I was walking round town earlier and doing my usual people watching thing, noticed something funny. Now, I mean this in a non-sexist non-stereotyping way, but next time you walk round town, lift your eyes from chest level for a second and watch women's faces as they eye up clothes that other women are wearing. There's a not-so-subtle glance up and down, a split second appraisal of style. How most people miss it I can't quite work out, to me as an outsider to the experience it looks blatantly obvious. Then add the slight sneer, the shake of head, the knowing smile - or the ultimate sign of respect - the complete ignore.

I've also noticed that this happens on the river bank. If you meet someone on the river bank other than the sizing up of the casting action from a distance, the first thing you'll notice when you get close is the glance at your tackle. Phnar phnar, I know what you thought first gutter-brain but of course, I meant fishing tackle. There's a micro second appraisal that takes in clothing, waders, boots, rod, reel, line leader and choice of fly. Whether you're a vest, backpack or stuff-as-much-into-your-pockets-as-you-can kinda guy, your fellow fisher will have sized you up in that flash. From then on in, you're the guy with the expensive waders covered in crap, you're the guy with the expensive brand new sage rod and the big gold ring on your finger, the guy with the £30 rod. What people make of me with my assortment of tackle, with my mud covered waders, wading boots with no soles (they floated off during the season somewhere), no vest but bits shoved in pockets and scruffy burton snowboards baseball cap I'm not sure. I do know though, that most will have decided that I'm just not chalkstream material. Lets face it, you don't get photos in trout and salmon if you are the chalkstream equivalent of a ski bum, gear held together with gaffer tape.

Like Seasick Steve, I started out with nothing and I still got most of it left...







malcolm

I've been told off for my blog entries being too serious, too morbid. Far be it from me to not listen to wise words, lets face it, as our by now omnipotent Mr Obama (if you're from Ireland, I understand it's O'bama [see bottom]) stated in his address, there are two major wars, a planet in peril, the biggest financial crisis in gazillions of years BUT you can get a nice top in new look for £19.95 and I believe you can buy enough food for an entire Namibian town, or one American household for £3.50 in Tesco's - Right, that's OK, calm down guys, 'when you're chewing on life's gristle', always look on the bright side and all that. Don't panic Captain Mannering!

The rivers are showing the effects of some heavy downpours, the wind is howling and there is no way on god's earth I'm going out fishing in that. So, I'm firmly ensconced in front of the (locally sourced!) log fire, trying to ignore Strictly Come Dancing on the TV. I've slunk my way around the web, read the latest copy of thisisfly and stumbled across a new online fishy mag, catch magazine (stunning photos by the way). I've also found a new charity worth bringing to your attention, Protect Our Winters. They come firmly from a winter sports background (fine by me), but it got me thinking more generally. I'm not sure that enough people pay attention to the importance of our winters. Winter rains recharging aquifers, spates clearing gravels, frosts, down time for plants and soils alike; even on the localised level of a small English river, winters are supremely important and the effect of our actions on length and severity of winters shouldn't be underestimated.

All anglers should be concerned about man-driven climate change, I've met alot of fisher/hunter types who pooh-pooh the whole thing while they carry on driving their range rovers and pretending to be conservation minded individuals. Well, I ask you, what's the %$@**! point of returning wild fish you catch if by arriving by gas-guzzler you're directly causing a rapid global temperature shift which could see entire genetic branches of the trout population wiped out? A temperature shift which could irreversibly cause the collapse of the chalk-stream eco-system (dependant as it is on cool, clear water). A temperature shift which could very easily cause the total extinction of the Avon Salmon, which is incidentally, genetically unique from all other Atlantic Salmon. Globe trotting fly-fishers addicted to the glamour of the salt flats or the rush of patagonia/russia/etc ARE going to be responsible for those lovely salt flats disappearing below the salty brine. A 4m sea level rise (as predicted by NASA) over the next 100 years should make sure that your grandchildren never get so see most of Bournemouth, let alone Bangladesh or Bermuda. They ARE going to be responsible for that 3-4 degree temperature shift that will melt the glaciers/snowcap and halt the annual snowmelt in the rivers, affecting the whole spawning/run cycle of the salmon. No matter how small a contribution, we are all responsible.

I try not to preach about this stuff but, holy hell, start making changes for the world you claim you love. Stop reading historic treatises on dry fly purity, get off your backside and fix the insulation on your house, swap your landrover (which has had 4wd engaged once in three years in the car-park of the game fair) in for a car that has emissions of less than 130g/km CO2. Go on, I dare you, change your life, even just a little.

Enough ranting for today, I've got anaerobic digestion plans to look at, biomass boilers, air source heat pumps, insulation, water metering and a whole host of other things that need attention instead of sitting here writing this.









Oh, and don't forget Mr O'bama...