Monday, January 29, 2007

Spotting the signs of obsession

While, for some, flyfishing is just an engaging hobby, a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, for others it is an all-consuming passion, a lens through which all else is viewed. And at this time of the year, when some of us have been away from the water for four months, the signs of cabin fever start to show through. Over at Tamanawis, Mike has been cutting his equipment to the bone, and has tried replacing his fly jacket with a piece of shoe lace. If I had to guess, I'd imagine that Mike is in the all-consuming passion camp.

So what about you? If, like me, you've done anything like the following, then I think you have your answer...

  • You've sewn extra straps to the outside of your rucksack so that you can carry your waders around
  • You're annoyed that 'A River Somewhere', now out on DVD, only seems to be available for Region 4.
  • While travelling down for a holiday in the New Forest, you've suggested to your other half that it might be pleasant to stop off at the River Itchen Country Park (for light refreshments, and the stretching of legs, you understand) and then spent the best part of an afternoon trying to get near that glorious piece of chalkstream
  • You post fishing related musings on one of those blog things... [Ahem.]
  • John Craven

    John Craven talks to someone else about something that is nothing to do with fishing. Damn.

  • In the hope of even the briefest glimpse of a river (and someone fishing in it), you sit through whole episodes of Countryfile, enduring endless pieces on GM crops with John Craven, and Yorkshire rambling holidays with Michaela Strachan.
  • You've got RSS feeds set up on eBay to search for occurrences of 'grey's missionary', 'orvis frequent flyer' and 'oliver edwards'
  • You've wondered whether the fluff that comes out of your lounge carpet might make a suitable dubbing material for fly tying

Any of this sound like you? No? Good. Then quick, get out of here and take up golf while there's still time!