The theme of pike in October continues although with all of this mild weather I personally don’t consider the pike season has really started for 2013. There’s a pile of seasoned logs awaiting the first cold snap but mother natures seems to be un-hurried this year. I tend to have the date of November 5th as a traditional starting point for me, it is a time when I often go down to Sussex for Bonfire night and grab a few hours for pike before the fireworks begin.
A recent visit to Spitalfields Antique market found me rifling through some old copies of BOP (Boys Own Paper) and the copy below which caught my eye for obvious reasons…pike! BOP really conjures up the past from my childhood although I think the BOP stopped being published by the time I was looking for advice on fishing, camping, astronomy, which first motorbike to buy or improving your slot car performance!
Inside BOP is a picture of a monster pike that would inspire boys to dream of large pike and their potential capture. In reality a capture very rarely happened because these creatures are quite scarce. And secondly, pike tackle in the 1960’s and 70’s was generally fairly crude and an added expense to a young boys fishing armoury, so short cuts were made. If such a pike was hooked it was inevitably never landed. This led way to many boy’s pike stories that ended in lost giants due to snapped lines, un-twisted traces, jamming reels, broken rods, straightened trebles or landing nets that were simply too small.
Boredom would get boys out on their bikes in the middle of winter in search of their dreams sparked by publication such as the BOP, with a collection of botched together pike gear, some hope and a sprinkling of patience.
the tuesday swim... 
I think that the Pike shown in the picture was taken from Abberton Resevoir, near Layer De La Haye, a water that I fished many times. I also grew up in Stoke Newington and recognise many of the places you write about. There were big fish in the New River, and as a 13 year old I caught a 17lb fish from the stretch at Woodberry Down. In the early 70’s the River was clean and pristine and was wonderfully kept with weed cutting taking place. My best friend was Richard Wallington and his dad was the head river keeper on the two reservoirs.Many a school lunchtime was spent walking around these private and well fenced reservoirs.
I have only just stumbled onto your site, I like it very much.
Best regards
Mehmet Hassan (Jardine)
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Dear Mehmet,
I’m glad you like The Tuesday Swim.
Strangely I don’t really know the New River apart from the short stretch in Clissold Park, I think I will have to get on my bike and take a visit. Do you know if you can fish the river? I’ve heard about a few carp swimmiing about the Clissold section.
ATB
Nick
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Dear Nick,
Its about 40 years since I last fished the New River, no fishing was allowed but to us young and fearless lads this meant nothing. Added to the excitement of catching pike was the unexpected arrival of Paddy the Bailiff and his huge German Shepherd who used to turn patrol the stretch.
Many a time we were chased and once I lost my box of Mepps and Ondex spinners
after Paddy appeared unexpectedly and I had to make a hasty exit over the fence.
With hindsight I now realise that Paddy could have let his dog off the leash, but being the gentle giant he was, he never did. I got back my box of spinners after a week or so after they were handed over to the father of my best friend, Mr. Wallington the head river Keeper.
The stretch around Woodberry Down and Stoke Newington is a shadow of the River it once was, in the years up to 1977 I passed it everyday on the way to my school, Woodberry Down Comprehensive. I always climbed up onto the old bridge that crossed the New River and looked down into the crystal water . There was often a shoal of Roach there to over 2lb and there would be a double figure Pike in attendance. I can honestly say that at that time the New River was as well kept as any of the Hampshire chalk streams, the weed cutting was done by hand with old style steel chain cutters and the grass banks were immaculately kept. It was also strictly fenced off to the general public.
After Thames Water was privatised in the mid 80’s (?) the stretch around Woodberry Down deteriorated rapidly and the section between Lordship Road and New River Close/ Bethune Road was completely drained for quite a few years. The banks of the river were opened to the General Public and quickly became strewn with rubbish and
the whole place looked very sad.
At some point the fishing was opened up on the Stoke Newington West Resevoir and the stretch of River close by.
In the early nineties I moved overseas and did not fish much at all and some years ago my parents moved to Enfield, again close to the New River.
The stretch above Palmers Green is still well kept and on the odd occasions when I have gone to look I have seen big perch to over 3lb and a 20lb pike. But no fishing is allowed!
I can remember a solitary carp in Clapton Pond around 1984! A long lean ( fully scaled?) mirror of about 6lb. I wonder if it is the same one?
Tottenham Locks was were I caught my first fish in 1971, a bleak which was soon joined by several others. The last time I looked there were no bleak left, apparently all eaten by the cormorants.
Clissold Park was where I used to take my daughter on Sundays, and we would feed the ducks, the deer and other exotic creature.and In my teens I used to fish the small pond there for roach, perch and the occasional tench. I’m not sure that fishing is even allowed now. The stretch of New River there was cut off from the main river many years ago, and does not flow.
Best regards
Mehmet
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Dear Mehmet,
My sincere apologies for not getting back to your wonderful description sooner, of the New River, a great tale.
Coincidently I drove past the Woodberry Down estate on sunday and now have a map in my head of where the New River journeys. I will head up there soon on the bike and see what I can find.
The Clapton carp could well be the same one, I guess it is now 8-9lbs and is a linear mirror. My post on the Clapton pond and its solitary carp has three images of the actual carp. I feel I might have to intervene and find it a mate.
I will do a piece on the New River if I can get access to parts of it .
ATB
Nick
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