Now to this week

The apology should have gone in last week as it concerned my friend Nick Hart’s trip to South America. I said that the region that he was going to was Patagonia, but it is in fact Tierra del Fuego – sorry about that.I have just received via email, the new logo for the European Open that I talked about, so I will print that in order that readers will become familiar with it. I also have up-to-date entry forms, if you don’t already have one, email me and I’ll forward you one. Now to this week! This year I shall be expanding my guiding work so that I will be working for myself rather than for John Horsey as in past years. I have yet to finalise a price structure at the Bristol reservoirs because there is as yet no confirmed management structure following the resignation of Chris Klee. I will be offering competitive rates for a day afloat – and also wish to offer some special deals such as evening only trips. For a long time I have been surprised that no one has promoted evening trips on the lakes. They can be the most rewarding times of all, though they can also provide some of the most frustrating fishing of the lot! As a schoolteacher of over twenty years I am well able to provide a suitable level of instruction at trout fishing, and I am looking forward to getting my own business into position for the new season. For now, if you wish to get in touch to ask about trips for the 2001 season you may feel free to email me at mart_chris@mcottis.freeserve.co.uk I am hope to be able to offer some trips abroad, I have built a large collection of guides and serious trout anglers in several countries including New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Ireland. So should you wish to book a trip with a few friends – or just by yourself, then drop me an email and I will see what I can come up with. So much is going on this season – I don’t know how I am going to be able to wait until April!

Finally, the idea that I had for a Christmas list was a pretty good one, as for the first time that I can remember, my wife bought me an item of fishing tackle as a gift! The slight downside to it was that I could have bought the same item at a seriously discounted amount!! You win some, you lose some!