Monday 22 June 2020

Gone Fishing - FISH (Derek Dick)

One of the great overlooked divisions of the 'wild world' is that of the  
PISCINE'S
unless you just happen to be a frogman!
Lucky for me, living within sight of the River Stour, my acquaintances include many 
of the angles who gravitate to this spot as the angling season opens annually on the 15th June.
Always reluctant to divulge their success rate or more particularly their beat,
Anglers, a bit like Bird Watches, are reluctant to discuss such matters.
Knowing my interests in 'catching' them is nonexistent, most are happy to share
the success with me which has allowed for quite a file of images over the years 
now to be shared with our valued readership, in part.
Back along I was an avid Spear-fisherman myself so know the drill!
 First of these is the mighty
BARBEL
accompanied here by none other that the current
Water Baliff - Bill Graham
The intent was to have a
Smoked Salmon Sandwich
for lunch but on opening the packet it was rather thought that an Atlas had been opened
at the U.S.A. page!
 TENCH
To add a little contrast to the post we would also discuss the matter of the
HOUSE MARTIN
BLEAK
(Ian, below, went out and purposefully caught this speies as haveing never heard of such a thing)
as in these restrictive time we have been barred entrance to the airport. 
It is at about this time that we would have hoped to estimate the number of breeding birds
there in what has become a thriving colony of numerous nests,
ROACH
 (known as the 'little boys' fish as being the first a child might catch
mine was from the Attenborough Gravel Pits in Nottinghamshire)
with at this time little beaks ever open!
CHUBB
However, there was an indicator as dozens of adult birds are now 
hawking Insects above the Heath before heading in the direction of the nesting site.
PIKE
caught and presented by
Ian Tilly
one of the annual caravan holidaymakers here with his wife Ruth from the Midlands.
Ian tells me they are already booked for this summer (should indeed summer ever dawn)
and am already looking forward to the re-acquaintance!
Fish, is the front man for the sensational Scottish prog-rock band Marillion who
completely captivated me many years ago. 
While we use the expression 'Prog Rock' their music (and more particularly lyrics) are more
akin to a Social Document of the lives of young people in the tenement blocks of Edinborough!
Having spent a full year shipping in and out of Rosyth during what was
ridiculously described as the Cod War with Iceland, the city became very familiar to me,
as did the people with these lyrics suming it up perfectly!
It's six o'clock in the tower blocks the stalagmites of culture shock
And the trippers of the light fantastic, bow down, hoe-down
Spray their pheromones on this perfume uniform
And anarchy smiles in the Royal Mile
And we're waiting on the slyboys, flyboys, wideboys
Rooting, tooting cowboys
Lucky little ladies at the watering holes
They'll score the Friday night goals
I was born with a Heart of Lothian
From the album
Misplaced Childhood 
(I Saw a Magpie in a Rainbow)
5 of the finest musicians the world ever produced, Fish - Vocals, Ian Mosley - Drums, Pete Trewaves - Bass Guitar, Mark Kelly - Keyboards and Steve Rothery - Lead Guitar
Marillion (the name derived from JRR Tolkien) who are surely 
The Heart's of Lothian!
All of this should surely be endorsed with an airing of their follow-up album
Clutching at Straws
(but still drowning - Yeah!)