I first went fishing during a boat trip in the bay and have forgotten about it since. That was about twenty years ago. So when I went into an outdoor shop, turned a corner and stood face-to-face against a rack of fishing rods I didn't know if I had remembered correctly. The first one I picked up was a simple telescopic rod. Believe it or not, I had it in my hands before I had a chance to think about it and it was all down to luck.
The only thing I remember about the rod was that it was light and solid. So I took it to the counter to pay. It wasn't until the shop assistant asked what I was going to catch that I realised the rods came bundled with a lifestyle. I tried to explain that I hadn't been fishing for twenty years, but it didn't matter. I had been handed a lifestyle and as I stood there a part of me began to take it over. It wasn't until I realised weeks later I was back near the water, with the rod in my hand, that I realised how much fishing had become a part of me.
I have never been one for the online community, so I didn't join Facebook for a while. The first time I went on there and sought up local fishing groups there was a woman's profile on the main page; I wasn't sure if she was a celebrity or an actual person. She had just posted a photo of herself with a fish under her arm and I wondered how she had caught it.
Since then I always check the site before I go fishing and I've met a lot of people from around the area. The most common question I get from other anglers is, 'Where have you caught it?' and it's not a bad question to ask other fishermen.
Nearly every single person I have ever met who fishes is the same, they always seem to have a story about the last time they caught a fish. Their faces always light up when they tell you about it and it's as if they are reliving it all over again. It can be a funny story or one that has brought them to tears, but it is never dull and it always makes you stop and listen.
If I had to name a favourite place it would be the pier. I go there once a week, sometimes twice if the weather is good. The pier is busy, but not quiet, and there is always someone there who is willing to lend a hand if I get stuck. I would never go fishing at night without a torch. Without it I would have been lost. Most piers don't have lighting and they encourage people to use their mobile phones to light their way, but sometimes it isn't enough.
I love meeting new people and for the past four years I have spent a Saturday a month with a group of guys I have met on the pier. We go fishing at the pier, we go to the pub or we just sit and talk; we have a catch of fish at the end of our afternoon and it's a rare day that doesn't involve a good wine.