Category — Guest writers

The Robin drinks his drink
of water from the well
The Sparrow thinks his think
of how life does him well
The Blackbird skips his skip
around the garden green
And I watch them all
whilst my weary eyes gleam.

I wish it was mine, but the author is a relative. Merry Christmas.

Here’s a contribution to the fishing diary from my brother.

Yesterday was a day of savage wind, which finally dropped at around7:30.  I was on the river by just gone 8, fishing a well-known stretchbut some less well-known pools.

In about two hours of fishing, six trout were landed from the 6-7 inchrange to a couple of half pounders, including this one:

It fell to a size 14 sedge.  I had seen the fish rise once at the headof a riffle-pool and took it on the first cast.  Really good fighter.That’s what I have noticed about the fish in this part of the river thisseason, all have fought hard and swam off with healthy power on release.Not surprising when you see the size of the tail fin.  It looks like abeavers’, which explains the power with which such a trutta can swim andmaintain itself in a fast current.

Moved upstream, catching here and there.  Was a brief hatch whichturned relatively sporadic rises into a kettle for a while, but for somereason a couple of larger fish would not be tempted by my flies.  Had to wadethrough a pool about 5 foot deep,  an experience made all the more spooky bythe encroaching blackness of the air.

Was a shame to lose a genuine big boy from a pool I’ve overlooked inthe past.  Lack of experience really, wasn’t sure how to play it once ithad run 40 feet downstream.  Guestimate towards 2lb, certainly 1 and a half.

All the fish fell to sedges.