Why is it that fishing stories always have such emotion in them ??
Mine is tinged with sadness - and I apologise for the length of this post !
Firstly you will all know that I am not a fisherman - I have yet to start fly fishing. But a year or so ago I was given a rod, a reel and a box of flies by a dear friend Rosemary, she was a legend on the river so I have been told. I always wanted to learn to fish, just never seemed to have the time.
Time ticked by and the rod stayed leant up in the corner of the studio, sadly one day last year, I learnt that Rosemary was not well, she had lung cancer.
Some time later I had to deliver a painting to another dear friend on Knoydart and I don't know what persuaded me to pop the rod etc., into the boot of the car, but I did. I didn't even know if I was going to be able to go fishing and I had no idea how or where !
In fact I had the most amazing time on a loch in the hills of Knoydart and caught a few brownies a sea trout and to my utter amazement an Arctic Charr. I was not aware before this day that my dear friend was also the ghillie for the loch and when I told him about the gift of the rod and that Rosemary was not well, he offered to take me fishing.
I managed to email pictures to Rosemary and she was amazed and very chuffed that I had caught fish on her rod and reel - she died two days later.
So to get to the point of this story my favourite fly will always be, what Iain affectinately called 'this wee red thing' - he chose that fly from the box Rosemary had given me and it will always be my first choice when I go out.
Pictures below.
also - me with a fish, and me not sure whether to reel in the fish or get a picture of the eagle floating overhead.
I am now hooked, I have started tying flies and my life ihas changed forever, I even dream of flies and fishing.
Cheers
Colin
