On the Way Back!

I went for a river walk along the banks of the Dove today in Wolfscote Dale and Beresford Dale with Andy the river keeper and Warren and Jan, the river keepers from the estate where I spend most of my fishing time these days.  It is pretty exciting seeing the improvements already made.  It is also fascinating to listen in on the conversations between the three keepers as they assessed each little twist and turn of the river considering how to make things better and better.  What a glorious privilege to be able to walk in the footsteps of Izaak Walton and his talented but much younger friend Charles Cotton and see that many of the features described in the fifth edition of the Complete Angler are still discernable.  I hope to be doing this again in a few months, but with a rod in my hand...

The Cradle of Fly Fishing's History starts just here at the bridge near the ford at Beresford Dale.  It's marked FB on the map next to the "o" in "Beresford":

"Do you use to travel with wheelbarrows in this country?"

Of course this bridge is like Caesar's Axe.  It has had all its parts replaced several times over the centuries, but we are lucky in that it has kept its profile just as it would have been in 1674 and before then too!  These locally traditional bridges are no longer common.  Most of them have been replaced with wider and safer structures.  It is a source of joy to me that this one is here, just as it should be.  I hope the Health and Safety folk never get their hands on it!

We can retrace more of the history of this great Sport of ours whilst we follow in the footsteps of Charles Cotton's Piscator and Viator up through Bereford Dale.  Next time I'll show you the "Pike Pool".



Regular Rod