Perch in absentia

With a daughter already "flown the nest" and engaged to be married next summer, and a son in his final year of school, I'm fast learning to live with the reality of my own dispensibility. The same may be said this year about the continued progress and development, largely in my absence, of the Christian Anglers group which I set up with a few like-minded anglers four years ago. Initially the brainchild of well known angling blogger and fellow minister Stewart Bloor and myself, the group now has 60 members spread around the country and this year its fish-ins have mostly happened without my being present. I've remained, along with John MacAngus and my fellow Leicester-based anglers Pete and Greg, part of the steering group, but have only managed to attend two events this year, the pike fish-in on the Fens (on which I blanked), and the barbel retreat on the Trent (on which I caught, among other things, ironically .... pike!).

I had been booked in to accompany fellow Christian Anglers on their most recent and final fish-in of 2018, where perch were to be the target, but a combination of busyness at work and having done some fishing related filming the previous week for the BBC meant that I couldn't find the time to journey to Cambridgeshire for the season's finale, where specimen perch were to be the target. However, I'm pleased to report that the fish-in was another successful milestone for the group, concluding as it did, a year in which three of the four fish-ins have deliberately attempted to capture the magic of the changing seasons: pike in the winter, tench in the spring, and autumn perching.

However, my non-attendance doesn't preclude me from reporting on the escapades of those who attended, as, like St Luke in the compilation of his Gospel, I have made a thorough investigation of the facts using eye witness sources and am thus in a position to inform the reader. For those who made the journey to the appropriately named Fenland town of Godmanchester, the day began at lunchtime with a pub meal and tactical briefing from the local tackle shop owner, Stan, and a brief talk and prayer led by John, before the anglers wended their way to the river for an afternoon and early evening in pursuit of perch. The promise of a trophy for the largest perch, with another being awarded for the most perch, added to the excitement.

The river, I'm reliably informed, was picturesque and its perch proved themselves to be very receptive to the allure of a worm or red maggot, with plentiful numbers of them finding their way to the bank. The large perch for which the river is known, were mostly conspicuous by their absence, but with floats regularly submerging no-one was complaining and spirits were high. Paul, who two years ago on one of our Fenland trips won the prize for the biggest fish, repeated the feat, and scooped the biggest perch of the day award with this fish.

The day concluded with the presentation of a trophy for most perch (which went to Mick who caught 30) as well as the biggest fish award which Paul gratefully received. Thanks are due to John Macangus for arranging the day's itinerary and to Stan for his generosity with both his time and advice.

A fine and fitting finale to another successful year for the Christian Anglers club, and my New Year's resolution has already been made and is being "kept on ice" until January: "next year I resolve to better co-ordinate my work, family and fishing diaries and to be present as often in person as in spirit for the year's fish-ins, and this is my solemn vow."