Starting again , retirement , fly fishing, planning and being prepared

I retired just over a month ago .  After working full time for precisely 52 years and 6 months .  Also it  is now 55 years and 8 months since I caught my first brown trout on a fly . The working life time is more than enough .  The fishing time period is most certainly not enough.

First trout on a dry fly this season from just under that tree .

 In the last year or two many have said to me when I retire will I  fish a lot more .  I suppose that was inevitable given my life long obsession but strangely this may not be the case . My love of  Fishing has always been not only the simple pleasure but also about getting a de stress from life , read that as mostly work related .  But now , well my working life is finished and I can go fishing whenever I feel like it .  and yet a couple of days ago was my first deliberate trout fishing trip of the new season .  I can’t remember the last time I waited this long before having the first trip.  Granted that the weather this year hasn’t been the most encouraging but in previous years I would fish hell or high water on the day the season started  . But it is a strange new life with the 9 to 5 gone.  It’s a bit surreal knowing I can just go fishing whenever I want now .  

One thing I would say is, as well as planning your finances for retirement start planning your fishing and chiefly where you will fish . Or if it’s golf or anything else start planning and building up to it for years before. For many years I ran a small stream fly fishing club .  I lost count of the number of times I was contacted by folks , Usually along the lines of , “ hello , we have recently retired to the town and I would like to join the club for next year “ ,  my response certainly if you can provide a proposer I will add you to the waiting list .  Currently 7 years .   Generally my experience of river fly fishing is that if you can join a club straight away it means one of two things ,  first well it ain’t that good . Or second it’s bloody expensive/ overpriced .  Many of the best fishing clubs don’t have a website ,  and are definitely below the radar .  Or they are in rivers and streams .  Certainly that’s been my experience. 

For me , The last 25 or 30 years have been an ongoing process of joining and in many cases leaving clubs , to end up with the current pretty much perfect mix,  a couple of my current clubs had time for me on the waiting list of ten years .  

I suppose what this ramble is saying ,  when you plan your retirement I think it’s equally important to plan what you will do with your retirement rather than how you will finance it.  Financial advisors are useful , mine certainly has given good advise ,  perhaps we should also have retirement lifestyle advisors .  A good friend a colleague of mine , he is slightly age wise my senior and already quite a few years past retirement age is till working .  I asked him why not retire as he is financially very secure .  He confessed he feared he would be bored .  He has no recreation occupations .  

The rod is the Luke Bannister built Garrison 201 I awarded myself as a retirement present from my business that I wrapped up a couple of years ago.  Seemed appropriate to use it ..

And Away……

Strange thing about time and planning , when I was wandering back to the car the other day looking hot weary and content I met a couple wandering along and the usual pleasantries were exchanged ,  the gent enquired after the rod as it is clearly a bamboo ,  an enquiry that was phrased in such a way that it was obvious he was an angler .  He commented that he rarely saw an angler on the bank but he did say that he had enquired about membership some years ago and was told it’s a long waiting list so didn’t bother .  I asked how long ago was the enquiry he did say probably at least 7 or 8 years ago .  Now I waited 9 years and I know the wait is less now as the list was closed for some years .  So if he had been patient he could have been a member now .  

I guess what I am saying is that to get the best out of life we should play the long game and try not to prioritise short term goals .  Putting aside for a pension was something I only focussed on once the immediate pressure of getting a house / career / kids / kids education was on track . But  I guess the fishing and leisure planning just took care of itself .  But for those less obsessed by it they should consider that when you reach that time in life don’t just have the money sorted but have the recreational stuff sorted as well. 

2026 and it starts with the BFFI

 

To say the least, It will be interesting to see what this year brings .  This year will bring full retirement and apart from the obvious lifestyle change it brings more leisure time ( or so I am hoping )  .  from the blogs perspective I intend to change things too.  I`ve had the blog a long time and I have become sort of fond of it.  Granted the days of blogs being the must have in the online world have long gone. But I look at the internet these days and it appears to me to be largely rubbish or worst AI generated drivel.  Perhaps people will start to hunt down something real. You readers will have noted that for me fishing is more than just something that you do in your spare time it is part of who I am .  

One thing I do most years is trek the 150 miles across country to the  BFFI that’s the British Fly Fair International which has always been primarily about fly tying ,  but yesterday I noted a further shift and seeing more manufacturers exhibiting luggage,  packs and also it seemed more mainstream rod makers as well as some independent .  For me it’s a few hours nosying around the fly tying stands .  For various odds and ends .  Rods , reels and major stuff I have plenty and could probably stage my own fair .  

As usual I met old some friends and made a few new ones .  One friend had a bad back and was putting a brave face on whilst signing books, ( keep smiling Dave the rivers will soon be back between their banks again and the back will soon unknot ) .  There was long conversations around rods getting lighter and blanks getting thinner .  I cast an envious glance at the lovely piece of burr on the Fortidude rods stand , would love to get that on my lathe.  If that’s an example of their starting materials it’s no wonder their reel seats look so nice. 

I had a quick chat to the guys in the Grayling Society stand .  There was a quick hello to The Trout and Salmon stand and a quick conversation about the deterioration of social media and the rise of AI rubbish . I hope the new format works out for both the magazine and for Pete the new editor ,  it would be nice to see the circulation up and maybe the price to come down .  I guess advertising revenue departing to the internet is a huge problem .  

I travelled across with Duncan a friend who despite his fly fishing interest and despite my encouragement declined to open his wallet apart from a few furled leaders from Luke Bannister who built me the nice Garrison 201 a year or so back .  My friend declined to commit to splurge on a new rod for the very sensible reason he really wasn’t convinced of what he needs .  “Need “  is a ghastly word , “ Want ” and “ Fancy “ are much more interesting and joyful words ……I must try and educate him…

The fly tiers row is brilliant with an amazing amount of talent in show .  I am always fascinated but strangely this year I didn’t seem to spend as much time there .  Too much time chatting to friend’s probably. 

Also this year there was definitely more bamboo rods on display.  Let’s hope that is a reflection of more people wanting to try them . 

The quality of the Coq de Leon feathers on Ed Madrigals was superb and I snagged a nice snowshoe hare foot there as well , Thanks for the heads up Pom … as usual the coach y bondhu books stand was excellent . Apologies Paul if I spelt it wrong again . Sadly I have a self imposed ban on new books .  Until I can thin out some of the existing titles I am out of space . 

Only criticism on an otherwise fantastic show was why have everyone queuing together  , there seems no adavantage on prebooking online if everyone just queues in the rain the same , but again a brilliant show .  Now that all the game fairs seem to have become country clothing and dog bed shows , a bit like Orvis shops . The BFFI has become a rare pearl that needs to be supported . Probably see you again next year . In fact I may will make a two day trip next year and catch more of the lectures and Demos ….