Dear Santa,
I know I have denied your existence in the past but please forgive my letter; I require help.
My family claim I am difficult to buy for; apparently they believe I have everything I need or at best I am failing to express preferences on which we can all agree. It is a sorry state of affairs but I am hoping to enlist your expertise as some sort of celestial interlocutor.
In truth my loved ones do not understand my fishing. They dismiss it as a ‘hobby’. Attempts at explanation are
met with incomprehension, ridicule or indifference. Often all three. That said they rarely complain at my absence, so maybe deep down they respect the wanderings of a piscator. Or maybe they just like me out of the house.
Regardless, fishing is a passion that can only be fuelled by fishing itself. Past conquests and memories can only sustain one so far.
Just fishing!
Point them in the direction of the ‘Your Choice’ voucher. That way I get to choose where and when I go fishing.
Converting the unbelievers
Heaven forbid that someone in the family might one day share my passion. Let me take them to a place where the fishing is easy and the tuition falls to another
Future proofing my dotage
I have this idea that my children will take me fishing in my twilight years. Maybe the Summer Fish Camp will sow the seed?
Anyway Santa, it has been good to talk. I have no idea whether you are an ice fishing enthusiast. If you are I’m sure the elves show the same disregard for your pastime, so maybe you understand my predicament on a visceral level.
All the best for the holiday season; I guess you will enjoy the New Year more than most.
Yours in hope,
A Fly Fisher
PS Normal Newsletter service will be resumed next week.
Simon Cooper is the founder and managing director of Fishing Breaks the leading agent for chalkstream fishing in England. He has over 120 miles of river under his control, across eight counties and twenty rivers. Fishing is mostly let by the day and if you want advice on which to choose Simon regularly fishes every beat under his care, living by the company motto time is precious. use it fishing. It is not a bad job!
01264 781988
