Saturday 28 April 2012

Fishing and glass painting...


Whenever I get stuck for ideas I go fishing and paint fish and despite the world of glass being slow at the moment (so slow it might be static soon) I’ve painted a few fishy pieces recently -  here's a large bowl, I guess it might sell some day.  

Fish? God knows why – I’m certainly no fisherman.

Oh, I’ve caught fish with nets in rock pools, even tried my hand at beach fishing; snapping my rod with my second cast. Of course I bought another, but after losing a fortune on weights and floats and hooks, without a single bite decided that fish could be bought from the supermarket. A pity really, even a mackerel or two would have been a triumph.

The only time I really caught a fish it was with a stick, some string, a piece of bread and a safety pin. It’s true, a largish Chub; more accident than intention really – and I wasn’t even watching. I was alerted to my catch when my stick began to move towards the river. Grabbing it up from where I’d left it I pulled - and out of the water came my fish. I stood watching it gasp on the side of the river not really knowing what to do. I was on lunch from my summer job, thirteen or so, and had taken my sandwich away from hustle and bustle of tomato pricking down to the woods where the river flowed.

I remember the silver and green against the dark red soil as the fish flipped and struggled. I took the pin from out of its mouth and found another smaller fish - a minnow - on the line. The chub had come in to eat him and became stuck on my pin. Big fish eat little fish they say and there was the proof slowly dying before my eyes. Well, what could I do? I let both fish off the hook and threw them back into the water. The minnow hit the water first and tried to dart away, but the Chub was quick and with a single swoop swallowed him whole.

Big fish eat little fish... well, la-di-da and RIP.

Anyone want to buy a bowl? It's going begging (Get it, Begging bowl? Well, blow you then!)

11 comments:

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    1. Thanks Sparkle - You make me smile on so many levels. My sea fishing escapades make good sport, I may blog them soon.

      I like to eat fish, but once in Philadelphia on a business trip a group of us went to a swanky restaurant purported to be run by the Mafia. They insisted that we have their special sea bass. A huge single fish was delivered to the table, almost three feet long - and rank as rank can be. Nobody ate it, the fish went back, and we were charged almost $500 for the pleasure of not eating it.

      Red or white?

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  2. Della Jayne Roberts on Facebook:
    Somewhere I've got a photo of Mum & Dad sea fishing for mackerel off Budleigh beach. And Kingsley used to fish for them off a boat - once a year!

    We had fresh mackerel freshly caught and cooked - with lots of vinegar for some ♥

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  3. Yes, I remember dad telling me about catching forty mackerel one night. Guess fishing doesn't run in the family... shame, I love fresh fried mackerel, all crisp skin and yes... with vinegar!

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  4. David Bell on Facebook:
    I've been fishing but never been 'tomato pricking'.

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    1. Yes you have. My job was to prick out the side shoots at Waterperry Horticultural school for young ladies. A great summer job for a teenage boy. It was an amazing place - take a look: http://bit.ly/IeCPId

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    2. avid Bell:
      I didn't know the place existed.That must have been the best summer job ever. I intend to visit because it's only a few miles from where I live

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    3. Andrew Height It's fantastic. When I was there it was run by an old lady who set the college up in the thirties, Mrs Havergal. She was old and used to dole out your wages from an open window in her sitting room in the big house. The girls were like land army girls and all a bit posh, but fun. Those two summers were idyllic in so many ways.

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  5. Alison Gee on Facebook:
    lovely bowl x

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