On the 1st February I packed the last of my belongings from the flat I had lived in for 3 years and made a life changing move up to North Yorkshire. Although it was hard to leave my job, friends and the London buzz, I belonged in the country.
I closed the six year chapter and waved goodbye to the fun-filled memories and began writing a new one, one that started two hours north of London in Nottinghamshire. A few months prior to leaving London and knowing that I was moving to the countryside it was finally time for me to find a fishing PIC!
A few years ago a friend who was an army vet had adopted a street dog from Cyprus whilst she was working out there. These dogs have a minimal amount of time to be adopted before they are put down.
After remembering just how sweet her little dog was, who in fact came fishing with me once with my friend Simon Ladd (above), I decided to do some recon to see if this was a reliable avenue to explore. After a few hours of sniffing around online I knew I had opened a can of worms. Countries including Spain, Cyprus, Romania and Greece have vast problems with stray dogs. I came across a website called ‘Seven Strays Dog Rescue’, based in Romania. As I scrolled, I came across a dog named ‘Wes’. Wes was similar to my friend’s rescue dog from Cyprus.
His big brown eyes, soft fox red fur, white chest and front paw dipped in white paint caught my eye. When one goes online window-shopping and “has a quick look”, normally you are bound to see something you like! I’m not sure what the returns policy was on this particular website, nor did the FAQs cover the ‘Didn’t fit’ or ‘Product looked different in real life’ Q&As.
Before I could blink I had leaped off the cliff, I contacted the rescue centre and sent my deposit for ‘Wes’, there was no turning back now! After I passed the home check Wes, now named Sedge was on his way to his foster home in Nottinghamshire where he would stay until I was ready to move into my new home. Thanks to Lizzie Houghton, he was house trained and in perfect condition when I picked him up.
I’ve had Sedge for a month now, he has been up to Scotland with me to fish the River Dee, down to Devon to take my Level 2 coaching exams with the Angling Trust. He has travelled on a train and tube to and around London to attend my Casting In The Park sessions with Orvis UK and The London Fly Fishing Fair.
Sedge must be the most overindulged dog there is! Come on, he is my first! I treated him to a few Orvis treats including the Dog’s Traveller Kit as I tend to be on the road a lot, the Field Collection Dog Jacket, Shotshell Lead and a personalised Couch Dog Bed – just in case he forgets his name, he is a street dog after all!
Sedge is a #StreetDog from Romania; a passerby took him and his mother into the shelter when he was a puppy. Most people think I am mad, that’s a given. Some people have asked me why I didn’t adopt a dog from the UK: I’ve never seen an unaccompanied dog roaming the streets in the UK. We don’t have our army using them for target practice or governments stating that you can kill any stray dog you see with whatever method you choose.
He’s been fishing with me twice now, on his first trip he jumped into the River Dee and my ghillie Martin Robson had to grab him before he disappeared, lifejacket is a must for now on! Fishing companions are rare but when you find one, furry or not, you will make great memories with them. I am looking forward to giving Sedge the best possible home and I can’t wait to explore the vast array of UK waters with my new friend.
If you’d like to follow Sedge’s journey you can find him on Instagram or Facebook if you type in #SedgesStory
