The Road to Nowhere – Lake District

Certain places that you visit stick in your mind forever, Ennerdale Water in the Lake District is one of these rare places. Its immense, quiet and has that inhospitable beauty that only truly wild glacial lakes have. It’s surrounded by huge peaks contrasted with lush woodland, the perfect place for wild camping. There was even chance of a huge wild brown trout from the crystal clear water.

I think no mater how bloated and obese a man becomes pushing pencils round a desk all week, there is always a primeval part of a man’s brain that simply wants to go back out into the wild and just survive for a few days. I always feel a boyish excitement building for weeks before big trips like this one. It’s such a simple pleasure, just being out camping making a fire, keeping warm, keeping dry. In this situation the fishing really does become secondary. Sharing a trip like this with someone like Jamie is even better, a proper boy’s own adventure.

We had wanted to fly fish at Ennerdale for months and months, but when we arrived we just sat and stared at the water for hours. We did wet a line after a few hours but I was more fulfilled just sitting by the water taking in the stunning landscape in front of me. Jamie, I think, shared my sentiment. There are very few places which have had this effect on me. We did eventually get bored, however, drink a box of wine and set a branch on fire, the Ennerdale trout were safe on this trip.