I'm pretty sure most forum members will have seen the news that John Goddard passed away on Boxing Day, a very great loss to the angling world. I recommend reading the obituary on the Gary Borger website
http://www.garyborger.com/ which says it all.
Another recent loss was Marcus Warwick, not a name most folk would know. I only read of his passing in an obituary in the latest issue of Trout & Salmon. I took Marcus out fishing once on Loch Shiel when I was sixteen or seventeen years old. He was a delight to fish with and we had a good day, as I recall.
Marcus was a rod builder and made many very fine bespoke rods, including two for me following his visit. I'm sure Marcus wouldn't mind me saying that I never did bond with the original Charles McLaren Sea Trout rod he built - we spoke on the 'phone and by letter on how it might be 'improved' - but the one I miss was a 10ft #5wt he built for me in 1989. As far as I know there were few rods of that type around back then and it was a treasure which, sadly, had an argument with a car boot many years later and lost. Sorry Marcus, i should have been more careful. I'll always remember his visit and our chats, he was a gentleman.
Sad days indeed.
Hamish
