A Room with a View
A glimpse of the english countryside
I’ve been working away all of this week, back in my old stomping ground in the English Lake District and for once the weather has been superb. Rain was my abiding memory of living here before, whenever I was off there would be a twenty four hour monsoon and then it would turn dry for my return to work. Not so this week, the sun has shone and I managed a quick detour to drive along Lake Windermere and revisit some long lost memories. Driving through one of the old town’s I saw a barman I used to work with fifteen years ago. There he stood, on the steps of a pub sucking the life out of a cigarette just as he did back then. I drove past old fishing haunts, pubs and shops and little had changed which I felt quite glad about, to be honest.
So here’s the view from my bedroom window, the River Leven is a beautiful sight, running through the Southern Lakes it was once a fine place to catch a salmon trout but as is usually the case the stocks have dwindled over the past twenty or thirty years but there are still fish to be caught (and put back please) The river used to be a waterway for the Vikings and Romans as they made their way across the county and I can imagine the landscape has changed hardly at all over the years.
I love rivers, the way they meander across the land, sometimes serenley other times forcefully, crashing against the rocks. Rivers have it all. The best time for me though is early evening when the water is still, save for the ripple of a trout feeding on the flies above. Such a river offers a unique serenity, a break from the madness and a time to reflect. I have enjoyed my week here, work commitments have restricted my free time but after eleven years away it’s been nice to say hello again.
What a fantastic view - I could stand a couple of days there !
Is the river fishable or are the fishing rights private ?
I’ts just making me dream about dusting off my Hardy Sovereign smuggler fly rod - a great post that’s brought back great memories
Best
Rod
September 26, 2008 @ 8:18 pm
Rod,
I am not sure about the fishing rights, I need to find out. Passing Ghyll Head got me thinking about trout fishing all over again too.
Miles
September 27, 2008 @ 7:20 am
Wow, Miles, you are hard to keep up with! Each time I check your blog, you have several new posts. I love this one! It’s nice to see other places and you’re right — that is definitely “a room with a view.” My son is a river lover too (he’s a fly fishing guide). He says fly fishing is the best excuse to stand out in a river and enjoy life at its best.
Melissa
September 28, 2008 @ 8:12 pm
Melissa,
I hate your son!!!! Why can’t I have a job like that? He is so right, fly fishing is about so much more than catching fish that the catch becomes almost secondary. I know how beautiful your part of the world is and I know you would surely love this part of England.
Miles
September 28, 2008 @ 9:08 pm