National News & Information >November 2008 Features

The idle thoughts of an idle editor by Jerry Flay

The glass half full

“There’s a lot of talk about this next song, maybe too much talk”

So began the U2 classic, Sunday Bloody Sunday.

Well, this month I would like to swap the words “this song” for “recession”. It’s all we seem to hear about. However bad it may get, and if you believe the doomsayers it is going to get pretty bloody, life will still go on in NZ. We will still go fishing.

In fact, we may go fishing rather more often. As the ghastly spectre of unemployment rears its ugly head, some of us may find we have a bit more time on our hands, and a bit less money in our pockets.

Fishing is the perfect antidote to this – it will keep us out of the house by day, and put food on the table. Personally I have always emphasised my role as the family hunter gatherer quite strongly, and intend to do so as much as possible from now on, even if my job remains intact. I need to be out there feeding the family, not stuck behind a desk.

The initial downside to this is, of course, a potential overcrowding of our rivers, streams and lakes. But given the parlous state of the world economy, we can realistically expect our tourist industry to decline. So at least the bloke you are elbow to elbow with in the hot spot near the bridge will be a Kiwi.

Then again, with the Kiwi dollar collapsing, visiting NZ will be a lot cheaper. So maybe we will still get lots of overseas anglers coming here. Perhaps one of them will gratefully buy my iconic Waiheke house (did I mention the excellent indoor outdoor flow, that it’s an entertainers dream etc etc) after I helpfully tell them which flies are best in the run down by the stream mouth.

It will also mean the price of imported tackle rises. Buy now before it gets any worse might be a good idea. Again, I have stressed the economic justification of this domestically with reasonable frequency as we discuss the forthcoming pressie-fest know as Christmas.

There is an ancient Chinese curse which roughly translates as “May you live in interesting times”. Well we certainly do as far as the economy is concerned right now, and for many of us they will be tough times as well. As somebody, I think it was Danny Devito once said, “When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping”. Presumably he went on to add “... for the latest Sage,  a large arbour reel, new breathables etc etc”

So rather than allow yourself to get depressed this Christmas, look on the bright side. You are an angler; you now have an excellent argument to buy some new tackle, and you could well get plenty of opportunity to use it in the next year or two. Feel any better?

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