Monday April 2nd, Fishing

Probably not the most timely post... but I did just switch countries here!! SO let's play catch up!

Starting with fishing.

Still lake with a bit of drizzle.

  
Not quite a week after my solo trip to Dove Cottage, one of the chefs made good on his promise to take me fishing (in the UK) (duh) before I left. Good timing since I wasn't actually suppose to work after finishing the shift on Sunday April first, but seeing as they hadn't found a replacement for me yet I decided to help out for the week before my holiday then travel home.

Monday morning I got up at around 6am (which is the earliest I'd woken up in a LONG time). Met the aforementioned chef in the Square of Cartmel and got a little tour of the countryside as we made our way over to Coniston Water (one of the few lakes in the country).

The last dock we fished off

This day was to be fishing like I've never had before. I'm not used to driving to different spots... in a car. On that note, I'm not used to casting off a dock (well... actually expecting to catch a fish when casting off the dock anyway). But that's what we did. Starting at the southish end of the lake we parked on the side of the road and went through a field. At the end of the field we went through a gate and down a path to a dock and tried casting a bit. It was a nice cool (for me and my thick Canadian skin, cold for the poor Brit) misty morning. The birds were singing, the lake was like glass... but the fish were not biting.

Back to the car and on to the next spot! Tried a few casts there for a little while longer but again no such luck. On to the third and final spot and still, only a couple nibbles but no decent hits.

With fishing behind us, the lack of success was more than compensated for when I joined the chef for a bit of foraging. Lots of fresh locally sourced greens are used in the dishes at l'enclume and I got to see first hand where some of these come from. We drove past the restaurant's farm and to a secluded (well... as secluded as you can get in that crowded little country!) little forest and started looking for some pretty little white flowers that were shaped like little bells and had purple lines on them.

I was so excited that night when the little sorrel flowers I helped find were on dishes that I served during dinner service. (and before you ask; yes, I did point that little fact out to the guests)

Some beautiful and yummy flowers.

So although I didn't catch anything, I was (and still am) so grateful to the nice guy who took me fishing in the UK just two weeks before I left the country. I just have to get out this summer back home and put some photos on facebook for him to see and know that I CAN catch fish!!!