That was the year
that was
2021 was a jolly merry-go-round relative to the
rollercoaster of 2020. Yes, I could count the number of overseas visitors
on a single hand, but the void was more than filled by the continuing surge
in interest in all things outdoors.
Being pinged by track and trace alerts probably provided the
most difficult conversations of the year whilst the happiest were those
that welcomed back all of you who had rolled over from last year.
Politically, aside from our internal spats about stocking,
fishing largely stayed out of the headlines which is mostly a good thing.
The Mortimer & Whitehouse series, which comes sideways at our strange
pastime, has provided a PR boost which I haven’t know since the Brad Pitt
film A River Runs through It and before that, Hugh Miles’
masterpiece on the BBC A Passion for Angling. However, I do see
trouble ahead with the upcoming sentience legislation as I have written
above.
However, I don’t see any such troubles for the much-vaunted
Environment Bill that received Royal Assent on 9th November which will turn government
officials giddy as the water industry runs rings around them. The only
comfort I take from the passage of this feeble bit of legislation is that
river and coastal pollution is now firmly on the public radar having broken
out from being a niche concern of surfers, wild swimmers, and anglers.
On the chalkstreams we were truly blessed with the second of
two wet years: no lack-of-rain induced sleepless nights for me until this
November. Hatches came and went as Mother Nature intended, the only downer
being a stuttering Mayfly period that only really got going in short
bursts.
As ever, your feedback gave me a new window through which to
look in on the world of fly fishing. Aside my favourite quote of the year,
“I never like paying! ;-)” on which I think we can all agree, I see a
definitive trend for more appreciation for the healing, if that is the
right word, properties for a day on the river that has emerged in the past
two pandemic years. Though few of us have entirely lost to the urge to
catch the fact of just being there, despite the frustrations of cussed
fish, is enough to make any day on the river a day well spent.
On that, which I hope is a happy thought, let us wrap up
this year. I’ll be back with my next Newsletter on 14th of January so until then, from all of us
at Nether Wallop Mill and those out on the rivers, thank you for your
support and kind words.
Have a great
Christmas and all the best for 2022.
Best wishes,
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