Fin

Since my new and improved CSS / PHP site is almost complete, this submission will be my final entry on 'Blogger'. I will keep this space accessible for a while, to serve chiefly as a redirect to the new goodness. In early March, this space will be permanently unavailable, though I briefly contemplated repackaging it as "Spiked Heel Diaries ~ an online prospectus dedicated to 1980s X-Rated Cinema", but in truth I much preferred material from the 1990s. All kidding aside, the following is a blurb I originally wrote back in December 2004, I chose to strategically recycle it now, as most of my free time has been dedicated to web design, and acquiring some interesting new pieces of kit (i.e. rods and reels). Oddly enough, I'm at a loss to understand what the intentions of the following piece was ~ though it might come off as self-indulgent naval gazing, I think that we all have a desire to succeed at doing something well, to the extent that we probably also strive to look good doing it. Perhaps that was what the late Michael Hutchence was intimating when he wrote the song "Elegantly Wasted". See you on the other side.....

“Those who know and practice the art best are the epicures among anglers; they have carried both the skill and the pleasure of angling to a height of exquisite refinement ...”

Unfortunately, I cannot profess to have mastered any angling technique to a level of refinement where I can consider myself a virtuoso – though I steadfastly maintain that the pursuit of excellence is a worthwhile endeavor and one to which I make varying attempts at each time I wade a stream or drift a run. To be sure, one of the most compelling aspects of angling is the pleasure of the pursuit, the rapture of the endeavor and the delight of an impossible chase (Lang, “Angling Sketches”). According to Kingswell (2003) there exists a significant need in many human beings to “do things well”; in the context of fishing, many of us attempt to exhibit proficiency and ingenuity, in order to succeed and withstand potentially harsh conditions. Our desire to succeed and achieve, with a sense of style is based to some extent on the Ancient Greek notion of Arête– a concept predicated on virtue, excellence and goodness - indeed the cornerstones of self-actualization. On the one hand, anglers are in pursuit of something vast and esoteric, on the other, the objective is obvious: after all, fishing is, by and large, focused on fish. In short, if a man can succeed in catching a number of fish under adverse circumstances by embracing a strong desire for competence coupled with a focused single-mindedness, it might be safe to conclude that the Olympians smile upon him. And to those unsuccessful anglers, who are characterized by limited returns, futile outings, yet surround themselves in romanticized mysticism, please accept the following quotation: “Next to being an expert, it is well to be a contented duffer: a man who would fish if he could, and who will please himself by flicking off his flies, dreaming of impossible trout….Next time we shall be more skilled, more fortunate. Next time!” (Lang, “Angling Sketches”).