We have spent nearly 3 happy years in Somerset. I can thoroughly recommend it, pleasant scenery, rural communities and great cider. But it’s now time for a new adventure and we’re off to the Highlands of Scotland. I’ve always wanted to live close to mountains, streams and lochs, amongst the heather and the stags and……oh, hang on, I’ll be lapsing into poetry soon!
What does this mean for my fishing though? Well, it’s a double-edged sword really. On the plus side, wild brown trout in hill lochs and streams, Sea trout in salt and freshwater, salmon of course, plus some decent looking pollack and conger fishing in the sea lochs. On the downside, no carp on the fly for the foreseeable future, probably not much piking either and I’ll be a long way from my nearest barbel. Then there’s the fact that I will be perilously close to the lair of Corsican Dave Felce which could be interesting!
My time in Somerset has seen some notable fishing. I cracked pure fly fishing for carp in murky water at some secluded (and some not so secluded) local stillwaters. I was fascinated by slugging for chub on the Tone and caught some cracking winter Perch. The reservoir trout fishing at Clatworthy, Hawkridge and Wimbleball has been superb and the wilder trout fishing up on Dartmoor will, I suspect, be somewhat similar to what I’ll find in Scotland. I’ve also had some great fishing out in the Bristol Channel on board Lorna Doone with Capt. Tommo Wright getting amongst the big smoothounds.
I’ve given a presentation and talk to the great guys of the Somerset PAC group as a guest speaker and I’ve made plenty of friends amongst local anglers, special mentions to the relentless Rodney Wevill, the talented Jack Welshman, and my neighbour and angling buddy, Richard Earnshaw. I do regret not having been able to arrange meet-ups with others, including some superbly skilled young ‘thrusters’ like Dom Garnett, Matt Forester and Andy Mytton. I’m sure I would have had enjoyable learning experiences with those guys.
Why the move then? Well, I’ve somewhat fallen out of love with England, or specifically the English. I’m very much a pro European and, being half Maltese, I now hold an EU passport so it will be nice to live in a country where the majority share my values. But, enough of that, let’s see what the next chapter in life’s adventure brings.
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