Going back to my roots and fishing is fun after all

Easter and some enforced leave, use it or lose the bosses instruction; and why your at it switch off and forget work.  If I see you near this place or hear that you have called in I wont be happy.
So following the instruction I decided to make the most of the dry spring like weather and take a few days.  The wife has a long list of DIY but I just had to wet a line.

So after car boot sale duty I nicked a few hours up the lake with Brian and Will Tapper catching Chubb, Perch, roach Bream and assorted goldfish and other species whiled away the BH Monday afternoon.  Bag of chips on the way home and the day was complete.

So after another day doing other stuff the water side called again.  There are two main stays in my fishing that of my brother and my old work colleague and mate John Dewberry who coaxed and coached me back into match fishing after a long break caring for my parents.


Wednesday saw me going back to John and asking if he fancied a pleasure session / practise at Todber ahead of next weeks Work match.  We agreed to meet at the normal point and whack a fry up before we started

After a chat over breaky and a coffee unleaded of course we headed lake side .  The plan was to fish the newly dug lakes at the venue; but unfortunately they were not ready and the guy in the shop said they wouldn't be ready for the match next week. Good didn't fancy listening to the bulldozers and heavy plant  and certainly didn't want to get my kit across the ploughed field that led to the platform pegs

So we headed to one of the venues other lakes and had a brilliant day in the sun.  I felt like a student getting a gentle bollocking as John picked me up on my skills.  He kindly went through the tackle bag saying, you don't need this you don't need that , you definitely don't need that. God your a sucker for gadgets and magic baits aren't you.  How many times have I told you to keep it simple??????

So it was going back to my roots and to be honest I was grateful.  The session was simple as could be and the fish flowed one after another with remarkable ease.  No super dooper bait, just balanced kit correct and accurate baiting and the fish were crawling up the line.  How could I have got myself into such a state recently chasing the alexia of fishing nirvana it was right in front of me just need to relax and enjoy it.

Did struggle a little bit with the accuracy of wag up in the water tight to a bank but even that came good as I became metronomic.  John did come and stand with me for a bit and just like at school with the teacher over your shoulder I started making mistakes.  But after some gentle piss taking it was slow down you prat, what is your hurry?  take your time and get right. Concentrate.

Of course he was right and again the fish came and the rod bent. The drive home was great , a warm breeze through the window, accompanied "Summer Breeze" on the sound system and that was followed by Mr Blue Sky and "Walking on Sunshine".

Thursday and a great day for me.  My brother is up from Devon and wanting to fish.  In his 7th decade illness has knocked him back but recent changes in drugs sees him gathering enough strength against a muscle wasting disease to hold a rod.  This really was back to my roots.  I thought our days on the bank were finished so to get another chance to sit in the warm sun and catch, was god given.

Set Gordon up with a waggler and a comfy chair and before I had plumbed up he was in to his first fish.  He was always a good angler and had fished for Salisbury, Pewsey and a number of other clubs had given many a good angler a run for their money.  He recalled his fishing memories to me and to be honest I wish I had the easy chair and some alcohol in hand just to sit back and watch.  It wasn't about the fish today it was about the company.

 I listened with no shortness of pride at his fishing knowledge. To use a Dave Moody saying, "I didn't feel fit to carry his tackle". He explained that much of his fishing these days was on the tidal river where he lives and although he watched fishomania and other stuff on Sky TV.  He missed the 5 rivers of Salisbury and wasn't keen on the fish race that was commercial fishing.  It lacked watercraft.

I mentioned the canal, and he recalled his most perfect match at Honeystreet on the K and A. It was by all accounts his most perfect match and recalled in a time when 10 pounds was a good match weight and he did every thing he wanted to do and everything without fail, had come off.  Not one missed bite, snag or any other failure.  In a time when poles were just coming in; just perfect and a waggler caught 20 lb + of fish.

Today it was great to see him hook and play the fish as the years dripped away.

  Arthritic hands don't help with fish presentation for photos but who cares.

We had a lovely day and the sun shone, the fish flowed and I hope to do it again sometime this year.  So back to the DIY and look forward to Sunday.