This is true. One morning nearly three years ago two emails popped into my inbox from two entirely unconnected people, both of which essentially said the same thing: isn’t it high time you wrote a book about the chalkstreams. Sometimes you cannot escape your fate.
One of those two emails came from Emma Kirby, an old friend, who was re-starting her literary agency after time out to raise a family. With the germ of an idea we started to hone a synopsis but soon got into fights about my ‘style’. A referee was required, so we tied up with freelance editor Imogen Fortes to adjudicate. Without having been caught in the pincer of these two talents I can say with complete certainty Life of a Chalkstream would never have happened. To you both I owe a huge debt.
Make no mistake, the image of the tortured writer in a lonely attic scribbling away is a very long way from the truth, at least for me. Books are collaborative and I was fortunate to wash up on the shores of HarperCollins with Myles Archibald, the publisher, and his incredibly supportive team. From the original manuscript they have honed, polished and delivered a book of which I hope they are proud – they should be – it’s a great job.
Many others have contributed to this book. Shaun Leonard, Director of the Wild Trout Trust put his head on the block and kindly read the manuscript to point out my errors. Any that remain are mine and solely mine, as are the opinions and practices that are not entirely in tune with those of the Trust. Denise Ashton, also of the Trust, let me raid her contacts book. Andy Heath at the Derbyshire Rivers Trust provided the view from the north. At the Environment Agency Heb Leman has always extended my education on all things river, and Lawrence Talks probably knows more about chalkstreams than any other living being. Martin De Retuerto at the Hampshire Wildlife Trust provided the living history. My knowledge of trout rearing is in large part due to Trevor Whyatt at Allenbrook in Dorset.
My livelihood for the past twenty years plus has been made by conserving chalkstreams and organising fly-fishing trips to these very special rivers. The day-to-day logistics of hosting thousands of anglers each year, one hundred and twenty miles of river plus the fishing school here at Nether Wallop Mill in Hampshire from April to October is sometimes quite mind-boggling, but at Fishing Breaks I have the most amazing team who make it happen. Diane Bassett is the linchpin in the office, creating enough space in my days to let me actually do some writing. Jonny Walker and Kelly Hewlett make sure the rivers and cabins are perfect to the eye. My long-time fishing guides, some now retired, Duncan Weston, Simon Ward, Marcus McCorkell, John Stephens, Alan Middleton, Tony King and Mark Bedford-Russell have all taught me stuff I did not know and still make every new day on the river a pleasure.
Each day of the year I meet or talk with the river keepers, owners and guides on the dozens of chalkstreams from Dorset in the west to Yorkshire in the north with whom I have connections, all of whom have always shown me great trust and shared their knowledge unstintingly. To name names would be invidious to those left unnamed and to compound the crime I would make the cardinal error of missing someone out. So to you all, including those who have gone to the great river in the sky, take heart that there is a bit of each and every one of you, plus your river, in this book.
Closer to home I owe eternal thanks to Karrie for the support and the chance to jack in a perfectly good career all those years ago to start what I have today. And finally to Minnie my daughter and Mary the biggest thank-you of all; this would be pointless without you.
Nether Wallop Mill, Hampshire, April 2014