Welcome to Issue 50 | Eat, Sleep, Fish

I have a cupboard that I keep my rods in. Over the years though the rod collection has grown and the cupboard has been unable to hold all of them. I walk into the room embarrassed by the amount of rods and also the way they have spilt out and have edged across the floor like a graphite version of the Sahara Desert.

These rods have been collected over a long period of time now and aren’t freebies that I have received over the years as a result of working in the industry. No, I’ve bought these and held on to them.

The problem with this is that there are too many and I just don’t use them. I do have to say that there is a form of comfort in them being there and I am also able to trump most rod collection conversations too.

Recently though, I was speaking to my pal Jimmy and said that I was thinking of selling some but said it was difficult as I could attach a sentimental story to each of the rods. They go along the lines of “this was the rod I passed an instructor's exam with” or “I fished this one on the Frying Pan for the first time”.

I guess I was using this as an excuse not to get rid of them. Jimmy made a valid point, as he often does, and said that the rods weren’t holding the memories it was me who did that and it really didn’t matter which rod I’d used, I’d still have been there. He was of course right and so I have started to sell them.

A lot have now gone and when the last has gone the money raised will go to a cause close to my heart. I heard one of the rods has gone to someone who is re-embarking on a fly fishing career that was put on hold due to a long term illness and another has gone to a youngster taking up the sport. These are now new memories when I think about the rods, but still nice ones.

And so, the mess that was the rod cupboard is now a lot clearer. My wife, Emma, is happy and so am I. I had a test just a few days ago when someone enquired about a Sage SP I was selling (these were the pride of my collection, I had a few) that I needed to photograph to show the condition. I got the rod down, took it out and didn’t feel a pang of remorse.

I think I have moved on.

Here is Issue 50, I hope you like this one.

Thanks to Simon Cubbage for the cover shot. Guide and angler in perfect harmony!

Good Fishing

Pete Tyjas

Pete Tyjas is a fly fishing guide based in Devon UK

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