When I was a teenager, getting fresh fishing tackle was not easily done. I grew up in a Surrey village, and the high street did not run to a shop specialising in fishing supplies. There was a mini department store which had a little sports section which had a tray containing a small selection of floats, quivers and the occasional rod and reel, but that was about it. There was nowhere to buy live bait from, and my mum drew a very firm line at attempting to grow my own maggots and my dad was not keen on the garden being raided in a hunt for worms.
In fact, if ever I needed to buy new tackle to go angling with, I had to ride into Guildford which was a thirty minute bus ride each way (and costly to a boy on limited pocket money who wasn't permitted a paper round) go to the field sports outlet on the high street. Now, there was the benefit that you could get a few pints of maggots while there to take angling when I got home, and there was the chance of getting back some of the cost by flogging a few handfuls to others at the waterside who all had the identical problem. But of course, even with an early start, it would be very questionable that it would be possible to get down to the fishery much before the early afternoon, which meant that daylight would be short and you very often just ended up throwing the precious bait into the water as you packed away. The consequences of them dying and smelling out the downstairs would have been punitive.
It would have been fantastic growing up where I live nowadays. Here, there are a number of good outlets for fishing tackle close by, certainly only a quick bike ride, there are lots of canals and lakes to choose from and for an adventurous day out, the River Severn is near enough to get to in a fairly fast time with the bonus that if you end up at the right place you can be angling and observe the steam trains on the Severn Valley Railway puffing up and down the line between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster.
But even if I was back in Cranleigh, the internet would mean that I could get any fishing tackle I desired and have it delivered, and I have found a website that will deliver all sorts of live-bait including maggots in what I would trust would be very sturdy packaging. I cannot imagine the Royal Mail being too amused at packs of maggots breaking and spilling all over the insides of mailbags and people's post! So feeling good about one's fishing tackle before setting out for a day's fishing would be easy and someone would feel like a proper fisherman under those circumstances.
This is all to the good. I feel blessed that when I do begin angling again in the next few weeks, I will be able to buy anything I need with little hardship from a local retailer which was not an option I had as a boy, but if I was at that age again, it's super to know that if I wanted, I could now use all the fishing tackle I could not have then. Whatever that makes access to the things you enjoy simpler has to be a good thing.
20110111
In fact, if ever I needed to buy new tackle to go angling with, I had to ride into Guildford which was a thirty minute bus ride each way (and costly to a boy on limited pocket money who wasn't permitted a paper round) go to the field sports outlet on the high street. Now, there was the benefit that you could get a few pints of maggots while there to take angling when I got home, and there was the chance of getting back some of the cost by flogging a few handfuls to others at the waterside who all had the identical problem. But of course, even with an early start, it would be very questionable that it would be possible to get down to the fishery much before the early afternoon, which meant that daylight would be short and you very often just ended up throwing the precious bait into the water as you packed away. The consequences of them dying and smelling out the downstairs would have been punitive.
It would have been fantastic growing up where I live nowadays. Here, there are a number of good outlets for fishing tackle close by, certainly only a quick bike ride, there are lots of canals and lakes to choose from and for an adventurous day out, the River Severn is near enough to get to in a fairly fast time with the bonus that if you end up at the right place you can be angling and observe the steam trains on the Severn Valley Railway puffing up and down the line between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster.
But even if I was back in Cranleigh, the internet would mean that I could get any fishing tackle I desired and have it delivered, and I have found a website that will deliver all sorts of live-bait including maggots in what I would trust would be very sturdy packaging. I cannot imagine the Royal Mail being too amused at packs of maggots breaking and spilling all over the insides of mailbags and people's post! So feeling good about one's fishing tackle before setting out for a day's fishing would be easy and someone would feel like a proper fisherman under those circumstances.
This is all to the good. I feel blessed that when I do begin angling again in the next few weeks, I will be able to buy anything I need with little hardship from a local retailer which was not an option I had as a boy, but if I was at that age again, it's super to know that if I wanted, I could now use all the fishing tackle I could not have then. Whatever that makes access to the things you enjoy simpler has to be a good thing.
20110111
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