Dancing naked around the campfire has successfully delivered the Malaysian monsoon season. Unfortunately there is now flooding in seven states. Next time I’ll keep my pants on.

The lake is now rising and hopefully the snakehead are spawning. I have a guest from Germany, Matthias, arriving on Saturday. So fingers and toes crossed it will be perfect timing.

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Reality check: Back, three days out from my casting exam, but a moment I hope I will always revisit.
 
By Grasmere lake that morning, feeling comfortably obscured from the general view by the half drawn curtains of some ancient hardwood on either side, two weathered leathery old trunks along with the sprawling scrubs beneath their boughs, impenetrable tangles of Blackberry and Bracken. Just exposed by a few yards of puddled footpath directly behind about ten feet back; then a fence; then a steep wet grassy slope; then an even steeper wooded slope; then a mountain ridge; then a valley; then a high fell that I once wandered up in a black mood when the world fell apart and came back down a happier and repaired man;  then those Langdale pikes; and behind them the heart of the Lake District, my life’s sanctuaryand happy place. All the good; and the bad’ conveniently behind me and yet easily accessible, and all before lunch if I so wished.

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Just a quick one from me this week as I’m a bit worse for wear because of time differences and celebrating the most important thing that doesn’t matter. But don’t let that fool you, this week’s fly is a great pattern that’s somewhat fallen in popularity in recent years with the advent of newer, fancier patterns.

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Just yesterday it was Friday and again. Time truly flies when you are behind on your schedule. We have plenty of preparations to do before the season hits us at the beginning of December. And there are always things which are not helping to catch schedule.
 
Saturday was a slow day and great evening. We had a small celebration as Satu was nominated as woman entrepreneur of the year 2025. She has worked hard to run her business since 2007 and it is really nice that she got recognition.

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Or more correctly headphones, why? If you use a loudspeaker I will definitely silently judge you, I haven’t seen a fisherman with loudspeakers on the water. But have been exposed to by other people. But the original question. Sometimes I have seen people fishing with headphones and I don’t really get it. What are they listening to? Isn’t fishing enjoyable and entertaining as it is?

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Things feel a little different here. There’s been a sort of vibe shift. I’m not sure it means anything but change is in the air. People in many walks of life are standing up to resist. This was always true on the ground as was demonstrated by the results of the off-year election, but there’s also a whiff of elite defiance in the air. Signs include 527 to 1 votes in Congress to release the Epstein files, MTG’s excoriation of DJT and MAGA while abandoning her seat, and the congressional six reminding the military of their oaths and their obligation to disobey illegal orders. But maybe most encouraging was the Trump-Mamdani presser yesterday following what was forecast as a brawl;Zohran apparently dazzled. He was irresistable. This is even more remarkable in historical context. American Exceptionalism, rather than reflecting some sort of special place in a divine plan, is truly defined by the unique status of the US as the only liberal democracy without a labor party, where socialism and communitarian politics are demonized and virtually forbidden. Trump has embraced a proud democratic socialist and possibly opened up possibilities for renewal here. (Don’t tell anyone but I predicted this - ask Jackie. I knew Donald couldn’t resist a tall, handsome fellow with a great smile - straight out of “Central Casting”). 

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