Part two

Having established that I am not a lone soul, crying out in the wilderness, there is a great deal of comfort to be found out there in "blogland". Kindred spirits who have also become disillusioned with modern angling and seek to rekindle the magic of a by-gone era. Floats and centre-pins, twitching lily-pads and crucian carp, tench on the lift-method - hugely enjoyable; completely lost on the vast majority of anglers fishing today. I have always believed that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and, as such, have a similar understanding of enjoyment. Just because it doesn't work for me, is no reason why others can't gain huge satisfaction from the experience? Modern angling - I have to accept that it's each to their own!

Am I in a nice place? My first consideration when seeking an angling challenge.

So whilst I might not be a prolific catcher of fish, I can still confidently say that my time spent angling is immensely enjoyable. Of course I get frustrated by my lack of success, but the underlying emotion is a good one and I am unable to see my time as wasted. My return to carp fishing has been a hard lesson to take. I don't fit in with the modern scene, my approach and deliberate flaunting of the CK logo establishes that I'm not a member of the clique. When I display a pair of Mitchell 300's or ABU Cardinal 66X's - I am obviously setting myself up for ridicule. Not a boilly on show, just a bucket full of munger and some chick-peas; what is this bloke about?

It's not only fellow anglers that are intrigued by my ancient tackle!
A Whinchat taking a close look at one of my ABU 66X fixed spool reels.

My binoculars are constantly hanging around my neck and frequently raised towards subjects that are nowhere close to the water. I'm bird watching, looking at a butterfly or dragonfly that happens to be in the vicinity, I ain't, generally, looking at fish, although I do if the opportunity arises. I've got electronic alarms to indicate any action on my rods, so why shouldn't I indulge myself by exploring the other natural history which inhabits the same venue? I haven't yet gone back to float fishing, when my attention will be required to be focussed 100% on the float, and will stay away from that particular format until such time that Emily, Bryn & co are ready to accompany me to the waterside.
My angling revolves around two very simple concepts, am I in a nice place and am I using the tackle which will ensure the maximum enjoyment should I get a bite?

A "Greenland" Wheatear posing on my landing net pole.
A 1980's Alan Brown's of Hitchin original.

I often find myself in conversation with complete strangers who, on noticing my gear, ask about my catches and seem genuinely interested in the vintage tackle I use. Strangely, the vast majority don't know who Kevin Maddocks is let alone Dick Walker and Mr Crabtree, yet there is an undeniable common interest in getting the maximum pleasure from each session spent at the waterside.

My first Blue-tailed Damselfly of 2015 - on the landing net float at Sandwich on Bank Holiday Monday morning.