MikeT

Gorgeous!

Dear Lord, that's lovely. Enjoy!!!

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Hi Chris, for the second time today...... The angler you met on the Worgret stretch was myself, and the reel I was using was a Witcher (though it was my Bisterne, not a 1920). After you left, I wondered if it was you I'd met, having seen your face on pics on here, and so I popped on your blog to see if you had been at Worgret today. Sorry I didn't make the connection before you'd left. Well done on your haul at Wool Bridge. I did fish on at that pool on the bend where you caught your solitary grayling of the morning, and guess what, I also caught one there, which also weighed in at 1-14! It was a female, and I wonder if it might have actually been the very same fish- presuming there is only one in that whole stretch! I caught nothing else, and I now wish I'd followed you upstream! Great to meet you, albeit unknowingly, and I'm glad you had a good afternoon on what was a beautiful day here in Dorset. Best wishes, Mike.

SOLD

I have two wonderful young sons, the apples of my eye, whom I hope to introduce to the delights of angling when they're old enough to appreciate it properly. If they demonstrate and prove a proper affinity and respect for our noble art, and devote their lifetimes to a true philosophical appreciation of being at one with riverbank and water, I’m damned if I’ll leave my Bisterne to either of them when I die. It’s mine, all mine, and it’ll be buried with me.

Added these. The first for scale, although it makes my hand look tiny, so that didn't work.

Photos of the Avon Elite. Sorry if they're of poor quality, or too big- I took them with my mobile. I think the little black dots are fluff from the pouch.

That's regrettable to me, as both are such decent chaps, although, of course, nobody's pointing a gun at either of them. I fear it would only be worse if I put it on eBay or through an auction house- it's a terribly desirable reel. I've taken some photos, but forgot to bring the cable to work, so I'll upload them later.

Hi Chris. Hope you’re well. Yes, I’ll put up some pictures as soon as I get organised. I have a vague feeling I put some on this site a couple of years ago, but am rubbish at searching.

SOLD Hello chaps. Long time. I’m thinking of selling my Witcher Avon Elite, and wonder if any of you pinheads are interested? It’s the Avon Elite II model, serial number 47 (so very late production and brilliantly perfected, of which type only about fifteen were made). It is the 4 ½ inch, narrow drum model. It’s very, very like the Bisterne in construction and aesthetics, and like all Witchers is a rare and special thing. Utterly beautiful, feather light, slick as an eel in a bucket of oil, and it’s probably the finest trotting reel in existence. I have extensive correspondence with Paul about this particular reel, which is in worshipped condition, and would include this in the sale, along with the owners certificate and original leather pouch. I’ll consider offers Best, Mike.

Three or four years ago in September, we spent a wonderful fortnight on holiday at Balaguier d’Olt, which is on the River Lot, near Figeac. It’s a very beautiful part of the world, and I often think about the fabulous time we had there. Bucolic bliss. The Lot is a big and mysterious river, as I’m sure you’ll have noticed. It’s deep, slow, and wide, and any angler seeing it will sense immediately the promise it makes of fish. There’s a heavy sort of quietness about the riverbank, and the water has that weird knowingness that sets the heart pounding. It looks as though it’s chock full of fish, and every languid bend reveals new swims to explore- gravel shallows dropping into depths of clear green darkness, overhanging trees dappling the hot golden air, vast weirs and buttressed bridge footings, sheltered pools of almost lake-calm stillness, and immensely deep runs beside hundred-foot grey stone cliffs, gorged out by millions of years of flow. I spent several days fishing for chub and barbel along several miles of the river. It’s all free water (with the usual French license), though some areas have prohibited access through farmland. There’s absolutely tons of fishing, and of course it never gets fished. I didn’t see a single other angler (except one local fellow, once, trolling along for pike from his little put-put boat). Most of the bank is apparently unvisited. There are places where anglers do congregate- nearer the towns of course, and in the few bits where night fishing is specially permitted for carp. I remember the angling is well publicised on the internet, and you can get good leaflets with maps on fishing the river from the local tourism offices. I have no doubt you’ll find your feet there very quickly. As always, the fishing is dictated by the water conditions and your chosen quarry. Most French anglers are after the pike (to eat), although the carp fishing on the Lot is increasingly popular, and quite excellent apparently (I didn’t bother to find out much about that, not being interested myself). I float fished with light tackle a rod-length or two out from the nearside banks, on shallower parts of slow runs and back eddies for the chub and smallish barbel, which are everywhere. I had dozens of them- mostly hard-fighting pristine barbel to about four or five pounds. There were swims that were so slow flowing that I could use a Polaris leger float and swimfeeder to fish the bottom static- and this was a killer method. Best baits were sweetcorn and bread, but these are virgin wild fish and I think you could bring them on to any of the usual baits with feeding. Of course, the real pleasure is in the experience of simply being there, and I cannot think of anywhere more satisfying for pure angling joy than on the River Lot. It’s just magic. You lucky, lucky chap. Edit to add some photos:

Nah, buying a thing like that is like putting ten pounds into a piggy bank and taking out fifteen later on (and, in the mean time of course, you get to enjoy using a rather fabulous piggy bank). I think I’m the poorer one here! Good luck and all the best with your reel, Rusty! I wish you a lifetime of great pleasure, and some wonderful catches with it.