He is also a very keen angler, having come back to the sport in 1995 following a break of several years. In this regular column he will tell us about his progress as an angler – his thoughts about the sport, what he learns, the fishing trips he makes, the anguish, the humour, in fact everything he experiences as his angling career develops. | |||||
FULLY FLEDGED FLUFF-FLINGER? I ended Pilgrim’s Progress a couple of weeks ago with words that turned out to be very prophetic “…..In fact I may even do some trout fishing before June comes round…..” Prophetic because I saw out the month of March with not only one, but two ‘fluff flinging’ sessions! It’s been a few years since I actually did any flyfishing, but for the last couple of close seasons I’ve been feeling a growing urge to have a go again.
Session number one saw me heading into north Shropshire to fish the upper reaches of the River Tern. One of the lesser known tributaries of the Severn, it eventually joins Britain’s longest river near Shrewsbury. However, it was to the upper reaches of the river on which I went to spend an afternoon. In actual fact, the river where I fished is little more than a brook. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and in reality it was more like June than the last week of March. The lack of rain in the previous week or so meant the river was very low and clear. Still, I can genuinely say that it was a real pleasure and privilege to be out in the countryside, even if I didn’t catch anything, which I didn’t! I literally walked miles, and I’m not exaggerating there. The farm stretch that I fished went on forever – meadow after meadow of beautiful river. Of course, fly-fishing is not like my usual leger tactics. You can’t carry on fishing while you pour a drink of tea! So, every now and then, as I slowly but surely made my way downstream, I would stop for a much-needed drink, not to mention the odd break that was required anyway. Casting a fly is certainly harder work than my usual type of fishing. I probably cast more times in an afternoon on the Tern than I would in a whole season carp fishing! But I thoroughly enjoyed it, and that’s what it’s all about isn’t it?
Fly-fishing is like riding a bike or a horse (of which I can do both). Once you’ve mastered the art, you never lose it completely. You may be a bit rusty at first, and fall off a couple of times (the bike or the horse that is), but after a few mishaps, you’re back in the swing of things as if you never signed off. I got tangled in bank side vegetation in the first few casts, but after that I was a real Charles Jardine. Well, that’s what I tell myself anyway, and as I had the whole river to myself, there’s no one to argue with me is there! Being out in the beautiful English countryside on an equally magnificent day, I pondered on a TV programme I had watched briefly in the morning. As the morning news on BBC1 had come to an end I left the television on without really paying too much attention to the next programme, which happened to be Kilroy. Not just about catching fish However, as the television prattled away in the background, suddenly I was made aware of a voice that I knew very well. It was a Pentecostal Minister friend of mine. With Kevin’s voice grabbing my attention I then proceeded to follow the discussion. The programme was about young tearaways that were making other people’s lives a misery. When questioned, all they could answer was ‘I’m bored’ – a standard answer these days sadly for many of our young people.
As I watched a couple of partridges in the far bank meadow that were oblivious to my presence, I truly felt at one with nature. When I stopped to view the flock of gold finches that twittered as they flew past and the pheasant that startled me by breaking cover as I moved along the bank, I genuinely felt sorry for those who don’t see the beauty of the countryside and appreciate it’s contents. Yes, truly, angling is more than just catching fish. Church End Trouting Session number two, and one which saw me say goodbye to the month of March, was very different to the one on the Tern. Instead of a wild, naturally perpetuating river, I headed for a well kept, and systematically stocked pool. I was there at the invitation of BAA supremo, John Williams, to fish the Association trout fishery at Church End in Worcestershire. The day in question was the BAA Press day, and John was joined by a couple of Executive Committee members – so it meant I had to be on my best behaviour!
By the time I arrived at Church End, the sun was high in the sky and one could be forgiven for thinking it was the height of the summer instead of the end of March. There was no wind to speak of and the pool was as flat as a piece of glass, not even a ripple on its surface. The others had been there a few hours already and had a few trout between them. Church End is about one and a half acres and is set in beautiful countryside. Although close to the busy thoroughfares of the A38, M50 and M5, it is actually a very peaceful place. With buzzards circling overhead, and the constant distinctive call of pheasants from the nearby copses, it could quite easily be as remote a setting as one could imagine. By the time I started fishing, things were very quiet. It seemed I had brought a curse with me! But the others did all catch another fish each before they left me to my own devices, bringing their tally up to half a dozen or so. I managed to hook into my first fish just as they were ready to pack up. I was actually talking with John Williams about football at the time – and just as he mentioned the words ‘West Bromwich Albion’- the fish came off! No comment!
There is a limit on the number of anglers that can fish at any one time (six) and permits must be brought in advance from the BAA Offices (0121-454-9111). One also needs to be in possession of a BAA card. It is extremely well stocked and is a very pleasant venue to fish, ideal for beginners and more experienced anglers alike. So, am I about to become a ‘Fully-Fledged Fluff Flinger?’ as this week’s Pilgrim’s Progress asks? Well, even though I’ve enjoyed my excursion into the world of fly fishing, and I may even do more over the next couple of months, I’ve got to be honest and say that my first love is still coarse fishing. So all you fluff chuckers out there, don’t worry I won’t be emptying your lakes of rainbows and brownies. Well, not just yet anyway! | |||||
My apologies to Samuel Taylor Coleridge for my plagiarism of his work, ‘The Ancient Mariner’, as next week’s Pilgrim’s Progress is entitled, ‘Roach, bream, everywhere, but not a carp in sight’. Well, not much to report on the fishing front, but what if I tell you I had a request from a certain young lady asking if she could come night fishing with me. And she then went on to say that she didn’t have a bivvie and could she share mine. How did I reply? Well, there’s only one way to find out – check out FISHINGmagic next Thursday when all will be revealed. At least the ratings should go up! In the meantime, I’m squeezing out the remaining days of being a thirty-something, because as of April 21 I join the ‘Life begins here’ gang. And another thing – I share my birthday with HM The Queen. The Reverend Stewart R Bloor Pilgrim’s Progress – read it every Thursday! |
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