Done and Dusted. Home and Hosed.

Our bloggers 'Percentage of Record Weight Challenge' drew to a close when Big Ben struck and the fireworks started.

I for one thoroughly enjoyed last year, so much so I think it's going to be one of those years I look back on fondly for many years to come.

I remember when as a newly wed - and before we had kids - the wife went with friends on a summer holiday abroad  for a week. You'd think with the house to myself I'd settle onto the settee and reach for the remote but that just wasn't the case - I was never at home! My routine that week was to leave work as soon as humanly possible, fish until fifteen minutes before the Indian take away closed and pick up my order on the way home then repeat the following day. I've never seen as many cartons and foil trays as when I tidied the house before driving to pick the missus up from the airport. Good times.

Fast forward fifteen years and I find myself separated, with time on my hands and working for a company being wound-up and which was consequently slowing to a stop after the British government decided Forensic Science wasn't it's thing. I had the maximum holiday quota and also flexi time at my disposal and I am proud to say that three weeks before my exit I still owed my employer over a week of time! Holy shit did I go fishing last year.

'You can have too much of a good thing', is only partially true. Yes there were two weeks at the beginning of June when I'd become tired of stillwaters and had a lay off until the rivers opened, but that was when I was in the thing, amongst it, immersed in it and I needed the air. Now I've started a new job working for a company which is soaring rather than nose-diving and which requires attendance until well after sunset during these dark winter months I'm hankering after a second shot at those two weeks in June so I can fill them with hooks and line.

With all that time on my hands it's no surprise I won our competition. I warned all those who attended my garage party and meeting at the pub last year they were stuffed. Three competitions, three years, three first places [he says trying to stoke up the others].

The Final Scores.

I'm pleased with my nine personal bests across the year, but saddened by the lack of form from some of my local waters, and especially the Warwickshire Avon itself.

We have a bloggers AGM / Piss-up arranged for this Saturday night so let's see if there's a thirst for a similar type of competition next year. Perhaps, perhaps not.

One thing is for sure, I now have my feet firmly back on the ground and fear I won't be able to commit anywhere near as much time to fishing in future and at the end of the day, time is what it's all about.

Make the most of it.

Cheers.

Keith .J