Off we go for a new week following a superb break which was hugely enjoyable, none of which had anything to do with angling. On Friday evening I drove into Birmingham, not something I would generally do as I get confused in cities being very much the rural lad, but I was out to see Big Country at the O2 Academy. The gig was fabulous, with Mike Peters standing in for the late, great Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson’s son Jamie playing 2nd guitar.
I fervently hope that a live CD will follow the end of the tour when the second section completes in April as it will go straight onto the personal stereo on my iPhone. Which brings me to my question for the morning, is the MP3 player an acceptable addition of the up to date fishing tackle? I do not know what the view is in today’s fishing custom, but I suppose that such a solitary endeavour will ultimately mean that plugging in the personal stereo is a real temptation for many. But if pegs are placed by the water at fairly close distances, the last thing the neighbours want when they are angling is the tch tch tch tch etc from next door if they choose not to have their own tunes.
I cannot say for sure what my preference is going to be. I love my music, my taste tends to range from Dylan to Def Leppard. I don’t really get much chance to use my MP3 player as a rule, but I also have always viewed fishing to be something to be practiced quietly to give time by oneself to chill out and be alone but with an interest that isn’t too strenuous. So do I want to put my iPod in with my fishing tackle? It’s a puzzler.
On Saturday I went back to the city, this time with the family as we wanted to go to the city for something of a change. I had not been in since the city centre was regenerated although I did go once as they were building and got so badly lost that I never went back. But I was extremely impressed, we went round the Bull Ring and Selfridges, though the thing is that it is, as always in shopping centres, the normal same names of shops as you get everywhere else. It is a great pity that specialist retailers don’t get a look in. Has anybody ever tried to set up a chain of fishing tackle shops? I do remember that there was a very smart looking music place (by which I mean a place for people playing music rather than another HMV) but that didn’t last long. perhaps it’s the nature of the dedicated seller that they need to be located in corners and backstreets and have that local knowledge and custom rather than a more general place or presence in shopping malls and precincts.
I think it’s a shame because the expert shop for things such as fishing tackle or music tend to be run by the fan and will never make the owners wealthy (and I freely recognise that in the majority of cases they have no desire to be so), but why can’t someone make a very general fishing tackle chain work and bring more people to the activity as a result? I know that many will rile and say that a major chain will put the authentic local specialist out of business, but I don’t concur since when someone decides to come into the hobby, gets their first set of fishing tackle and a feel that they want to go on, the specialists will then come into their own. Also, managers of shopping centres such as Westfield may not be too keen on one of their shops being a breeding ground for maggots and other live bait so again, the locals will get the business.
It was wonderful, another chance to see my favourite band of all time, a day out with the family and a gentle Sunday at home makes for the best weekend.
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categories: angling,fishing tackle