60

I was going to say 60 not out, but, you know, let's not tempt fate.

In a few days I'll be an inconceivable sixty years old. How did I get here ? How the feck can I be sixty. Sixty ? 

I was reflecting, looking back at old photos, thinking of places and friends of times past. Thinking of the incredible places that fishing has taken me to and fantastic people I've met.

I started jotting down where I'd fished, the list became longer and longer and longer.  Sometimes you forget just how much you've done.

I totted up 28 British rivers, 5 canals, countless stillwaters of all sizes. Sea fished all round the UK coast including Llyn Peninsula, Scilly Isles, Guernsey, Alderney, Isle of Skye, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and many more.

Fished in thirteen diffeent countries including the loughs of the Irish Midlands in the eighties and dozens of rock marks in County Cork.

Some of the big rivers of France, the Meuse, Moselle, Loire, Lot, Tarn, Durance, Dordogne and many smaller tributaries. The mighty Ijssel in Holland, the Guden in Denmark, the Ebro and Segre in Spain, the Vltava in Czech, the Red River in Canada, plus loads in Sweden and Norway.

Eleven lakes of 800 acres or more, including Bohinj in Slovenia, Biscarrosse in France, the massive Lake Geneva in Switzerland/France and the veritable inland sea of Lake of the Woods in Canada/USA clocking in at a ridiculous 950,00 acres.

When you look back it's mind boggling and there's still loads I want to do. Like the river Waal next week !

And you know what ? There's no "best" place, I'm as happy catching mini species in a crystal clear rock pool in Devon as I am catching  barbel on a big river.

Choosing photos for this blog was impossible.  Along with the hundreds of different venues fished I've taken thousands of photos, so the ones selected are just a handful what I'd liked to have uploaded. The old ones do have the certain feel about them though.

I've fished since I was ten, so thats fifty years. Let's say I go twice a week ( its more ), hundred times a year, that's five thousand trips minimum. 

Last but not least the old and new fishing mates, Wak, Turdy, Smeg, Goozgog, Cocksy, Bazza, Bully, Cooky, Shanus, Mark Zanderman, Lucky Bob, Deadly Dave, The Chubmeister General, Spanish Gazza, Ben S, Glenn S and many more I should mention.

It's not all about the fish, its about the adventure, the anticipation, the mates, the stories, the amazing places and yes, sometimes you catch one you really want.

It's a wonderful life brothers.