A fisherman's tale
By Parson Thru
- 1401 reads
Two friends stand surveying a stretch of water.
A. “Where are we?”
B. “This is a place I used to come fishing when I was young.”
A. “It looks quite shallow.”
B. “It is. The source isn’t far from here. It runs pretty fast.”
A. “Pretty narrow, too.”
B. “It’s wide enough to fish from both banks, just: about three rod-lengths.”
A. “I would have thought it would be hard to catch anything.”
B. “It depends. There’s a bit of a knack to fishing the fast narrow swims, but the current creates deep pools on the outside of bends. Like under the tree across there, look.”
A. “I see. Are they easier to fish?”
B. “Yes. They’re the holes to draw in a fishing match. But big chub and barbel like to hang in the shallows, too, above the gravel beds. You can often see them on bright days. They bask in the sun.”
A. “I love it. Did you catch any fish here?”
B. “Mainly small stuff close to the bank: dace and gudgeon. You could catch a lot of those if you kept at it. I did catch a couple of bigger ones. I was a junior in the angling club. We used to go in the same draw as the men – now and again we drew the good holes. Some of the men hated it.”
A. “I bet. I suppose they took it seriously.”
B. “Did they! They used to argue on the bank. They came to blows once or twice. It was serious alright.”
A. “What did you catch? The big ones, I mean.”
B. “I caught a two and a half pound chub once. It doesn’t sound much, saying it. People like to fish in lakes stocked with huge fish these days. Catch one practically every cast. We used to often come away waterlicked.”
A. “What?”
B. “We didn’t catch anything. The water beat us. People don’t seem happy with that now. You see that pool on the outside of the bend, over by the willow?”
A. “Where? Oh yes. I’ve got it.”
B. “I hooked the chub in there on swimfeeder, fishing triple maggot. Well, it hooked itself really. I was a few holes along chatting with my mate. When I came back, the rod was nearly in the water – the reel had snagged on the rod rest luckily.”
A. “But you caught it?”
B. “Well, one of the blokes came by and saw. He grabbed the rod and brought the chub in for me. I probably passed him the landing net – that was my contribution. He swore us both to secrecy.”
A. “Why?”
B. “There wasn’t much caught that day. One decent fish could win it.”
A. “Did you win?”
B. “No. But I was in the money.”
A. “Did you catch anything else? Big ones, I mean.”
B. “A barbel. Three pounds. That was a different time. Same river but further upstream. They’ve altered the bank since then and made it straighter. I don’t think it fishes as well.”
A. “Shall we go and have a look?”
B. “Ok.”
The other section was a short drive away. They parked on the road close to a bridge.
A. “This is much more open. Hardly any tree cover.”
B. “Yes. It’s open grazing land. Just stay on the bridge a minute and look over. There! Do you see?”
A. “Oh, wow! Yeah! Barbel aren’t they?”
B. “Yeah. Some big ones, too. They love hanging in the fast shallows. Basking and waiting for food to come down the current.”
A. “What’s changed?”
B. “They took a couple of bends out and altered the course. To stop flooding, I think. It must have been thirty years ago at least.”
A. “Have you fished it since?”
B. “Once. Not long after they did it. It wasn’t any good anymore.”
A. “Maybe it is now.”
B. “Maybe. I don’t know. I haven’t fished up here since I was a kid. I sold all my tackle.”
A. “Shame.”
B. “Yeah, but life moves on. It was a long time ago.”
A. “A lot of water under the bridge.”
B. “Yep.”
A. “What happened to all the anglers? Your mate and the men?”
B. “Lost touch. I moved away and kept on moving. I don’t know if any of the blokes are still around. They’d be my dad’s age at least.”
A. “Your dad’s dead, isn’t he?”
B. “Eight years ago. I daresay most of the others are. One or two might be still knocking around.”
A. “And your mate?”
B. “Moved on. Most of us did. I don’t know what happened to the rest. I wouldn’t recognise them.”
A. “Time, hey? Time and life.”
B. “Waits for no one. Look. A heron. They look so awkward close to. I see them flying really high where I live now. Migrating, I suppose. A beautiful sight. You wouldn’t know it was the same bird.”
A. “They’re amazing. Like a statue now. Yeah... Yes, I don’t know where the years go. What have we been doing?”
B. “Filling in time.”
A. “Is that all?”
B. “No. I suppose not. Living.”
A. “Are you happy?”
B. “More or less. Are you?”
A. “Yes. I think so. Family grown up. Grand-kids. Retirement ’ll be the next thing.”
B. “We’ve lived very different lives.”
A. “We have. Both worthwhile in their own way. I never had the travel bug.”
B. “You have a nice set-up. I envy you.”
A. “Really? I never thought you would.”
B. “I don’t see why. You seem happy. Content. To me, anyway.”
A. “You seem happy moving on. Few years here. Few years there. You just passed through our place, really. We knew you’d move on.”
B. “Did you?”
A. “Yeah. Rolling stone gathers no moss.”
B. “I suppose. You mean I was antisocial?”
A. “No. But there’s something. Just a sense.”
B. “Depends what happens in your life. Who you meet. What opportunities come along.”
A. “And commitments.”
B. “It doesn’t suit all of us.”
A. “No. Anyway, you’ve done a lot. Been around.”
B. “I suppose so. Difficult, though, isn’t it?”
A. “What?”
B. “When you think back. Would you do the same again? Would you do it all differently?”
A. “Just as well we can’t.”
B. “Yep. Anyway… Fancy a pint? My mouth’s as dry as the bottom of a parrot’s cage.”
A. “You’re on. Where’s the pub?”
B. “Two minutes up the road.”
A. “Tell me about that barbel. Did you land it yourself this time?”
B. “Well. I was fishing on lobworm and breadcrumb, ledgering in a deep swim on the far bank. I wasn’t doing any good so I took some ham out of my sandwich and put it on.”
A. “Never.”
B. “It’s true. Anyhow, there I was chatting to my mate in the next hole and when I looked, the rod was bent double. Why are you laughing?”
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Comments
My partner loves fishing,
My partner loves fishing, usually lake fishing. I showed this story to him and he enjoyed reading. I though I'd let you know.
Jenny.
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Fascinates me how people can
Fascinates me how people can see details and lives lived while I'm utterfly unaware, all those different sorts of fishes, the knowledge of the river. You use the river as time, life expertly and give a strong feeling of the narrator. Although it was slow paced it was so full of interest, like the river itself, a great read
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