Dear FFers, It had to come. My wife's 6yr old grandson has been bitten by the FF bug and appears to have developed a severe infection.

It started the last time he stayed with us; the first symptoms were a request to play with one of my rods. Unthinkingly I set up an old rod and reel with a bit of cloth tied on as a fly. I found him casting over the fence (well above his height) into the neighbours garden and he was convinced that he had a take. These first symptoms lasted until bedtime and before he left for home he had persuaded me that some time I would take him fishing with me. I thought to put him off by inducing him to tie a fly but he neatly outflanked me by saying "what's the point of tying a fly if you can't go fishing?" So, we had a week's holiday while the lab was being rewired and my mother kindly offered to let take the boy with us to stay with her. His mother drove him to us and we had an evening of questions, mainly along the lines of "when?", "why not now?", "can we set off soon" etc. Eventually he went to bed and even more eventually to sleep. He did not sleep late of course, and so we set off. I tried to discourage him further by driving so fast that he decorated the back of the car with his breakfast, but no, he apologized and said "Can we go fishing when we get to Wales?". Inducing sleep that night was no less easy. In the end I tried a lullaby (after some wine but who does not need wine to sing a lullaby?). This reduced him to hysterical laughter, so much so that he fell out of bed.

Next morning was clear and sunny so we set off to the little fishery I know well. The water was quite murky but plenty of fish were visible. We tried everything but to no avail. He could only cast a few feet so I cast out and he retrieved- he soon got the hang of this. After about three hours, still no action. My wife was due back soon and I was sure that if he had not even had a take by then, the infection would be slowed and perhaps even cured. Then Robert suggested we tried one of the green buzzers I use at Farmoor. I have often fished buzzers at this fishery but have never had a take, so I thought we were fairly safe. I cast out and turned around to do something while he retrieved.

I heard a strangled cry and turned round - horror of horrors, his line was straightened out and clearly connected to a fish. The next minute or so are a bit of a blur. I helped him keep the rod up while he pulled in the line and I grabbed the net. Unluckily the fish was not very big (about one pound) and did not put up too much of a fight. He keenly wanted to despatch it with the priest but I thought it had suffered enough and did the deed myself. I had remembered to bring the camera to record the active stages of a virulent infection and was just about to take a shot when our car appeared. Robert had the trout in his hands in front of him, and as he ran towards the car his feet did not appear to touch the ground. I do not think I have ever witnessed such excitement in a six year old. After lunch he went off with the ladies and I had a go myself - three fish. Then they returned for the last hour and Robert hooked, landed and returned one of the beautiful wild brown trout that inhabit the lakes. The rainbow he caught has been displayed to all the neighbours, frozen and retrieved for all visitors to admire and eventually delivered, with him, to his mother in Bristol. Guess what he wants for his next birthday? Yes, quite right, one of everything I have got - rod, reel, net, polaroids, flies, fly boxes, the lot! Well I imagine it is now incurable and, this being the case, perhaps I should just relax and anticipate the pleasure of our next outing together.

Gordon MacPherson

macpherson@molbiol.ox.ac.uk