Adventures Of A Traveling Angler
My first overseas angling adventure took place back in the eighties when I went carp fishing to lac de St Cassein in France. In those days, as I was reminded most recently by a so-called friend, I still had black hair, Adam had just left the Ants and Kylie Minogue was appearing in Neighbours. Back then, a carp fishing trip to France was real pioneering stuff and when, just a couple of years later, I loaded up a small trailer with enough carp fishing gear to stock a small angling shop, destination Spain, I might as well have announced to my mates that I was heading to the moon.
Imagine how I felt, on a recent carp trip to France with Angling Direct Holidays when I was collected in an air-conditioned people carrier by my guide, allowed to sit and watch DVD’s all the way to the lake and, when I got there, instead of having to pitch camp, found a bivvy and bed chair already sitting and waiting in a pre-baited swim! Many years on, as I sit here penning this piece with once raven locks now streaked with what I like to call ’distinguished grey,’ I envy those of you who may be considering your first trip overseas, perhaps to France for carp or Spain for catfish because I know that you are about to embark on the first leg of a fantastic journey that will take you to many exciting places in years to come.
I know also that the days and weeks leading up to that first trip are almost as exciting as the holiday: planning the holiday, buying the tackle and talking long into the small hours with your mates about how things are going to be – magic stuff!