Mabel Perry is 85 years young. She lives in Crewe, Cheshire and still fishes three or four times every week. She doesn’t specialise in any particular species, but simply fishes for pleasure for ‘anything that comes along.’ 
‘I’m happy to catch anything,’ Mabel told me, as we sat baking under a hot sun, the fish not bothering to feed. ‘But I have caught carp to 13lb and had match catches to about 15lb, which isn’t bad on the local waters I fish.’
She catapulted a pouchful of maggots to her float, the Diawa eye-shade pulled low to keep the sun out of her eyes, one of which is failing due to a cataract.
‘How long have you been fishing Mabel?’ I asked.
‘Not long, I didn’t start till I was about 45.’
‘Oh, so you’ve only been fishing for about 40 years.’
‘Yes, something like that. I can still remember the first time I went. It was on a farm pond, and I enjoyed it so much I’ve fished ever since. I still fish three or four times a week, but I only go once or twice in winter, specially when the weather’s really bad.’
She fishes all her local club matches and has lots of trophies for wins and places. ‘Float fishing is my favourite method, but I’ll change to legering with a swimfeeder when I think that’s what’s needed to catch a few fish.’
‘What’s your favourite memory of fishing?’ I asked.
‘Well, I don’t know about my favourite memory, but something I’ll never forget happened about two years ago when I was fishing. I saw this length of hose pipe at the side of me. I picked it up and it squirmed in my hand. It was a snake about 3ft long. It frightened the life out of me. I don’t fish in that spot any more.’
Mabel cast her float out with her usual accuracy, tightening and sinking the line in a fluid motion.
‘You make me feel ashamed of myself.’ I said. ‘I often have a whinge about aches and pains and here’s you still fishing at 85 and fishing really well too. How do you do it?’
‘I don’t think about it. I just keep going.’ She answered, not taking her eyes off her float, staring at it with the concentration of someone less than half her age. ‘I’m under the doctor now though, taking beta blockers for a heart condition. But I’ll keep going for as long as I can carry my tackle.’
I felt very humble as I walked back to my rod.
