ON THE WATER

The canoe bobs with the gentlest of swells as I stop paddling to get my bearings. A light breeze is purring across the open water of Hickling Broad and whispering into the reeds. They make a dry, papery hiss, a sound known here as a ‘fizmer’.

The Pleasure Boat Inn and staithe where I launched are already someway behind me and in front everything is water. There’s a temptation to take what feels like the shortest route, to head straight out, but instead, I cling to the sides. I’m not in a rush. Besides, it’s close to the reeds where the real opportunities are, both to spot wildlife and to see the narrow creeks, which can only be