Fisherman's wives

[Steve Burke]

Someone who's seen my post under "Carp Venue in Japan" has suggested I copy it to a new topic.

 

Don't tell Peggy though - she hasn't seen it yet!

 

"Peggy has confessed she finds fishing boring. However, she makes the ideal fisherman's wife, and marrying her was the best thing I ever did!

 

She's by no means "lean and nagging" as I believe BB described the typical carp angler's wife.

 

She used to get up at 4am, even on a school day, to do me a cooked breakfast and a packed lunch. She still does now, although I don't do early starts any more. And when I'm packing up I just call her with what I want for dinner, and it's ready just after I arrive home.

 

She puts up with a plethora of tackle in various parts of the house. On one memorable occasion this even included a 10ft dinghy in the dining room!

 

She tolerates and indeed welcomes the many visiting anglers to our home. She even used to travel to fishing shows with me, and reckons she knows the content of my various slide shows off by heart! She's always willing to type my articles etc, and even proof reads them.

 

Most of all, I have no pressure whatsoever as to the amount of time I go fishing. Having said that, I choose to spend a lot of time with her, and on her interests. Indeed, when Peggy worked full time all my friends knew that Sunday was "Peggy Day". I'd hasten to add that this was my decision and not her's, but unless there was a special reason not to I always spent Sundays with Peggy.

 

These days I fish a 48 hour session about once a fortnight in the summer, rather more in spring and autumn. In the winter I usually fish 2 half days a week. I could do more without complaint, and indeed I sometimes do, but I find that this is all I want. This leaves me with plenty of time to spend with my wife.

 

Yes, Peggy utterly spoils me, but then I utterly spoil her too. She no longer fishes with me, but we do spend a great deal of time together, including on her hobby of collecting, especially paperweights. Granted I'm retired, although not by choice, but even so there's more to life than fishing.

 

In fact, even with my poor health, if someone had told me 20 years ago when I first became ill what my lot in life would be, I'd have said, "Yes please, gimme, gimme!"

 

I've got Wingham, I've got Peggy.

 

I'm indeed a lucky man.

 

Thank-you, darling!"

 

[ 19. June 2005, 06:23 PM: Message edited by: Steve Burke ]

[Vagabond]

Nice post Steve.

 

...and I have a real diamond also.

[Steve Burke]

Having met Norma, I'd agree!

[Jeff S]

Very nice Steve. I'm pretty lucky as well.

[Paul_D]

I wasn't......second time around, hopefully! Not that I'm rushing....

[edd]

mine used to come fishing all the way up until 2 days b4 she was due to give birth. and we even went 2 days after. but as little 1's can be a hand full she stopped coming. but as i cant drive she takes me and picks me up. but now as my daughter isnt so much of a handfull shes started to come again.

[edd]

oh yeah and me,the missus and kid are coming to next years wingham fish in

[MikeyP]

My girlfriend is a class act as well, even though I probably don't tell her as often as I should. I don't drive (pure lazyness by the way!) and she takes me and whoever my fishing partner is, anywhere we want. She doesn't profess to know anything about fishing but, bless her, she always compliments me on any decent fish I've caught and always prints off copies of fish I've caught and puts them down in my fishing room, so I guess I'm pretty lucky really!

[Alan Stubbs]

My girlfriend stopped me from doing a lot of silly things a few years ago. She fishes with me now - and regulrly outfishes me.

 

Steve, it's really nice to see posts when people are truly appreciated, it restores one's faith in human nature.

[Paul Boote]

Note all of the above well, fellas, when you next sink the best part of a gallon of Kronie, Fosters etc, and utter the eternally pathetic words to your fellow Cro-Magnons: "My wife doesn't understand me..." She understands the likes of us only too well; it's some of US who understand very little about Life and Angling (as opposed to just going fishin' - baggin' up, being a bit o' a lad etc...).