The Last Cast

I can’t tell you how happy I am to be retiring as editor of FishingMagic.

I can’t tell you that because it would be a lie; I’m not happy about it at all. In fact I’m proper upset as I write this, knowing it will be one of my last contributions as editor of a website that has been ‘my baby’ for the last 10 years. But I’m already past my sell-by date at 66 (or at least past my ‘best before’ date), and I’m ready to take it a little easier and do more of the things I want to do while I still can.

It’s been a long (in internet terms) and very, very interesting ride, especially the last eight years when editing FM has been my full time, salary paid occupation – quite a change from being an engineer, a manager in a munitions factory, which I retired from over 16 years ago! For the most part I’ve enjoyed it but nevertheless, it’s a responsibility and a commitment and I’ve never given the site less than my very best effort. Many times my wife Anne has had to drag me out of the office when I’ve burnt the midnight oil and cursed me as I’ve crawled out of bed at an ungodly hour to make an early start.

Of course I usually played the sympathy card, with the words, “Sorry duck (it could be ‘love’, ‘pet’, or ‘darling’ round your way, but it’s ‘duck’ in my world) but I’ve got to get something finished, I’m on a deadline you know.” Course, she never believed me; she knew I was doing it just because I wanted to.

I remember well the early days when there were half a dozen or so in the London office and me working from my home/office over the internet. And boy was it hard in the days before broadband when the modem had to crank up with that bloody awful wailing noise! The first members were the staff of Magicalia and then we started to grow, and grow, until today when we’re coming up to 52,000 members and with no signs of slowing down.

Of course I’m not telling most of you anything you don’t already know. There is a solid core of loyal FM members who use the forum regularly to amuse and abuse each other to the delight of those who just look in. You know as well as I do that we’ve achieved a real family spirit on the site, with all of us enjoying the articles from the regular contributors who have diligently worked away – and all for free. None of them have ever received a penny for their efforts, which is why I’m never very pleased when someone gets overly critical of their work.

The fish-ins are the best on the net, of that there is no doubt, with the same friendly atmosphere from the site spilling onto the bank. And the money you’ve raised for charity has been nothing short of brilliant, absolute and total generosity, with goods, money and time given selflessly.

There are some who know that I’ve been toying with the idea of retiring for about 18 months, veering back and forth between wanting to carry on and wanting to take it easy a bit more and then, in the end, just putting it off again.

And then my mate Dave died in June at the age of 61, and the death of a family member or close friend makes you take a long hard look at your own life. Dave had been retired just 12 months when he died and due to his illness he didn’t enjoy much of it. Before he became ill I remember how we often talked about other friends who had died, some of whom hadn’t been lucky enough to reach retiring age and others who had carried on working and never had the pleasure of relinquishing that responsibility. Of course, like everyone, we chatted about it just as though such things only happen to other people. How little we knew.

So, I’ve made the decision to relinquish my responsibility to a full time occupation. That doesn’t mean I’m going to be idle and fish every day. I’m not made like that; I’m only happy when I’m busy with something, but at least in future I’ll be busy most of the time doing the things I love best at the times when I want to do them. I’ve got my fishing, my photography, my writing (two book contracts already signed) and anything else I want to delve into – or not, whatever the case may be.

So, thank you to all the contributors who have supported me and FishingMagic, and thank you to all those who use the forum. Thanks to every member and visitor – it’s all of you who have made FishingMagic by far the best fishing web site in the UK.

Graham with three of his grandchildren

I retire from my full time role as editor, tomorrow, Wednesday, 1st October. But that doesn’t mean that’s the last you’ve seen of me as I’ll still be working part time, keeping the site ticking over for the odd day a week, and I’ll be on the forum enjoying the debate and banter as usual. And I’ll still be attending the Aces Vs Chavs fish-in, so I’ll see some of you there.

So what’s next for FishingMagic and what about a successor? Well, I’m still talking through some of the options with colleagues and I’ll bring more news on that just as soon as I can.