Early morning hush

      

      

There was no need for an alarm call.This was quite surprising considering our taste for fine ale had not wavered the night before opening day. I just knew it was the right time to be up and out - the opening day of the new season drifts, as it usually does, like a piece of flotsam over the lakes surface on the edge of the breeze. It all sort of happens.

We drifted between tea, cake, chatter, fishing and generally taking in the rich and perfumed air of the Wizard's Cauldron. It is a miracle we actually catch anything at all. The dawn chorus builds very slowly to its full crescendo by about 8am and is followed by the gentle hum of insects and soothing coo of the wood pigeons.

By this time I had been blessed by Izaak and landed four fish of mostly ancient and wild stock. The early morning hush had been and gone, punctuated by ratchet, mumbled prayers to help ease fish away from underwater tree roots and the creaking of cane.

These are perfect days - as I have mentioned in previous posts, these openings have been the only constant for nearly twenty five years with fine friends and fine memories........yet again, another season has begun.