The fishing season started just a week ago, the spring equinox has now occurred in a wash of cloudless blue and yesterday the first house-martins dashed over our house. I was in the river on the first fishing day - actually hooked a fish (which fell off the hook, but no matter).
I share this bit of riverbank with our farmer-neighbour's sheep. The picture was taken this morning - it's 30 metres from our house and garden.
Before we came here, I hadn't attempted to river fish since I was a boy, but with surroundings like this, who could resist. There's even a chance on catching something big enough to make a meal.It started soon after we arrived here in 2000. My neighbour on the other side of the river loaned me a fly-rod and that was it - I was hooked. Literally, as it happens; fly-casting is something of a skill and an art and hooking oneself was a common experience at first. Now, I manage to catch more fish than clothing but the knack took some time to learn.
I was surprised to find other, obviously skilled, lifelong fishermen in the river on the first day using fly-rods, but we've had very warm weather for a couple of weeks now and there are small flying insects in the air so it was a joy to start swishing the 'canne-à-la-mouche' right from the start. I'll confess that I enjoy this activity far more than using a 'spinner' or other bait methods. It's just somehow more satisfying and even has an aesthetic appeal. Above all, you actually stalk a fish instead of plonking yourself down on a river-bank somewhere, toss in your tackle and hope some fish stumbles across it. Here, we stalk trout and grayling - nyam, nyam.
I'll have to forgo the river for a bit as it's time for our next UK trip. Family to visit- it's been six months since the last. We'll drive to Ouistreham, the port at Caen, Normandy on Tuesday, a seven or eight hour trip. After a night at the port in a small hotel (they actually give us the 4-digit code to open the main door, over the 'phone in case we arrive too late for the staff), then take the 8 am 'Brittany Ferries' boat to Portsmouth. It means six hours on the English Channel but the ships are comfortable, well run and serve good food, so the time passes easily, filled by a leisurely meal and a hundred or so pages of a good book.
I won't mind sampling a plate of English fish-and-chips either for a change.
Mapmaker
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