RODS, REELS & WRAPPING
Will it be socks and aftershave, or might this year be the one you get what you really wanted? Dom Garnett charts the best and worst of angling Christmas gifts and hopes you all strike lucky this time round...
AS THE season of good cheer reaches full swing, plenty of us will be hoping for something fishingrelated this Christmas... a new rod, a coveted collectible or perhaps a good book to while away the winter evenings.
Equally, though, it could be the world’s least practical piece of tackle or one of those corny fish ties. Yes, that forced expression of glee might be quite a stretch, even for an angler prone to exaggeration.
So what are the deadliest perils out there? Well, anything is possible, given the general ignorance about the sport that most friends and family possess.
Before I get into trouble, this isn’t their fault. They always mean well. It’s just that they know as
much about fishing as you or I do about Strictly Come Dancing or quantum physics.
One friend, who shall remain nameless, deserves an Oscar for his own performance on receiving his young daughter’s gift. A bright pink rod about four feet long was not quite what he was hoping for, as thanks were uttered through slightly gritted teeth.
Had the offending item ever made it to the bank, he would have died of embarrassment. I suspect it’s still in the garage.
As for my own scrapes with Santa Claus, it’s probably fair to say that I’ve received the best and the worst presents. The dodgiest was a famously cheap jointed plug. It led to near disaster, but arguably also spawned my first proper fisherman’s yarn at the tender age of 12 or so. It wiggled
nicely, but the first pike I tempted literally split the thing in two. After about a hundred further casts, I somehow managed to land the same fish on a different lure and remove the offending item.
At the other end of the spectrum, however, a really well chosen gift can be one to treasure forever. I have my dad to thank for the fly rod I received many years ago. I was already coarse fishing mad, but this very different kit broadened my whole perspective.
So, what advice can I give fellow anglers when it comes to the giving and receiving of gifts? Well for the hopeful among you, don’t be afraid to explain what you want in clear terms. Surprises can be magical, but there’s a high chance they will get it wrong.
However, I’ll always maintain that the greater, and safer, pleasure is not in receiving but in giving. And if you can pass your son, daughter or nephew a carefully chosen starter kit, you might just spark a hobby that lasts for life, not just for Christmas.
Here’s wishing you a happy one, and a netful on Boxing Day.