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Graydon's Blog, Stories of a Canadian

Fishing in the Eden Valley

Considered a sport of high precision, passion, and wit, fishing is a gentlemen’s sport that seems to be best played in the Eden Valley.

After recently arriving in Cumbria from Canada for my summer holiday, I realized that I have a somewhat shallow relationship with fishing. However, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, so indeed I headed down to the river Eden, standing along the riverbank at the Edenhall Estate, a short distance from Penrith. I watched a local fisherman silhouetted by the setting sun throw in a line. No more than one cast was needed to haul in a beautiful salmon the size of my arm. This type of fishing skill (or luck) was something completely unfamiliar to me.

This previous ritual of the single cast to pull in a gorgeous fish played true for the next three times for the fisherman, exposing the river’s healthy population of Atlantic salmon, brown trout, and grayling. However, when I decided to test my luck, my lure came up empty-handed with each cast. Besides my poor luck (not possibly my poor skill), this time of year seems to behold some of the most bountiful moments to catch fish of all types that reside in the river Eden. However, it is important to be meticulous and respectful when releasing your catch back into the river. It is a privilege to be able to fish in such healthy waters, and it comes along with a great responsibility to proliferate its ecology and fish population.

Beyond the spin-fishing rod also lies the art and craft of fly fishing, a delicate act that somehow harnesses the graceful agility of the fishing line to outsmart the fish and handle fierce battles against them. My stay at Edenhall Estate has been a showcase of this beautiful art. Being able to stroll down to the river’s edge through the early morning mist to watch the members of Edenhall Estate Fly Fishing Club (EEFFC) feels like a privilege and a taboo at the same time. Watching the elegancy of fly fishermen working their magic as the early morning sun breaks over the English countryside is a moment of peaceful serenity in an endlessly chaotic world. It perfectly places my world into perspective and allows me to reflect and ground myself to what is important, which is a wonderful start to my day. I suggest you find the time to give it a try as well.

“It is not about the actual act of catching the fish but rather the act of dancing with nature, enjoying unhurried time, and a test of pure skill against the elements.” David German

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