Gone Fishing.... Not Catching!!!

I have never fished in fresh water, only ever sea angled as a child on those long summer holiday days from my old man's Orkney Long Liner. They were robust little boats, designed to take on the challenge of wind driven sea in one of the remotest parts of out Kingdom. I sailed and rowed, my first love being canoeing but I loved to potter about in that Long Liner the noise of the outboard the smell the feeling of freedom as I took myself out to fish.

It never really bothered me if I spent the day on the water with nothing to show for my endeavours and in later years when I worked on the herring trawlers the old skipper would say if we had had a poor night "Aye son, that's why they call it fishing, not catching". His words always stuck with me, a metaphor for live, we often go through the daily grind, things do not pan out as we expect and i think of old Matt and his words, wise words way beyond what he intended to say.... or maybe not.

I sat and watched this angler, he patiently cast and recast his fly to place it just where he wanted it then allowing the breeeze to carry the fly over where he seemed to think there would be trout. It was cathartic to sit and watch the smooth flowing lines as he cast, closing my eyes and hearing the swish of the rod as he whipped it through the air. I am sure it is very difficult to do and I would love to give it a try one of these days,

I sat for a short while, no fish for our intrepid angler and I took my leave, letting him continue his quest in this peaceful, beautiful place