PANACEA PERSONIFIED.

The spoils of a personal war

 Had taken the week off purposefully with the intention of fishing for Grayling down south with a mate and had it cancelled last minute due to the intended stretch of water being flooded.
 My local haunts that I've visited recently all appear either unfishable or do not appeal given the appearance of the water.
 This coupled with being given a month or so by the Doc to recover my health I was scratching around for something to do.
 Not wanting the devil to take advantage of my idle hands I got my fly tying and float making boxes out the shed and dabbled with a few materials , whittling away the hours whilst the rain lashed at the few remaining leaves in the trees and the breeze whisked the windfalls around the garden.

The crux of my problem is mustering enthusiasm of late, a sense of treading water, trying to remain afloat waiting to either drift to calmer water or being yanked under by the unseen and the unexpected.
It seemed befitting then that I would seek solace and therapy from turning my attention to fashioning floats from a few simple and abundant materials from the dark recesses of my shed and the bustling chaos of the garden.
To sit still and recharge my batteries and try to concentrate on something else rather than focusing my attentions on the gloom outside quite literally and mentally, would take a small but purposeful step towards recovery.

Now I don't confess to being particularly talented or patient but this abundance of free time had to be filled and whilst I would have rather been staring at a float on the water, I did at least find that same peace and sedation from fashioning a few myself.
With a few bits of cork and elder pith and some useful tips and ideas from far more experienced and dedicated float makers I dabbled at giving it a go.
I can't say their as perfect as I would have liked but I did find comfort from it and the process of their manufacture therapeutic somewhat. Aesthetically they soothed with their handmade, somewhat rustic appearance. And offered a touch of colour and brightness to the gloom. A sort of personalized panacea if you will.
I will at least be comforted in the knowledge that they are usable and provide inspiration which has alluded me of late. Besides which, they cost  nothing but patience to make and will at least not cause any ill feeling when adorning some far reaching tree or entwined round some lily pad come calmer waters and sunnier climes.

Piscatorial Panacea.