A friend of mine, and fellow Dart Angling Association member, Dan Osmond, has written a book called Peace, Trout & Understanding. I haven’t yet read the final draft in its entirety, but having known Dan for some time and having seen what he has put into the book, I’m really looking forward to reading it properly, a Bankside read if I’ve seen one!
Dan and I are of a similar generation, and we share that deep connection with fishing and, in particular, with the Dart. He knows the river intimately — its moods, its fish, its changing character and the wider landscape through which it flows. That understanding of the river and what it means to those who spend time beside it is something I think many of us will recognise.
What I find particularly interesting is that the book isn’t just about the Dart, or even about one particular type of fishing. It covers a wide range of places, experiences and different forms of angling, while exploring that wider relationship between the angler, the river and the natural world around us.
That broader way of looking at fishing feels increasingly important to me as we consider the future of the Dart Angling Association.
As a club, we have an opportunity to be more than simply guardians of fishing rights. We can become genuine custodians of the river itself and the wider environment that supports it. The Dart is not simply somewhere to catch trout and sea trout. It is a living river, shaped by its wildlife, landscape, history, weather, communities and, of course, the people who care about it
But if we are going to look after the Dart for the long term, we also need to listen to the next generation. The younger members and anglers coming through the club will inherit the river and the responsibility that comes with it. Their ideas, experiences and views need to be part of the conversation, even when they challenge some of the assumptions and traditions that those of us from an older generation may take for granted.
I think there is real value in bringing those different perspectives together — the knowledge and experience of those who have spent decades on the river alongside the enthusiasm, ideas and fresh thinking of younger anglers. That is how we can make sure the Association continues to evolve rather than simply looking backwards.
As we consider how we move forward as a club, I think that wider outlook will become increasingly important — encouraging knowledge, sharing experience, welcoming new anglers, giving younger people a genuine voice, working with others who have an interest in the river and ensuring that what we do today leaves something worthwhile for those who come after us.
I haven’t read the finished book yet, so I won’t pretend to give it a full review, but from what I’ve seen so far, I think Dan has captured many of the things that remind us that fishing is about far more than simply catching fish.
I’ve already pre-ordered my copy, and I’m looking forward to sitting down and reading it properly with a dram of homemade Sloe Gin on a riverbank as the dusk falls as is the way. Perhaps if enough of us show willing we might even convince him to come give us a reading one silver eve…
Tom Pakes
Membership Secretary
tompakes@icloud.com
