutters that we had seen on the Lark but this was on a totally different scale.


There was one chap in a neat little boat with an oversize beard trimmer on the front


and two more with lifting rakes attached, they did seem to be having fun zooming around after the cut weed.

The GOBA moorings at Stoke Ferry are ok, just room for a narrow boat, but right next to a main road bridge, what with the constant stream of heavy lorries and the USAF from the nearby bases flying overhead it was a touch noisy.

But this was what we were looking for, Stringside Drain, head of navigation and winding hole, once again the flow of the river made winding interesting but we managed.

So yesterday morning it was back to the main river and a full gale howling upstream.

Not mountainous seas but bigger than you get on the Shroppie. We were glad to make it to Denver.
Out for a stroll around the sluices we espied activity on the Relief Channel below the A. G. Wright sluice.

"Hello", thought I, "These chaps look familiar." So we ventured down for a closer look.

It turned out to be the same crew we had met doing a fish survey on Reach Lode a while back, this time they had a really serious net and were struggling to bring it in as it had snagged on a submerged obstacle, probably a shopping trolley. I know there isn't a supermarket for miles but it's always a shopping trolley. Hating to see them struggling Jill and I adjourned to The Jenyns Arms and a light lunch.
It has rained all day today so we are staying put but will be off across to Salters Lode tomorrow morning, high tide 0730. Early start then.

Watch this space........

4 comments:

Amy said...

Sorry you weren't able to make it to Cambridge (unless we missed you in which case, also sorry!) Hope you enjoyed your stay in the Fens!
Amy
nb Willow
www.servernerwillow.wordpress.com

Amy said...

Edit: blog details wrong, it's actually

www.severnerwillow.wordpress.com

Amy

Crusty said...

Freudian slip Amy, almost :)
Martin.

Graham and Jill Findlay said...

Have loved our time here but only got to Cambridge by bus from St. Ives. Sorry not to have touched base with you, maybe next time?