Such Sweet Sorrow...

Someone in an online forum thread about ‘tackle tarts’ – anglers who always have to have all the latest gear – made the very good point that life is short and you can’t take it with you, so why not treat yourself to the best you can afford? Presumably, like most tackle tarts, he flogs his old gear or stores it away in his loft, but a much better use for it is to pass it on. It’s the same with books. Much as I like the idea of being buried with my rods and books ‘for use in the next life,’ every now and then I much more sensibly have a good clear-out, even of some old favourites. It’s hard to let go of things that are precious – very hard – but they are only things. My kids get whichever books they want, and my son in particular is now building quite an impressive library of his own. As for fishing tackle, I confess I still have a loft full of the stuff, despite occasionally selling bits off second-hand. Really, I must do better. Unlike some, I’m far too selfish to actually give up my time to take people with special needs fishing, but I did once pass on a redundant rod and reel to such a lad who was mad keen on fishing and the delight on his face made me feel ten feet tall.