I’m quite wiped out! Training is going well but becoming rather all-consuming. What I really need to do now is swim much more. I might see if they will let me swim at the resort, so that I don’t have to worry all the time about having my toes nibbled off by a snakehead that I’ve previous caught… The Revenge of the Giant Snakehead!

I actually met someone who has a friend who was attacked by a Giant Snakehead while swimming. Which doesn’t exactly give me peace of mind — not with my superior imagination skills. Apparently she was bitten across the chest and it “was quite bad”. I can imagine.

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Back in the South Island of NZ. Two fish. One lost. Another three or four that bit and didn't stick. On the smelt patterns I tied in an earlier piece, on the first proper evening I've had with them. So the box works. Sort of.

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This is my final plug for the BFCC fly casting day that's being held this Sunday at Bentley Cricket Ground (near Brentwood) Essex. As usual there will be a number of top notch instructors attending who will tutor anyone from absolute beginners to advanced casters preparing for their own instructor examinations. Meanwhile, Tracy and myself will be helping to run the competition events where the British (open) championships will be decided. Whilst the Seniors championship (65 and over) has scores carried over from all the events of the year, the Overall championship will be reset to zero so everyone who casts has an equal chance to win. I should point out that it is also possible to win the seniors, currently John Reynolds is leading the way – but this could all change on Sunday.

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Ronan has been visiting Tokyo this week and we've had a great time fishing the bay and trying to create a beer shortage but I'll leave that for his report. I'm going for a variant fly this week, it's still in keeping with the minimalist flies I've been giving you recently.

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It is December and Christmas, which means days are getting longer again. And so we are going towards summer soon. You have to find something positive on this time of the year...

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So it’s been another week. I wonder where all that week went. Work and extra work, but that’s the usual things. I’m not far from just quitting it all and running off into the jungle and never to be seen again. A little casting and a little fishing I’ve been able to squeeze in. And some quick visits to the gym also. 

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