Gone Fishing: The Consultant’s View – Welsh Wild Carp

First, all the blindingly obvious observations. The landscape in the Borders is staggering. The weather on day one was a hundred times tougher than it looked.

It’s great that wild carp get a bit of exposure. They are on their last legs, and the country’s extremities are their last strongholds. Great that the show crosses boundaries in the sport, and shows how game gear can catch so-called coarse fish.

There was huge tension in the team after the first day wash-out, and the exultation on Bob’s face when Paul caught their first fish typifies how genuine the programmes are.

Now. More serious. Thank you, as ever, to the many people who helped behind the scenes to allow us on these sparkling venues. They are special but they are vulnerable, and I hope there is no over-fishing as a result.

This always worries me. Not for selfish reasons, but rather as I worry about the fragility of wild waters that can easily be damaged.

As some will remember, we featured Marina Gibson on the sites a while back. There was next to nothing shown of the scintillating casting sequence she filmed with Paul.

This girl is masterful. Paul was gobsmacked. If those who suspect her credentials could have seen this segment they would have been silenced forever.

Yes. She’s pretty gorgeous, but that is hardly her fault. She is a Premiership fisher above and beyond all things, and the detractors should remember that and bury their jealousies. She’s also a deeply caring, genuine young person, and you cannot say that about many today.

Her friend on the show, Mick, was a revelation. This man has been facing death, but remains upbeat, positive and dynamic, and an inspiration to us all.

We live in an age where whinging is the norm, and we would well to remember how bloody precious life is.  We are all so concerned with our self-importance, and our so-called busy lives, that we forget time races by and we will all be as dust in the blink of history’s eye.

I am NOT being morbid. Just let us, me included, realise how blessed we fishers are to revel in the impossible-to-believe beauty of waters like those we saw in this episode. Last night highlighted that time is excruciatingly precious, and the joy of living should be paramount.

Linked with that is Bob’s talk of physical decline. Both Paul and Bob are feeling their years, and remember the latter’s comment that his own bed is where he feels at his most contented.

This has to be one of the programme’s appeals? There is so much yearning on TV these days. Yearning for wealth, celebrity, a sexy body, whatever. So many old values and aspirations are lost in the crazed drive for success, and many viewers respond to G/F’s reversal of this.

Bob and Paul don’t need whopping fish or endless money. A good bed, good coffee, good companionship, a five pound carp, and they are truly happy.

I don’t know about you lot, but it is doing me good to remember that.