I had a great fly fishing trip this week with Probus friend Bill. A glorious evening (apart from a brief rain shower while we were tackling up). We startled a hare as we crossed a field on our way to the lake, and it zig- zagged away from us, causing a heron to rise! All before we had started fishing!
In no time two nice rainbow trout took a fancy to the pale green nymph I offered them! Fantastic (and extraordinary in my personal experience)! Bill also fooled a couple of nice fish, and then we had a short walk to the car with a background of a local church bell chiming the hour, and a beautiful sunset. The evening was finished off with a very pleasant drink in The One Eyed Rat in Ripon. Superb! You can’t beat Yorkshire!

The following evening being Friday, it was my turn to cook our habitual fish and chips, and the picture shows my home grown (and caught) meal – with the potatoes and the runner beans coming from the allotment!

I must stress that this level of self-sufficiency is very unusual – the fish are very rarely so cooperative, and the allotment only provides vegetables for a couple of months a year, including a very intense few weeks when runner beans and their picking, blanching, peeling and freezing is the only activity in my calendar. The freezer, and I, are both groaning!

Would you like any runner beans, climbing beans or broad beans? Please! They’re all has-beens!