Things Sloe-ing Down

Arriving 2pm I set about picking sloe berries from the banks of the Wye to create my festive tipples for winter. My sloe gin is already on the go so I thought I'd try slodka(Sloe vodka)with todays batch as I've heard good reports and I'm partial to a vodka now and then. Once bottled in December I intend to pass the pickled sloes over to Mrs Trugg for her scrumptious flapjacks and fortified wine, while I set about creating some fun labels for the odd present - happy days.

Fishing! well there were strong gusts with broken sunshine and the trout didn't fancy playing ball today, although the ladies were totally switched on and up for a frolic, talk about jumping into someones grave, they had definitely taken over the river for today. I steadily picked off grayling all evening using treacle parkin,sturdys fancy, olives and even a couple of fat girls taken on spinner late on along with a few trout of course. I landed more grayling than trout, a real bonus in my book and while rapidly closing on the end of summer, yesterday did feel autumnal. If yesterdays ladies are anything to go by (pics below)I'm in for one hell of a winter season sloe gin,slodka,huge grayling and the wonderful Wye - Derbyshires finest.