I will be on the bank soon, unfortunately, my dental sage first graced these pages just before Christmas, in my last blog is being a right pain, and I find myself on the fourth trip to the dentist’s in as many weeks. From the initial skirmish with a mere filling, the treatment has expanded to include a dramatic extraction and a surgical, appointment to remove the remains of my tooth which is nicely welded to my jawbone.
I cannot wait for the day when the consumption of Ibuprofen is a distant memory rather than a daily ritual. This overindulgence, though deemed necessary, is a far cry from ideal. Despite valiant attempts to brave the days without these pain-relieving companions, the elusive embrace of sleep remains a fantasy that evades me. Armed with a cup of salty water to gargle through the day, I stand guard against potential infections, patiently waiting for it to go away soon.
I am forever optimistic, that I will return to the banks of normality before long, hopefully by February, marking a final start to my exploits in 2024. Until then, my fishing ramblings will continue. While a few pre-baiting trips have been attempted, the recent icy snap in the weather has momentarily halted such endeavors.
I would like to give a brief snap shot of my life and introduce myself;
My name is Richard Handel and was born in 1965 in Suffolk. I have worked as a UK Operation & Intermodule Manager for a shipping company. I live in Hampshire now and am married with 2 young children, both girls so I am a bit outnumbered even the cat is a girl!
I have been fishing since I was about 7 years old. I started on small local rivers in Suffolk, then moved onto gravel pits and then carp fishing. My personal best is a 39.08 mirror, over recent years I have started river fishing again, on the Hampshire Avon, this is a nice break from the carp lakes.
My life has turned a big corner this year, the company I was working for relocated their Operation centre to Estonia. I was offered a job at the head office in London. This would have meant a 5 day commute and working in Stratford. As a family, we did not fancy this, as I would hardly spend any time with the children (and the Mrs). So after 22.5 years, I was given a nice redundancy package and with my wife is working full time. I became the house husband.
This has meant a complete turn around in my fishing, as I can pick and choose when I go. I have found a splendid new syndicate to fish this year, which includes 5 lakes and some 8 miles of river with only 150 members. It's an amazing change to the way I am able to fish.
I am now trying to start my own tackle business and make a bit of a name for myself in the world of fishing, as I have retired from real work.
Richard
UK Carp & Coarse Fishing 