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I'm back in the UK. It's 10 degrees. I'm not happy.
And neither is anyone else judging from the faces I have seen so far. It's a funny thing, weather: if it's sunny - everyone smiles, if it's overcast - everyone's moody. Could this be why I choose to spend most of my time living in the Sunshine Coast of Australia and why I will return there in six weeks or so? Well no actually, I'm returning because of a girl called Karen. I know, I know, if it's not fishing it's women, but what else is there?
Instruction
I am currently in Colchester and teaching flycasting. Last years rates are held at 25 pounds per hour. I will be here until the 10th May.
Then I travel to the West Country for some booked instruction and to pay a visit on my friend Nick Hart. Nick is an excellent instructor and we shall be putting together some tuition dates together. Send an email if you are interested.
Our plans to take the flyfishing world by storm have been shelved until Foot and Mouth disease has run it's own course.
I shall be working between Exford and Colchester until early June when I nip over to Berlin for a couple of weekends instruction.
I'll be leaving the UK approx 20th June, so if you haven't booked your lesson by then you'll just have to pay me a visit where the sun always shines!
Or you can just wait until October when I return for the...
Chatsworth Angling Fair
Delayed, yes. Cancelled, no. The Chatsworth Fair has been moved to the middle of October.
I have this old all-in-one cod fishing suit I used to wear for fishing off the East Coast during November and December. It is furry lined, with the cunning DIY addition of woolly socks stitched into the pockets and a large sheepskin coat stapled around the bum. If you see someone wearing fur boots, a balaclava and a ridiculous looking fishing outfit, there is a very good chance that it is me. Be warned.
Wading Belts
It may come as no surprise that I get all sorts of email stuff sent to me. Indeed this is one of the best bits of owning a fishing site. Feedback from readers can make me think, laugh, educate me or pull my hair out and is generally a good thing! One of the things I shall be doing, is including more of this sort of feedback within my site, so as to make it more interesting for everyone else as well. I have been around on the net for two and a half years now, and I have STACKS of interesting info.
This is a recent letter.
Paul ... I just happened upon your page: very interesting. You definitely tackle a 'glob' of topics that most stear clear of -- for some unknown reason?? Anyway, I just finished reading your article on Wader Myths ... very well done ... and completely correct. If you drown with neoprene waders on, they are either far too big for you or you're just a clutz. Which brings up two (2) points of interest:
1) Waders are NOT all alike.
The old rubber waders - most difficult to find here in the states now; thank God!! - are a definite hazard when wading in water that could be over your head. Even though the venerable and completely trustworthy Lee Wulff demonstrated the myth of 'wader drowning' in a stunt back in the early 60's ( he dove off of a bridge in full regalia - including leather boots and came up fine.) One important item though -- he had a WADER BELT on! Which takes us to the second item ...
2) Wader Belts - WHY?
First off -- IF you happen to be wearing waders that are at least twice your size ( ie, a female wearing waders cutt for a man or a child wearing a pair of 'hand-me-downs' ) then if you step off into deep water, you're in for some serious trouble. I've - as they say - "... been there and done that!" And was quite lucky to make it out without becoming catfish and turtle fodder.
Secondly -- IF your are smart! you'll be wearing PROPERLY fitting equipment. That said, the need for a WADER BELT to keep neoprene waders 'safe' is NOT necessary -- as you stated. However, there is a VERY good and QUITE PRACTICLE reason for using one anyway.
Scenario: You're wading down stream, across strean, on slipper bolders, scree or the like ... or just crossing a body of water ... and suddenly your feet fly out from under you and you're up to your armpits in COLD LIQUID!
Results: 1) WITHOUT a WADER BELT ... your ASS is wet and all points between and beyond. You're not going to drown, but you are going to be mighty uncomfortable. Not likely to be life threatening .. unless that stream was in prime northern steelhead country in January and the temp of the water is hovering just above freezing and you're a few miles away from your vehicle ... then that 'little dipping' can become a much more serious matter.
2) WITH WADER BELT ... everything BELOW the WADER BELT line is dry as saraha sand. And if you're wearing a wading jacket, the only thing you'll have to 'get over' is the embarassement of busting your bum in the stream .. that is unless your 'really did bust it' ... then you're in for some serious pain!!! But that too would not result in drowning.
So .. as you can see there are very practicle reasons for wearing the WADER BELT .. besides the fact that they do look C OOOOOO L !!!
Take care and keep those lines tight and well mended ...
les
Well this is the second email telling me this. And it has come from seperate people. And thinking about it, it is true; If you wear your wader belt this should help stop the flow of water down to your bum and below. Having considered this I for one shall definitely wear one for the next time I fish icy cold water, assuming I ever do get to fish icy cold water again. My constant summer lifestyle may very well preclude this event (hopefully for some while at least) - indeed I have lent my waders to someone for an indefinite amout of time for cleaning out his pond.
The future
This has turned out to be a rather short issue. I have just returned from a 60 hour trip back from Oz and I have lots of urgent stuff to complete. Such is life.
You can expect rapid development of this site during very shortly. I now have full time computer access, unlimited enthusiasm and a plan (perhaps for the first time in my life!).
Check in again soon!
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