HALCYON DAYS
The ancient Greeks believed 14 days of calm seas over the winter solstice would occur when the halcyon, a mythical Greek bird, was nesting on the seas of the Aegean. Over the centuries the phrase ‘halcyon days’ has gone from meaning a period of calmness to a time of nostalgia.
In fact, for many sea anglers of a certain vintage, their halcyon days are still very much associated with the depths of winter when Gadus morhua, the Atlantic cod, would appear in vast numbers along the east coast of England.
Cod were, and still are, a top target for anglers up and down the North Sea coast of England from Northumberland right down to Kent, past the mark of cod angling legend that was Dungeness, and west into the English Channel.
Epic tales of catches were reported and the sea angling scene only really came alive in large parts of the country when the mercury dropped and
