Stephen Tolchard looks at his fishing and decides he doesn't need to worry if he doesn't catch a fish
The pike weren’t biting. Three of us were fishing and despite us all getting felt up by fish, none of them stuck. We hadn’t fished for long and we talked, changed how we fished our flies but still it didn’t work. It was a blank but it didn’t feel bad as it had happened to all of us.
Blanking, to me at least, doesn’t matter. I don’t feel like I have to catch a fish to justify my time out on the water. Why should I?
The river is cold. I could feel it through the thermal trousers and my waders. I gasp a little as I wade deeper. I know the dry fly I’ve tied on is probably the wrong choice but what the hell, I’m going to see if I can bring a fish up from the deep water they are no doubt sitting in.
I miss the one chance I get. I curse a little but temper it with a wry smile. I did it. It is a blank still but I don’t care. I knew I was on a hiding to nothing but that one little moment made everything worthwhile. Those little moments are the ones I savour the most.
It’s not just about the fish is it? I find myself thinking this at times.
We don’t need to catch a fish at any cost do we?
As I get older I enjoy every aspect of my day and don’t find myself fretting just because I haven’t caught a fish. It doesn’t mean I haven’t had a good day.
The fly swings round in an enticing arc and I wouldn’t have been surprised if a salmon had left its lie and eaten it. It didn’t.
Salmon fishing prepares you well for the blank days. It is the sort of fishing where you only have an upside and the long moments in between allow for reflection, contemplation and a lot of the time and solitude.
If I am lucky enough to catch a salmon I don’t go rushing back into the pool thinking “I want another” I might just reel in, smile and say to myself “that’s enough, it’s been a good day” and leave the river.
Yes, salmon fishing has let me think a lot about how and why I fish. I don’t count fish any more but enjoy each one before releasing it back again and if there aren’t any one day it doesn’t matter. There will be other days.
