Fishing with My Father
Happy days……
Everyone must have a favourite book or two. I have several, one for every mood or occasion. There is one which I like to revisit every once in a while, it’s like taking to an old friend, a welcome respite when things aren’t great. It’s a reminder of days gone by; simple, innocent times before computers and video games when a father took a boy to a water’s edge and taught him to fish.
There was a golden age for angling in England, for me it was in the fifties and sixties when the likes of Richard Walker, ‘B.B’ and Bernard Venables inspired men and boys alike with newspaper and magazine articles depicting perfect fishing days on secret lakes looking for a rising trout or that elusive monster carp.
‘Drop Me A Line’ was first published in 1953, it was nothing more than a collection of letters between two of Britain’s finest anglers; Richard Walker and Maurice Ingham. The letters are a timely reminder of all that we have lost in our modern world, Walker invites Ingham to fish at the legendary Temple Pool but as he doesn’t have a car they must cycle seven miles to reach it. Luckily, Mr.Walker has two bikes so Mr.Ingham ‘wouldn’t have to ride on a step’.
In the book there are a number of references to two special places in my heart; Croxby Woods and Woldale in the heart of Lincolnshire. My parents would take my brother and I on long weekend walks in Croxby and my father was one of the privileged few to be a member of Woldale where he would take us fishing.
Woldale is a magical place, well off the beaten track. There are two ponds as I remember, one of carp, one of tench and the occasional rudd and eel, no doubt. I would fish alongside my father, my brother was older so required less supervision. Carp had been introduced to the pond sixty years or more before I had been born so I would sit and dream of catching an ancient mirror or common carp which would bend my fishing rod in two only for the eight year old to win the battle of mind and strength and land the record breaker in front of my jealous brother.
My father would help me check my fishing gear the night before, ensure the floats were clean, the line and reel were ‘taffel’ free and all was packed neatly in my fishing basket. Early next morning we would set off, Mrs C. gave us flasks of homemade soup and sandwiches which I would often eat as soon as we got there.
My dad would point out the wildlife that was so abundant, we would marvel at a glimpse of a kingfisher, curse a heron or duck or watch a rabbit bolt into the undergrowth. At the end of a long day we would compare catches, I would inevitably lose but that really didn’t matter, never did the meaning of taking part or being there mean so much.
Today is my father’s birthday, eighty one years young. The four of us shall go out for lunch as we always used to, it’s just my turn to drive, that’s all.
Happy Birthday Dad, with love and gratitude.
Great post
I cannot believe we are cross-posting so similarly.
I echo all the thoughts
April 10, 2008 @ 7:27 am
Miles
A father could not wish for a greater tribute, well said. Happy Birthday Mr. C.
Elsie
April 10, 2008 @ 8:07 am
Mr Collins,
Happy Birthday…. enjoy your day and your lunch with the family. Before you order the plate of truffles check that the boys are paying
Cid
April 10, 2008 @ 8:53 am
Miles,
Every Son should be able to say something along those lines at least once in his lifetime. Good on you.
Christine
April 10, 2008 @ 1:40 pm
All,
Thankyou for your kind comments which are much appreciated by Mr C. A fine day was had by all.
A top man, my dad.
Miles
April 10, 2008 @ 8:28 pm
Happy Birthday to your father. My love of fishing and the outdoors is entirely due to my father as well. I was the only child I knew to be regularly pulled from school to head off to the mountain streams to wet a line. I am trying to instill this love of the outdoors to my children, in some ways I feel this could be the greatest gift I give them. I will send you some pictures of northern New Jersey. It is an absolutely stunning place, completely at odds with the perception everyone has of the state. Unfortunately, outsiders only see the hideously ugly stretch from Newark Airport to Manhattan and brand NJ as a shithole. I would not dispute this with them had I only seen this area. Northern NJ is a land of slow quiet streams, scary wildlife (bears and coyotes), and mountainous state parks. I’m glad your father took the time to allow you to learn to love the outdoors. I still don’t know a more peaceful, or satisfying feeling than being alone on a stream, wetting a line, and waiting for the tug at the end. Another fruitless day for me on the river, but I doubt I could have had a better time in the city.
Dave
April 11, 2008 @ 3:44 am
Dave,
It sounds like a fantastic place, I used to have plenty of catch-free days but it never put me off trying again. It’s not so much the fishing as the being there that counts and that is what my father installed in me. He taught me the value of enjoying the outdoors and all that it has to offer. I wouldn’t want to have been brought up any other way.
Miles
April 11, 2008 @ 7:13 am
Happy Birthday Mr Collins.
A great post Miles,
I can remember going fishing with my father, one thing I shall always remember is, my father tying my hooks on for me.
I could not master the tying on of a hook at the time, even though I was shown numerous times.
Anyway the years passed by, along with 100s of fishing trips, when one day I heard my father shout down the bank for help, so off I went, only to find him having trouble tying a very small hook on the end of his line,
I quickly tied the hook on for him and burst out laughing, “what are you laughing at” he asked, “well you used to tie my hooks on for me years ago, now I am tying yours on, try putting your glasses on you will get on better”.
Anyway more years have passed, and I still think about those hooks and my fathers glasses, especially as I needed glasses at exactly the same age as he first got his, funny how little things stick in your mind.
April 11, 2008 @ 6:07 pm
SC,
That’s a really nice story, my father always used to say “It will be your turn one day” and you know what? he’s bloody right!!
Thanks for a great comment.
Miles
April 11, 2008 @ 10:05 pm
Dear All,
I would like to thank you very much for your very kind comments and good wishes on the occasion of my birthday. It is much appreciated.
Kind regards
Mr. C., senior
April 12, 2008 @ 12:36 pm
Funny you should mention fishing. It is striper season here in California. Most of my childhood fishing memories are with my mum, who is inordinately fond of flounder-fishing. Hope you and your dad had a great day!
h.
April 13, 2008 @ 1:31 am
Hank,
We had a great day thanks, now flounder is something we rarely see over here anymore and not because there isn’t any. More to do with marketing I would imagine.
April 13, 2008 @ 7:17 am