I’m being watched!

This morning while I was casting in the field, I spotted the bird of prey who I have seen several times, but been unable to identify. This time she obligingly stayed visible while I went to get my camera, so I have been able to confirm that she is a female or immature sparrowhawk.

I’ve wondered if she has been assessing my hunting skills – if so she must be pretty unimpressed. I haven’t caught anything in the field yet apart from daisies!

07 January 2009

Actually I am reliably informed that my sparrowhawk is actually a kestrel!

 

Not as good as I’d thought

When I got my own fishing rod I found the reel I had been using didn’t fit very well. So I tried a different reel which fits really neatly. But I then discovered that although you can have different lines on different spools which you can swap easily, the 2 reels had different and incompatible spools. So I’ve not been using the high visiblilty line I had use originally. The weighted line I have been casting recently is grey, and difficult to see on the grass. I’ve been judging my casting by how far the red wool goes. I thought I would try the light green line to see if I really was casting straight, so I put the ill-fitting reel on yesterday. Unfortunately it showed that although I am casting a lot further, there are still a lot of wiggles in the line. More practise needed…

 

Casting improving!

My casting has definitely improved. I’m getting all the line out, and much further now. My main problem before was taking the rod too far back. My interpretation of 12 o’clock was way off! Now, instead of having an occasional good cast, I am having an occasional failure. Which meant I went to work in a very good mood this morning!

After observing the relative waterproofness of various jackets yesterday I have ordered an Orvis Clearwater jacket. Due to be delivered mid August.

 

Wildlife

Going out each morning to try to cast in a straight line gives me at least 20 minutes outside each day. I have noticed that particularly birds will quickly ignore me. I suppose they can see I’m standing still and acting predictably.

 

The green woodpecker goes about his business around me, as do magpies and paraqueets. And just being out in the field is a very refreshing way to start the day.

 

Casting progress

Well, I’ve been practising casting every morning for 4 weeks now. I had hoped to make more progress, but I suppose the piles of line are at least becoming elongated piles if not straight lines. I have had one morning of torrential rain when I tried out my new waterproof trousers and found them to be great, but realised that my waterproof jacket is only shower proof.

I have discovered something of the different properties of lines – the reel I started with didn’t fit too well on my new rod, so I am using a different reel. But although both reels have interchangeable spools they are not interchangeable with each other. I tried using the clear floating line on one spool, but with no fly on the end of the line it was very difficult to cast, and impossible to see! So I am now using a sinking line, which is significantly weightier, and visible on the grass.

 

June 6th

I’ve managed to keep the rod set up and stored in the shed so I can spend time practising casting each morning. But this morning the leader got into such a tangle that I only got 5 minutes in the field! But I’m getting the hang of bringing the rod back to just off vertical, and it does make a difference.

 

June 3rd

Got organised again today for my practice, but looking at the weather decided there’s enthusiasm and there’s stupidity and its a thin line between them. It was raining relentlessly, and I decided to give it a miss this time.

 

June 2nd

Decided to practise casting for half an hour each day. Got nearly ready for work today and set my phone alarm for 5 minutes before I needed to be back indoors to encourage tardy children to get shoes on. I had half an hour, but took so long putting the rod together and tying red wool on the end of the line that I didn’t make it into the field! Maybe I’ll keep the rod set up in the shed (although I obviously need practice in setting up the rod too!)

 

Field Fishing

Reg lent me an old fishing rod and line yesterday, and today I ventured out into the field behind our house to practise casting on the wet grass. It was raining slightly, and very quiet at 7.30 on a Sunday morning, but I had decided that if challenged I would explain that I was ‘field fishing’. One dog walker gave me a funny look, but I was left to make my piles of line in the grass much as I have made them in the water. One day I will make the line sing out and land in a long line. One day…