harrycatcat1 Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 I decided to go over to Kirton marsh yesterday as I have not been out recently for one reason or another. After a two hour drive ( I do wished that I lived closer) we arrived and when I got out the car a fair wind had picked up and it seemed cold after being in the car. Anyhow I wrestled with the waders and got togged up. I had brought a small haversack, till Santa brings the big one, that I could just get 4 decoys in plus the flask and other stuff. I had my mind set on going to this spot with a small splash on the marsh with a creek nearby that I could get in. We walked along the sea wall, and I had warmed up a bit, but could see the marsh had a lot of standing water. The tide was 7.8m at 7ish. Got to the chosen spot, put the decoys out and got in the creek and waited. The water was starting to fill the creek and was creeping up my waders, anyhow I was busy looking around and hoping something would come to the decoys in the half light I could hear wing beats but nothing seen. ( I know, I should have gone to spec-savers) Anyway before I knew it the water was up to my thighs and it was getting cold. I had to roll my coat up that yoggy got me as I didnt want it getting soaked. I ended up with my coat rolled up to the top of my chest and the water up to my ribs. I did not take a net with me otherwise I could have got out on the top. I thought I would have been ok in there but it did go higher than I thought. I wasn't in danger but it would have been more comfortable if I had given the tide more thought/respect. I thoroughly enjoyed the morning though as it was just good to be out on the marsh and another experience that no one can take away. Anyhow a few pictures of ping pong checking the height of the tide and checking the decoys are behaving themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 A salutary lesson. Time and tide waiteth for no man... I seem to remember that Kirton was a b***** of a marsh back in the 60's. Easy to get cut off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oxfordfowler Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 HCC You forgot to down load the photos of the Ducks Ping Pong retrieved for you. :thumbs: :lol: :rolleyes: :yahoo: :bye2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 I have never known a season like this one for big tides. Its quite usuall to have a few big ones around the new and full moons , but this year the big marsh tides seem to be lasting all week every spring period. Between 12th and 18th my local saltmarsh has been under water at dawn. Equally we seen to be having higher than usual neap tides ( no tides lower than 2m this month , normaly we would be having 8-10 ) and this is without having any wind to back the tide. Is the moon in a slightly closer orbit this year and having a greater gravitational pull than normal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrycatcat1 Posted December 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 HCC You forgot to down load the photos of the Ducks Ping Pong retrieved for you. :thumbs: :lol: :rolleyes: :yahoo: :bye2: Sorry mate the camera battery ran out perhaps next time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoggy Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 Haven`t shot Kirton in a long while Harry, but I nearly got caught out myself once. As Grandalf rightly states, Kirton is renowned as a pig of a marsh for getting cut off We once helped 2 blokes off with our torch back in the 90`s. I`ve softened up these days and just shoot the Washes!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 1960 something... Out with Sid Wright. Three blokes cut off at Kirton. Us on the bank. Sid - Are you alright mate? Fowler - Yes, at the moment, how much higher will it get? Sid - About another half hour to high tide. Fowler - Oh ****! Sid - What's up? You'll be able to stand it out if you stay where you are. Fowler - Yes but they're starting to float now! Sid - Try standing on your toes. Fowler - I am standing on my toes. Sid - ****! The two dogs swam over to us and sat on the bank waiting for their masters predicament to come to and end. Which it did when the tide dropped. Three more wiser fowlers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 (edited) I have never known a season like this one for big tides. Its quite usuall to have a few big ones around the new and full moons , but this year the big marsh tides seem to be lasting all week every spring period. Between 12th and 18th my local saltmarsh has been under water at dawn. Equally we seen to be having higher than usual neap tides ( no tides lower than 2m this month , normaly we would be having 8-10 ) and this is without having any wind to back the tide. Is the moon in a slightly closer orbit this year and having a greater gravitational pull than normal? Wait until we get the big springers and a sustained NNWester down the shute. With the amount of water lying all over the marshes our defences will be badly broken and there will be carnage everywhere. Brief potted history of the Rages on the Norfolk coast below. This suggests we are "due one", 25 November 1665 - NW wind. – Flooded wheat fields and removed marsh banks 8 October 1690 - NW wind. 66 Acres of wheat flooded. Marsh under 6ft of water. 20ft of water at Cley Quay. George hotel 4ft underwater. 15 February 1735 - NW wind. 4 day storm demolished Cley. Marsh 10ft underwater. Biggest spring tides of the year. 7 February 1741 – NNW wind. Huge tide. Broke the Cley east bank. 40 Acres of wheat flooded. Regarded as one of the biggest ever rages. 10 December 1744 – NW wind. Cley flooded but not Blakeney. 21 January 1767 – Cley east bank flooded. Marsh under 4 ft of water. 13 February 1779 – N wind. Main bank broke 2ft of water on the marsh. 22 October 1800 – N wind. Cliff and Hardy’s pub at Sheringham fell in the sea. Replaced by the Crown further in land. 13 January 1830 – E wind. 300 Acres of marsh flooded under 10 ft of water. Highest tide for 22 years (1808). 28 November 1897 – NW wind. “The tide was in the eye of the wind”. The shingle bank broke near the rocket house and flooded most of Salthouse and Cley. 10 January 1938 – N wind. Marsh under 2ft of water (link) 4 March 1949 – NNW wind. Five feet on water in the houses along the coat road between Salthouse and Cley 31 January 1953 – NNW wind. Probably the most devasting rage on record. Main loss of life in NW Norfolk. 21 February 1996 – NNE wind. The biggest rage since 1953. Cheers all. Edited December 18, 2012 by Whitebridges Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ghost Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 To me Marsh shooting is the ultimate test for the wildfowler, having shot the Solway many times I was able to relive some near death moments. The tide comes up and not in on many marshes and this tends to catch people out, tide times can be a long way out as well depending on how high it is. I always remember struggling off the Solway after a days shooting Greys, all I could see was water and was unable to make out any of the small creeks I had crossed. Needless to say on the way off I fell in three times, I off loaded the geese thinking I was going to die and they were not helping. I made it to the road where my Pushbike was and cycled three miles back home on a very cold December day, I have never been as cold before or since. Never go on any marsh unless you are 100% sure of what you are doing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Mat Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 Never go on any marsh unless you are 100% sure of what you are doing Further to your point of being 100% sure. Since i started fowling this season i've been told by several fowlers that if you don't feel safe where you are with the tide coming in at any point if its coming in fast or early then just get off and back to somewhere safe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Wildfowler Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 Have a look at Chris Green's latest DVD. It includes two consecutive days wildfowling on a trip he made to the Dee 2 years ago. On the first day the tide made well but he was dry in his hide and wasn't in any difficulties but on the second day he was in the same place and there was a surge tide which made an extra 5 feet and he had to retreat to a nearby log to stand out the tide, up to his goolies in water. Salt marshes are dangerous places and if you go there, you must know what you're doing. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrycatcat1 Posted December 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 Just to clarify chaps, I wasn't in any danger I wasn't cut off, it was just that the tide made a little more than I thought and it was just that I thought I could stand in the creek probably with water up to my knees and not up to my ribs. As you will see from the first photo the water did not reach the top of the creek and I could have got out of the creek easily if I had wanted to and exited the marsh safely. I have been cut off by the tide once and had to wait for it to subside so I don't intend to do it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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