A message resonates around the confines of my skull, the
message of ambiance having realised just what it was I was searching for without
realising I was ever looking in the first place. Peace and tranquillity are something I never found, or knew existed
within angling; the procession of the evolution of angling swept me along feet
first. New tactics, thoughts and feelings were only inspired by glossy monthly
publications that lured me in by way of what was usually a large carp being
held up by a miserable looking angler. I wanted to be that miserable looking
angler believe it or not.
Then along came ‘Fennel’s Priory’. A website I spent hours interrogating
and with each and every click came another revelation, the answers to the
questions I’d been looking to ask were there all along.
It all started to make sense; there before me were the guidelines of how to
enjoy. To search your imagination, use your creativeness and apply that to all
you do is to live a life that is fulfilled and complete. That, in turn, has led
me to the conclusion that to angle for oneself is to angle without boundaries
and with open eyes.
The discovery of ‘The Journals’ meant that I could plot the
journey Fennel had been on and how he got to the state of mind he is at now, then to use that template with my own journey and search my inner self: what did I want, where did I want to go, how best to achieve it?
Stop-Unplug-Escape-Enjoy. These are the messages that sum it all up perfectly.
Take time to remove yourself from the now and go wherever it is that is in your
heart to go. There are no limits, it can be far and wide, or on your very
doorstep, for it is where your mind is that really matters. Fennel and I have
now become good friends, close friends who share the same passion for a slower
pace of life. And for that I am thankful.
How do I see angling now? We all have our ideals, those
pipe dreams we have on hazy summer days whilst waiting for the line tied to our
big toe to twitch, of neglected, lost in time pools that may or may not contain
monsters. We can while away many a moonlit night dreaming of the unknown, the
promised land where we might actually get the chance to come face to face with
our every imagination, but the reality is that these corners of the universe we
hope to find are very few and far between and are quite often only for the
privileged few.
My own need to catch, or angle for, big fish has subsided
more and more with every stride I take towards reaching a state of mind that
dictates so much more than numbers. Just being alongside the pools and rivers
this beautiful country has to offer is enough, why ask for more. But there will
always be something there, however deeply locked away it may seem, that
triggers overwhelming excitement at even the slightest inkling that I stand in
the presence of giants. Until that day I’ll be more than happy whiling away
whatever hours I can muster angling for memories, not fish.
So angle without the expectation of a bumper crop, but to embrace
all that the day has to offer is to angle in the true spirit of Isaak, the one
we all look to for inspiration. The oyster in all of this is your own
imagination, for inside waiting to be discovered is a hidden magic only you can
discover.
