The title of this post has a certain "local resonance" for us Leicester folk following the recent discovery of Richard III's remains in one of our City carparks (cue joke: "Leicester City car Parking: short stay- half an hour, long stay- 600 years"), but the winter has been the cause of much piscatorial unrest for me, as what had been an enjoyable summer of fishing has tailed off into a winter of blanks, small perch and frozen lakes and ponds. I took a brief walk around my favourite local estate lake today and found the water gin-clear and all the luxurient green marginal reed and weed beds from which I conjure all my spring/summer crucians from in a sparse, brown-hued state of decay. Despite peering into the water, I saw no fish, which were presumably all sitting on the bottom, covered in leeches, in the middle of the pond. I reckon it'll be a couple of months till I return to the lake to fish, so it looks like I'll have to content myself with more small perch from the canal until then.
The lay-off from any serious fishing has been filled by a combination of the ubiquitous work and family commitments, watching Crabtree on the TV (the format is a bit "samey" week after week, but John Bailey's interaction with the youngsters, and the delight and wonderment on their faces as they tangle with some decent fish in pretty surroundings cheers me up on a Thursday night!) and reading.
I recently got hold of an unusual book, the like of which we don't have in this country. Entitled "Outdoor Truths", (and available from Amazon) it's a collection of short essays that began life as newspaper and magazine articles across eighteen different states in the US. Written by Gary Miller, a former church pastor, who is now a pro-staffer for several hunting and outdoor companies, the articles use illustrations and anecdotes from his experiences as an angler and hunter to draw paralells with broader issues of life and faith from a Christian perspective. Gary writes with a light touch and easy style and his words will strike a ready chord with any outdoors-orientated Christian or seeker after truth, and would be a welcome addition to any Christian angler's library.
Gary Miller
And so, it's off to prepare my spinning tackle for another trip after perch, and to dream of spring and summer, of realistic water temperatures, warm breezes and carp, tench, crucians and long, lazy days.
