With the Coronavirus pandemic around the world my Best Friend and I have taken up a pastime we both enjoyed many years ago, Fishing!
I was always a Coarse Fisherman, rivers, and also Fly Fishing on some of the best lakes around. My father got me into fishing when I was in my single years, starting I think when I was around 7 or 8. We lived in Cheddar, Somerset and Dad used to drive to the Somerset Levels and fish the North Drain, and sometimes we would go to Gold Corner. I remember my very first rod, it was made of bamboo, 3 sections, and I kept that rod for many years. We used to go fishing on a Sunday afternoon, and in my early teens I would cycle to 5 miles or so and fish the Drain, the bike loaded with rods and kit, great fun!! I was taught at a very early age that the pastime of fishing was about being out in the fresh air, on the riverbank and pitting skills against the fish with a rod, a float and usually a maggot. Catching fish was a bonus, and to this day it is still the same, catching is a bonus.
Sunrise at Bridgwater and always a Hot Sausage Roll from Greggs to start the day
Dad taught me how to Fly Fish, tie flies and cast. Casting was such an art it took me many many years to master it properly so that i could drop a fly 30 yards into one foot square of water. My last Fly fishing trip was probably about 20 years ago, on Durleigh Reservoir
Coming up to date we now Carp Fish, and with many many great lakes here in Somerset we currently fish Trinity Waters Bridgwater There are 5 lakes, and Trinity is well established, with the lakes originally dug in 1902-1923. Its a really friendly location, and even has a lodge which can be booked for up to 4 anglers, we intend to book next year for a 3 day fish.
The sunrise and sunset here is spectacular and the fishing is really good, of course you need to pit your skills against the Carp, Bream and the eel, who of course are very partial to worm
Me and Jason, my brother from a different mother before we set-up :-)
Always arriving at 06:30 and try to get set-up by 7, its incredible how much kit we have amassed and Jason now has a trolley and I manage with a Sack Truck, but still a lot of kit! and we like to make a day of it so we don’t usually pack up until 7 or 8pm The best day we had recently Jason managed to bag over 200lbs of Carp and Bream, which was an exceptional day! But having said that I bow to him, he is a better carp fisher than me, but am learning fast :-)
Its always fun fun fun, and we are never really ready to go at the end of the day, so its always one more cast ……
Jason is into another one! and it was landed!
Of course each week we chat about the “One that got away” but was so pleased for Jason when after a tremendous battle of wits he landed this specimen!!
What a BEAUTY !!!
We do have such a laugh, you really can’t take this sport too seriously :-)
Another day, fish, friends, tranquillity …….
We are off again on Tuesday, the weather is cooling down, so the sport will be intensified as catching these beauties become more and more difficult. But I wouldn’t swap these times for anything, always learning, always gaining more skills, talking to fellow anglers, the banter………………….. Priceless
Tight Lines !!
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ…….
God Bless you all
Galations 1:10
