Country diary: rewilding a river I fished with Arthur Ransome

Ribblesdale, North Yorkshire Wild trout are once again thriving in the beck my grandfather tended for the Manchester Anglers' AssociationWhen I was a kid I recall fishing for minnows with a jam jar by the Ribble and being sketched by a man in wire-framed specs. It was the writer Arthur Ransome, who was there with my grandfather, Nat Hunt, then river keeper for the Manchester Anglers' Association. I no longer have that sketch, but I do still own a card Ransome sent Grandad praising his hand-crafted trout flies ("north country spiders"). Related: Peak District: Rewilding the rivers Continue reading...