On the drive down I had Radio 4 on. Farming Today featured the 92-year-old Lord Henry Plumb of Coleshill, who spent some time lamenting what he saw as the folly of Brexit. Having been at the heart of agricultural politics for the last half-century he was heavily involved in the several years of tortuous negotiations which saw the country enter the EEC in the early 70s. And now, of course, there lies ahead a similar process, except in reverse. I sensed deep frustration!
Brexit.
Aside from as an observer I've never had any real interest in politics, and Brexit neatly illustrates one reason why not. Apparently 'Leave' got 51.89% of the votes and 'Remain' 48.11%. If you were to take two clean sheets of paper, draw 5,189 dots on one and 4,811 dots on the other, then show them to some random passerby and ask which sheet represented 'the will of the people', I wonder what answer you'd get. Plus, of course, you'd need to just mention that more than a quarter of the registered electorate didn't vote...
I am not surprised that political discussions get so heated, so quickly. As I say, I am not a political animal, but those who are must feel like they're the subject of some infernal, never-ending wind-up.
Anyway, it's now almost 10 o'clock and I am still biteless. Time for a coffee, a sarnie and some quiet chilling...
Just started raining here in Surrey Gav.
ReplyDeleteBrexit - don't get me started!
Happy New Year!
Gavin,
ReplyDeleteJust got back home, bloody soaked, after a morning's pike fishing out on the levels. Two bites resulted in a 13.04 visiting the bank on a popped-up mackerel tail heavily juiced up with lamprey oil.
As for Brexit - if ever there was a need to demonstrate how far removed from everyday life, our politicians (of whatever allegiance) are - this bloody fiasco sums it up. If it didn't really happen, it would be a laughable plot in "Yes Minister"
Have a great 2018 and tight lines - Dyl
Thanks both!
ReplyDeleteDyl, got chatting with a fellow piker this morning. Like me he's had very few this winter, but his tally includes a twenty. He reckoned everyone is doing a lot of blanking, which in some ways is reassuring - at least it's not just me. The rewards are here, but it is hard! Today I've tried popped-up and slow-sinking thus far. Trying a new area right now too. Still not a sniff. If the venue was on my doorstep I'd be home already, but it's not, so I'll persevere... 😊
Gav,
Deleteis the water carrying any colour? If not, then dyed baits might be an option worth exploring. Blue, green and red have been very effective during the recent seasons for us. If you can add buoyancy and fish oils, then any presentation is only limited by your own imagination. Not trying to teach you how to "suck eggs"
- I'd love to discover a venue like the Exeter Canal, test my techniques and presentations whilst chasing my dreams. Rob any closer to his twenty? - Dyl
Even after all the recent rain it's pretty clear. I've tried red and yellow dyes, sardine oil and various baits, on the bottom, slow sinking, popped up a little, popped up a lot, etc... Still loads of options to try though!
DeleteRob hasn't had time to get down here for a while (he's a chef with crazy work hours) but there are still a couple of months before we start thinking about other species. We'll keep at it.
Spelling error Gav, I mis-spelt Brexit.
ReplyDeleteShows how much it mattered to me. (The spelling that is).