For most of the last 35 years I've mainly fly-fished, including fishing for, and managing the England Loch Style Team during the noughties.
Back in the 1970s as a teenager I used to coarse fish for tench in the Ashton Keynes area of the Cotswold Water Park.
I've had an almost total break from fishing for the last couple of years apart from a few grayling days on the Welsh Dee, as most of my spare time has been consumed by cycling.
I did pick up a split cane Richard Walker Mk.IV Avon on
eBay a few weeks ago as I quite fancy doing a little laid-back tench fishing this summer. I have a collection of early Mitchell reels and so will probably go quite retro. Quill float, lift method etc.
The idea of sitting back in a comfy chair with coffee and cigar watching a float quite appeals to me as I get older.
I'm still planning a four week fly fishing trip to Montana next year though.
Graham