Of Cold Summers
John Waller Hills
Of Cold Summers
John Waller Hills and lousy summer weather
Has the summer arrived yet where you are? It hasn't here in Wales. Whilst the world is apparently heating up to record summer temperatures it's hard to believe it as we sit here in our mid-July high of just 18 degrees. But it's nothing new, there have been many cold (and wet) summers before, as the good people of Pembrokeshire keep reminding us. And it's not just the west of the country that suffers, even those soft southern counties of England get their fair share of challenging weather.
John Waller Hills, that champion of the chalkstreams, was writing about fishing in lousy weather as far back as June 1907, in his splendid book A Summer on the Test. He encourages anglers not to despair and goes on to say 'Never let weather keep you indoors, even on English summer nights.'
A Summer on the Test
Do you recollect that typical summer evening, 14th June 1907? It was shiveringly cold, there was a wild wind and pelting showers. When I reached Winchester by the evening train, the weather looked so bad that I only went out because I was too restless to stay in: and yet I got a brace before being driven in to the fireside. Or the 13th June 1922, on the Kennet, a vile day which got viler, until the rain hammered down and the bitter wind blew in your teeth ? Yet blue-winged olives hatched from eight to half-past nine and I landed ten takeable fish, of which I kept two brace. Or again, that other day in the same year, cold and wild and wet, 15th July 1922? There was a mighty hatch of the same fly just before dark, and I got six fish weighing nine pounds. Or the 23rd May 1924, wintry and wet, with half a gale? There was a splendid evening rise at Mottisfont right up to half-past nine. And perhaps the worst night I ever was out was 9th June 1928, at Stockbridge. So cold and wet was it, that two or three of us sat before the fire in the keeper’s house debating whether we should go out. Yet there was a good hatch and we all got fish. I landed one of 3lb 7oz and broke in another which assuredly was bigger, on the sedge, too. No, never let weather keep you indoors, even on English summer nights . . .
So there you have it. But if it really is too wet and cold for you, stay in and read a good book!
John Waller Hills, that champion of the chalkstreams, was writing about fishing in lousy weather as far back as June 1907, in his splendid book A Summer on the Test. He encourages anglers not to despair and goes on to say 'Never let weather keep you indoors, even on English summer nights.'
A Summer on the Test
Do you recollect that typical summer evening, 14th June 1907? It was shiveringly cold, there was a wild wind and pelting showers. When I reached Winchester by the evening train, the weather looked so bad that I only went out because I was too restless to stay in: and yet I got a brace before being driven in to the fireside. Or the 13th June 1922, on the Kennet, a vile day which got viler, until the rain hammered down and the bitter wind blew in your teeth ? Yet blue-winged olives hatched from eight to half-past nine and I landed ten takeable fish, of which I kept two brace. Or again, that other day in the same year, cold and wild and wet, 15th July 1922? There was a mighty hatch of the same fly just before dark, and I got six fish weighing nine pounds. Or the 23rd May 1924, wintry and wet, with half a gale? There was a splendid evening rise at Mottisfont right up to half-past nine. And perhaps the worst night I ever was out was 9th June 1928, at Stockbridge. So cold and wet was it, that two or three of us sat before the fire in the keeper’s house debating whether we should go out. Yet there was a good hatch and we all got fish. I landed one of 3lb 7oz and broke in another which assuredly was bigger, on the sedge, too. No, never let weather keep you indoors, even on English summer nights . . .
So there you have it. But if it really is too wet and cold for you, stay in and read a good book!
You can't be too careful . . .
Read more about summer fishing
in John Waller Hills' classic book
A Summer on the Test . . .
