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Category Archives: General fishing

Pints, pies and flies.

03 Tuesday Mar 2015

Posted by The tuesday swim in General fishing, Tackle

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Tags

bruno, clerkenwell, fly, green, guy, kings, lessons, london, pub, super, three, tying, vincent

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Huddled around three Anglepoise lamps five students gathered under the guidance from Bruno Vincent AKA Super Fly Guy. The Three Kings pub is our meeting place, tucked away on Clerkenwell Green,  pleasantly quiet, the perfect setting for some focused concentration. In a room above the main bar we sat around a dinning table and discovered some of the techniques from master fly tyer Bruno, while supping a few pints and chomping through scotch eggs and pork pies. Considering three of us were complete beginners the results were quite astonishing, buzzers, cascades and broadswords patterns…

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If you want to see Bruno’s freestyle and traditional work or ask about these evenings please drop Super Fly Guy an email bruno@superflyguy.biz.

http://superflyguy.biz

London angling clubs, a directory by Charles Dickens (Jr)

04 Wednesday Feb 2015

Posted by The tuesday swim in General fishing

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

angling, club, fishing, london, piscatorial, society, victorian

In 1881 Charles Dickens (Jr) put together a club listing for his book Dictionary of the Thames, in all there were over 110 clubs but I believe there were quite few more, for example the Brunswick Brothers of Limehouse. A few years ago I had the pleasure of meeting one it its members, Barry  who showed his skills fishing for bream and roach under the shadow of Canary Wharf. Sadly now I believe most of these clubs have disbanded although the Brunswick Brother still angle.  Many doors have now closed and the piscators no longer seek refuge to swap stories and dodge the foul weather. The names deem to indicate their approach and attitude from the romantics of Foley street, the  ‘Golden Barbel’ to the more light hearted  ‘Good Intent’ brothers of the Crown in Bethnal Green Road. On Friday I shall be in the Captain Kidd in Wapping, not listed below but with the Thames lapping below the windows it will be the perfect opportunity to raise a glass to lost London Clubs and the echoes of the London anglers banter.

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ACORN, “Royal Oak,” Spencer-street, Goswell-road.

ALBERT, “The Crown Coffee House,” Crown-street, Old-street.

ALBAN’S, ST., “Royal George,” Great New-street, Kennington Park-road, SE.

ALLIANCE, “Old Red Lion,” Great Warner-street, Clerkenwvell.

ALEXANDRA, “Duke of Wellington,” 3, Colt-lane, Bethnal-green.

AMICABLE BROTHERS, “Bald- Faced Stag,” Worship-sq., Finsbury.

AMICABLE WALTONIANS, “George the Fourth,” Goswell-road.

ANGLER’S PRIDE, “Red Lion,” Dockhead.

ATLAS, 73, Newman-street, Oxford-street

BARNSBURY, “The Albion,” Caledonian-road, near King’s Cross.

BATTERSEA PISCATORIAL, Queen’s Hotel, Queen’s-road, Battersea.

BERESFORD, “Grove House Tavern,” Camberwell-grove.

BERMONDSEY BROTHERS, “General Garibaldi,” Southwark Park-road

BLACKFRIARS, “Ordnance Arms,” York-road, SE.

BLOOMSBURY BROTHERS, “Rose and Crown,” Broad-st., Bloomsbury

BOSTONIAN, “Dalby Tavern” Dalby-street, Prince of Wales-road Kentish Town.

BROTHERS WELL MET, “Berkeley Castle,” Rahere-st., Goswell-road

CAMBRIDGE FRIENDLY, “Rent Day,” Cambridge-street, Hyde Park-square.

CADOGAN, “Prince of Wales,” Exeter-street, Sloane-street, S.W.

CARLISLE, “Clarendon Club,” 80, High-street, Islington.

CANONBURY, “Crown and Anchor,” Cross-street, Islington.

CARNALY CASTLE, “The Carnaly Castle,” Carnaly-street, St. James’s.

CAVENDISH, “British Lion,” Cavendish-street, New North-road, Hoxton.

CITY OF LONDON, “Cogers’ Hall,” Bride-lane, E.C.

CLAPHAM JUNCTION, “Lord Ranelagh,” Verona-street.

CLERKENWELL AMATEURS, – “George and Dragon,” 240, St. John-street-road, Clerkenwell.

CLERKENWELL PISCATORIAL, “White Hart,” Aylesbury-street, Clerkenwell.

CONVIVIAL, “King’s Head,” Mitchell-street, St. Luke’s.

DALSTON, “Hope,” Holly-street, Dalston-lane.

DE BEAUVOIR, “Lord Raglan,” Southgate-road, N.

EAST LONDON, “Duke of Norfolk,” Norfolk-street, Globe-road.

EDMONTON AND TOTTENHAM, “Three Horse Shoes,” Silver-street, Edmonton.

EUSTONIAN, “The Wheatsheaf,” Kenton-street, Brunswick-square.

EXCELSIOR, “Two Eagles,” South-street, Lambeth

FRIENDLY ANGLERS, “Albion Tavern,” Albion-street, Hyde-park

FRIENDLY ANGLERS, “Jacob’s Well,” New Inn Yard, Shoreditch.

FREE AND EASY, “Jane Shore,” High-street, Shoreditch.

GLOBE, “Globe Tavern,” Blackstock-road, Highbury

GOLDEN BARBEL, “York Minster,” Foley-street, Portland road

GOLDEN TENCH, “Somers Arms,” Boston-road, King’s Cross.

GOOD INTENT, “Crown Inn,” Bethnal-green-road.

GREAT NORTHERN BROTHERS, “Robin Hood,” Southampton-street, Pentonville.

HAMMERSMITH UNITED, “Builders’ Arms,” Bridge-road.

HAVELOCK BROTHERS, “General Havelock,” West-street Triangle, Hackney.

HEARTS OF OAK, “Black Bull,” Thomas-st., Brick-lane, Spitalfields.

HIGHBURY, “George Hotel,” Foothill-road, Finsbury-park.

HOXTON BROTHERS, “Jane Shore,” High-street, Shoreditch.

IZAAK WALTON. “Old King John’s Head,” Mansfield-st., Kingsland-road.

JUNCTION BROTHERS, “Shakespeare’s Head,” Barnsley-street, Bethnal-green-road.

JUNIOR PISCATORIALS, “The Cock,” Clapham Common.

JOLLY PISCATORIALS, “Sugar Loaf,” Great Queen-street, W.C.

KENNINGTONIAN, “The Clayton Arms,” Kennington Oval

KENTISH BROTHERS, “George and Dragon,” Blackheath-hill.

KENTON, “Kenton Arms,” Kenton-road, South Hackney.

KING’S CROSS UNITED, “Albion,” Caledonian-road, N.

KENTISH PERSEVERANCE, “Corner Pin,” Cold Bath, Greenwich.

KNIGHTS OF KNIGHTSBRIDGE, “Grove Tavern,” Grove-place, Brompton-road. S.W.

LARKHALL, “The Larkhall,” Larkhall-lane, Clapham.

LIMEHOUSE BROTHERS, “Dunlop Lodge,”  70, Samuel-st., Limehouse.

LITTLE INDEPENDENT, “Russell Arms,” Bedford-street, Euston-sq.

MARYLEBONE, “Bank of England,” Cambridge-place, South Wharf-road.

METROPOLITAN, “Rose Inn,” Old Bailey.

NEVER FRETS, “Cronnard Shuttle,” High-Street, Shoreditch.

NAUTILUS, “British Lion,” Central-street, St. Luke’s.

NORFOLK, “Norfolk Arms,” Burwood-place, Edgware-road.

NORTH~EASTERN, “Shepherd and Flock,” Little Bell-alley, Moorgate-street.

NORTH LONDON, “Prince Albert,” Hollingsworth-street. Holloway.

NORTH-WESTERN, “Lord Southampton,” Southampton-road, Haverstock-hill.

NORTON FOLGATE, “Rose and Crown,” Fort-street, Spitalfields.

NEW GLOBE, “The New Globe,” Mile-end-road, E.

OLD BOWER, “Duke’s Arms,” Stangate-street, Westminster-bridge-road.

ODDS-AND-EVENS, “Monmouth Arms,” Singleton-st, Hoxton.

PENGE, “Lord Palmerston,” Maple-road, Penge.

PECKHAM BROTHERS, “Prince Albert,” East Surrey-grove, Peckham.

PHOENIX, “Tavistock Arms,” Werrington-street, Oakley-square.

PISCATORIAL, “Ashley’s Hotel,” Henrietta-street, Covent Garden.

PRINCE OF WALES, “Royal Standard,” Seymour-place, Edgware-road.

PERSEVERANCE, “The Perseverance,”  Pritchard’s-row, Hackney-road.

PUTNEY AND WANDSWORTH UNITED, “Coopers’ Arms,” High-street, Putney.

REFORM, “Jolly Coopers,” Clerkenwell-close.

RICHMOND PISCATORIAL, “Station Hotel,” Richmond, Surrey.

ROYAL GEORGE, “Royal George,” Crown-street, Soho.

ROYAL PISCATORIAL, “The Albion,” Rodney-road, Walworth.

SAVOY BROTHERS, “Black Prince,” Chandos-street, Strand.

SILVER TROUT, “Star and Garter,” St Martin’s-lane, Charing-cross.
   

SIR HUGH MYDDELTON, “Three Johns,” White Lion-street, Islington.

SOCIAL BROTHERS, “Prince Regent,” Dulwich-road, Herne Hill.

SONS OF THE THAMES, “Three Tuns,” Rupert-street

SOUTH BELGRAVIA, “Surprise,” Vauxhall Bridge-road.

SOUTH KENSINGTON PISCATORIAL “Coleherne Hotel,” South Kensington.

SOUTH LONDON, “George and Dragon,” 235, Camberwell-road.

SOUTH HACKNEY, “The Lamb,”  Wick-road, Sooth Hackney.

SOUTH ESSEX, “The Elms,” Leytonstone.

SOUTH ESSEX PISCATORIAL, “Victoria Dock Tavern,” Victoria Dock-road, E.

SPORTSMAN, “Lady Owen’s  Arms,” Goswell-road.

ST. ALBAN’S, “Walnut Tree,” St. Alban’s-rd., Kensington-rd., SE.

ST. JAMES AND SOHO, 30, Gerrard-street, Soho.

ST. JOHN, “White Bear,” St. John-street, West Smithfield.

ST. PANCRAS, 58, Burton-street, Burton-crescent.

STANLEY ANGLERS, “Lord Stanley,” Camden Park-road.

STAR, “Bird in Hand,” Northampton-street, Clerkenwell.

STOKE NEWINGTON, “Prince Albert,” Victoria-rd., Stoke Newington.

STEPNEY, “Beehive,” Rhodeswell-road, Stepney.

STRATFORD BROTHERS, “Coach and Horses,” Broadway, Stratford.

SURREY PISCATORIALS, “St. Paul’s,” Westmoreland-rd, Walworth.

SUSSEX, “Sussex Arms,” Grove-road, Holloway.

TRAFALGAR, “Star and Garter,” 13, Green-street, Leicester-square.

TRUE WALTONIANS, 100, Liverpool-road, Islington.

UNITED ESSEX, “Dorset Arms,” Ceylon-road, Stratford New Town.

UNITED MARLBOROUGH BROTHERS, “Red Lion,”  22 and 23, Portland-street, St. James’s.

UNITED SOCIETY OF ANGLERS, Wellington. Shoreditch
    UNITED BROTHERS, “Druid’s Head Tavern,” Broadway, Deptford.

WALTHAMSTOW, “Common Gate,” Wark House Common, Walthamstow

WALTON AND COTTON, “Crown and Woolpack,” St. John-street, Clerkenwell.

WALTONIAN,  “Jews Harp,” Red-hill-street, Regents-park.

WALWORTH WALTONIANS, “St. Paul’s,” Westmoreland-rd., Walworth.

WEST HAM BROTHERS, “Queen’s Head,” West Ham-lane, Stratford.

WEST CENTRAL, “Cross Keys,” Theobald’s-road, High Holborn.

WEST LONDON, “Windsor Castle,” King-street, Hammersmith.

WESTBOURNE PARK PISCATORIAL, Pelican, All Saints-road, Westbourne-park.

WOOLWICH BROTHERS, “Prince Regent,” King-street, Woolwich.

WOOLWICH INVICTA, “Golden Marine,” Francis-street, Woolwich.

WOOLWICH PISCATORIALS, “Cricketers Arms,” Sand-street, Woolwich

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A year without numbers.

28 Sunday Dec 2014

Posted by The tuesday swim in General fishing

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

balance, fishing, scales, spring, traditional

Apart from my carp fishing days in the 1980’s I have never set any targets when it comes to fishing, yes I like catching big fish but the short time spent un-hooking the fish should be spent appreciating rather than recording, I learnt this while fishing for barbel on the Wye a few years ago. This last year (2014) my rucksack had been lightened by a pound or so by leaving the spring balance at home and in 2015 I shall continue without chasing the numbers game…

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Seeking the pure piscator.

20 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by The tuesday swim in General fishing

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Tags

brown, nadder, piscator, pure, trout

Over the years I have met many anglers that tread different paths, some have become friends who I now fish with, and others I have talked with on the subject but have never made it to the waterside. Amongst these anglers I can single out a few that I label as the ‘pure piscators’,  these are anglers who hold  a real close connection with a place and a first-hand knowledge that is cherished, and on occasions, shared.

Fishing nun

One such ‘pure piscator’ I met about ten years ago was the colonel (the father of an old girlfriend) who fished the Nadder for brown trout. His world on the Nadder was small but complete, his relationship with the river and the trout was intimate, when he immersed himself in the practice of dry-fly fishing he was content, it was pure. On my first visit to the Nadder I took down a collection of dry flies bought from Farlows of Pall Mall (when the flies came in a little complimentary round tin), the colonel was quite overwhelmed with the gift and added them to his box of disheveled looking dry flies, but I could sense he felt these new flies were interlopers amongst his own flies, each one of his flies had a history, a track record, the new ‘boys’ from London had to prove their worth on ‘his river.’ As a potential son-in-law I too was on trial as I entered this small world below the chalk hills of Wiltshire, my approach and attitude to the river was carefully monitored as my host put me on the right spots to fish. After an hour I started to catch some small grayling much to the disappointment of the colonel, he only considered the brown trout to be worthy of a bend in my rod, he loved the Nadder and the brown trout but grayling were not part of his world. The colonel’s tackle and casting was a little below par, but his attention to the tippet, and the delivery of the fly cast in the right places was faultless, everything else did not matter. Anyone who knows the Nadder (rumour goes the Nadder gets its name from the many tight bends, just like an adder snake) will understand that casting is limited to only a few yards; there was no need for expensive reels or rods. It seems a common trait that the pure piscator uses simple and reliable gear, normally tried and tested over the years, their real strength lie with experience and knowledge, their minds are not clouded by tackle manufacturer’s promises of guaranteed catches or gimmicks. To some extent I have been guilty of this, spending years accumulating fishing tackle, (be it mainly vintage). In a moment of ‘pure piscatorialism’ I have given away or sold a lot of the tackle that I just didn’t use including a ridiculous amount of fishing jackets. Now with less tackle I can concentrate on the important things, the way I fishing.

Relaxing fisherman

 

Sweets of Usk

08 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by The tuesday swim in General fishing, Tackle

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

butterfly, fishing, mrs, salmon, shop, Sweets, tackle, traditional, trout, usk, williams

A person who is born in the town of Usk or has lived there for  forty years or more can qualify as a ‘Usk butterfly’. The butterfly symbol was used by Usk craftsmen who created Japanned finished wares, it distinguished their work from nearby Pontypool who created similar work. Last week I was fortunate enough to meet a Usk butterfly for the first time…

Thursday I found myself driving to South Wales with fellow photographer, angler and friend, Nick Moore to cover the stills for an advertising campaign. We were staying at the famous Gliffaes County Hotel that sits on a rocky outcrop in the Usk valley. The hotel is very much of the arts and crafts Edwardian style, and mainly caters for the brown trout, sewin and salmon fisher. As anglers we were both quite frustrated by the prospect of staying at this hotel in earshot of the river Usk, unable to fish, only to work! Ever an optimist I packed a spinning rod, reel and waders hoping that I could grab an hour before or after dinner and winkle out a salmon. The previous day I was talking to John Andrews of Acadia about our predicament and his reply was ‘do yourself a favour and drop into Sweets of Usk…’ I had heard of this old style tackle shop but had never been there so during our drive up to Wales I mentioned this to Nick and the possibility of a detour to visit the tackle shop, after a short conversation a decision was made and we took the turning to the town of Usk. On arrival we found a tiny wooden-clad shop front with the glass panelled door covered in various notes and signs obscuring what was hidden within, to be honest we thought the shop was closed. On close inspection I could see the smiling face of a well dressed lady who was reaching for the locked door, before long we had entered into another world.

When we first stepped inside Sweets we were overwhelmed at the sheer array of things to look at, there were  trays of hand-tied flies, old books, stacked boxes, photographs old and new, wooden carved salmon, tweed jackets, bags, cane and carbon rods, we were struggling to know what was for sale and what items were on display for sentimental reasons. The air smelt of wax and old books, the sun had just come out and shafts of light shone through the gaps in the glass illuminating the shop in dappled light, the atmosphere was thick and there stood behind the wooden counter our host with her infectious laugh and sweet smile. Nick and myself were actually quite dumb struck like a couple of  school boys, but we were soon put at ease with Mrs Williams offer of tea and stories that were attached to every object that we pointed out. We felt that we had entered someones front room for the first time and with that in mind turned down the offer of tea for we felt that we were intruding. Instead we turned our attention back to the shop, its history and the content. I spotted a delicate looking cane trout rod that turned out to be a Harry Powell rod who originally opened the shop in the 1930’s and was told that “Harry’s rod would never be sold, it is far too special.”  Mrs Williams told us about Lionel Sweet who took over the shop from Harry Powell and of his legendary fly casting skills (in 1953 he became the Casting Champion of Europe which he held for twenty years)  while his wife Molly hand-tied the flies in the shop. In the early 1960’s Mrs Williams started work in the shop after her parents were looking to find her some temporary work, then in the 1970’s she took over the shop with her now husband, Mike. Over forty years on Mrs Williams, the Usk Butterfly continues to offer her time and hospitality that is warm and genuine,  in truth we felt after an hour that we should leave but I think she enjoyed our visit as much as we were. The shop is very much orientated to fishing the Usk which is literally a stones throw from the shop. I spotted a cupboard of boxes with labels from bygone Redditch tackle firms, stacked in a higgledy-piggledy manner. From this cupboard Mrs Williams showed me some of the contents including some floats,  “I have a few floats for the boys in the village, you have to get them started somehow,” it was almost as if this was a rite of passage, from float to fly. By five o’clock we had to leave, we could have stayed longer as I know that Mrs Williams  had many more stories to share, time was not an issue in this shop, it looked like it had stopped many decades ago, but we had to move on and step back into 2014. A meeting had been laid on for us to discuss the photo-shoot that was to take place on the following day, the contrast was quite extreme.

In hindsight there is a slight sadness about this shop as you realise it won’t be around forever. When Mrs Williams locks the door for the final time I can’t see this business being passed on or sold as it stands, the vintage tackle dealers and auction houses  may buy up the contents and the shop will be lost. The stock is probably worth very little but some of the historic photographs and wood carving are worth considerably more, but as a collection under one roof it is priceless. On a historical and social level Sweets is a very rare place to discover. For now it still stands as a business supplying the Usk fishermen with flies, spinners and line, it is a very honest place and certainly not a parody or museum.  For anyone who remembers fishing tackle shops that precede the 1980’s when the owners were normally a husband and wife duo, this is a place you have to visit and spend a few pounds. Sweets is a tackle shop that survives where many others were lost to  Angling Centres with departments run by ‘experts’. My experience in Sweets reminded me how far we have come as a country over the last thirty years, we seem to be in a big hurry. Sweets is a real lesson in customer care and understated knowledge, an antidote to modern shopping. This little tackle shop is in no rush, run by a lady who has  time for anyone who steps through the door, I’m just looking to find an excuse to go back soon, this time though I will accept the offer of  “a nice cup of tea with welsh water” as Mrs William would like to say.

Mrs Williams
Mrs Williams
Hand tied
Hand tied
Mrs Williams
Mrs Williams
Mrs Williams & Nick
Mrs Williams & Nick
A customers discarded waders!
A customers discarded waders!
Sweets Tackle shop Usk
Sweets Tackle shop Usk

 

Keeping it simple.

19 Monday May 2014

Posted by The tuesday swim in General fishing

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

cane, carp, fishing, rod, rucksack, simple, stalking, tench

With limited time to go fishing there is always pressure to get it right and make the trip successful, you never know when the next trip will be? In an ideal world I would have a few different rods set up for different situations and a river or lake at the end of my garden to fish from. I could be in constant contact with the water observing the fauna and pre-baiting some chosen areas, then spend short sessions of a hour or two. Unfortunately that isn’t going to happen.

My main place to fish is in Sussex, if I leave London at 6.00am I can get from my front door to the lake in one hour. My problem is I have no idea how the lake is fishing and I don’t have the luxury of pre-baiting so this un-known element brings on a sense of uncertainty and indecision can set in (making decisions is not one of my strong points). I like to travel light but with unknown conditions I tends to take too many baits and probably a rod or two too many.

This weekend I was going to head down to Sussex and try for the tench and some of the larger rudd but on the Thursday I was struck down with some weird 24 hour bug which scuppered all my plans to fish. On the Saturday morning I woke up at 5.30 am bright as new penny and thought, what the heck, its a beautiful day, sunny with some mist, perfect. With only sweetcorn in the house I grabbed my rucksack (always ready to go), four tins of Green Giant, a small bag of food and tea making equipement and two rods. This last minute decision stopped me from taking too much tackle and bait. Freedom!

7.00 am I arrived, peace….

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At lunchtime my chance of a tench was fading but the carp were showing on the top…

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By mid-afternoon it was hot but walking around with the simplest of kit, a rucksack and one rod, crouching down on the long wet grass under the shade, this is how I remember fishing to be as a teenager.

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The Syndicate.

15 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by The tuesday swim in General fishing

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

carp, mill, pond, sussex, syndicate, water

Each year I have a dilemma around March-April when the renewal letter slips through the letterbox. My Sussex syndicate membership is due and I have to ask myself the question, is it worth it? On average I make it down twice a year, which makes each visit quite a luxury plus petrol and it all adds up to an expensive day out. But this year my membership renewal has not arrived, reason unknown. I have asked a friend and member if his renewal has arrived and it seems that he too is in the situation. Hopefully this is an administration problem and all is well with the syndicate.

With the possibility that the syndicate has run into problems and my access to this water could be lost has made me realise that my membership is very important even if I am unable to get down to Sussex as often as I would like. Knowing that I can jump in the car and be by the water within ninety minutes is a tonic. The mill pond is a good size and was dug about three hundred years ago. Below the lilly covered surface is a good head of tench, some large old carp, pike of all sizes plus huge shoals of roach and rudd, in a way it is perfect although sometimes it can be really quite difficult to fish, often it sleeps much to my frustration, but on occasions it has given up some wonderful catches. So now I wait in hope that my membership renewal arrives so that I can continue to fish there and not not just dream of such a place.

In London on my wall hangs a postcard from 1931 which shows the mill pond, little has changed, perhaps the same carp are still alive from when that photograph was taken? An eighty three year old carp, well it’s possible?

Sussex Mill

The village pond.

02 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by The tuesday swim in General fishing

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

boyhood, carp, chris, clapton, fishing, local, lower, pond, village, yates

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Looking back it seems we all experienced the local pond in some form or other, whether it was a village pond or a lake in a park. In hindsight to those of a certain age I think the illustrations in Ladybird books had a lot to do with such halcyon memories, launching wooden toy yachts or fishing for fry with a net, but for me I remember quite vividly trying to catch the goldfish from Lindfield Pond in Sussex until a prim old lady from the local parish and resident of the private road that ran along side the pond, would come over and tick me off then send me packing.

Lindfield Pond Postcard

These ponds seem to have certain features, an island and a willow tree, a few mallards, possibly a pair of swans and occasionally an unwanted pet terrapin would break the surface for air. In the winter the pond would seem quiet, almost lifeless but as spring warmed, frog spawn would appear in the shallows, while water boatmen would skit about on the surface film. The spring would also bring fry darting about in the margins, while roach, rudd, orfe and goldfish (often discarded pets) would swim in shoals in the deeper water. As a boy these signs of life were potential targets, armed with the most basic of equipment and a worm or a blob of bread, this is where many boys dreams began, hunting for fish and larger monsters of the deep. Chris Yates In ‘Casting at the Sun’  writes of his first encounter with the local village pond in Burgh Heath, Surrey and his attempt to capture a golden carp with his ‘boys’ fishing kit. These experiences seem to be the spark for so many life-long anglers.

Two years ago we moved to a new area (although not completely alien to me) Lower Clapton in North East London where just up from our house is a small pond. Lower Clapton Pond was dug in the 1600’s during the reign of James I, originally a watering hole for livestock and then later a reservoir for the supply of water to the local area. In 1898 the ponds were saved from being filled in and re-landscaped by the local Hackney Vestry with gravel paths,  a footbridge, miniature islands, trees and a small fence. In the 1970’s the ponds were re-modelled again but then fell into the hands of drug addicts, alcoholics and other unsavoury characters, Lower Clapton Pond was a bit of a no go area. Then in 2002 the Clapton Pond Neighbourhood Action Group was set up and once again the ponds became a safe haven for  locals to enjoy after another re-design.

And now, in 2014 I peer down and see goldfish, orfe, a lone terrapin and more surprisingly under the weeping willow a single large carp of around eights pounds! How these one off loners get into such ponds is a mystery to me but a good one to ponder over, no pun intended!

Canal carp 4

Observing the close season?

19 Wednesday Mar 2014

Posted by The tuesday swim in General fishing

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

british, fishing, observing, season, traditional, uk

Back in 1990’s (I think) the close season was lifted on still-waters and at first I was defiant as the magic of the sixteenth was to be savoured. I stayed pretty much to my guns on this until about four or five years ago when I asked myself, why? I’m led to believe the close season was put in place to keep the ‘oiks’ off the decent trout rivers rather than some romantic idea that it was an ecological move to protect spawning fish and worn out flora on the waterside.

British species of fish spawn at different times, pike can start in late January and carp seem to go on into late July, the current close season is only a half hearted opportunity to protect many of these species. Most rivers these days are deserted all year round and more popular places like weirs  have built platforms, worn banks are not generally that common these days. Rivers really are not pressured waters unlike many commercials and stillwaters. Perhaps we have the closed season the wrong way around, close the still-waters and open the rivers?

Redmire is a good example of how I think a well managed still-water should be run, as the water is closed for the traditional three months. Redmire is a pressured water with four angler on its three acres all year bar the close season, this makes sense to rest the carp although I would consider extending the rest period from the end of March to the end of June which would cover more of the spawning activity and still give the flora the same period of rest. On my own syndicate water in Sussex there are three lakes and I very rarely see more than four anglers on any given day and there must be over ten acres of water. Because of the low pressure, the syndicate allows fishing all year but ask any anglers fishing for carp to keep away if spawning begins. Commercials are probably the waters that really would benefit from a rest but money speaks louder than fish welfare in modern angling, thankfully I’m not one to fish these high-pressured waters.

So where does this leave me personally? I now find the spring the most exciting time to be fishing for carp and tench and when the fish spawn I simply pack away the rods for a few days and enjoy the spectacle for what it is. Most of my fishing is not that easy, lakes with low stocking, just quality fish and rivers with a natural and balanced eco- system. Pre-baiting the canals as the water starts to warm in search of carp is now part of my annual angling calendar, I started doing this two years ago resulting in two lost monsters, I now have unfinished business and spring time is my prime opportunity to locate the feeding carp.

I understand those who follow the traditional route and pack away their rods for three months, lets face it, this can be a good rest bite for the mental state of any obsessional angler and those jobs on the house don’t do themselves. Personally I find my precious fishing time throughout the year requires those extra three months, it takes some pressure off the months when one can fish especially after the last winter with two lost months due to flooding.

As for the romantics, the sixteenth will always be a special day and more so if one observes the close season. I shall be fishing throughout the spring but I am a bit of a romantic myself so I shall be on the river at dawn on the first day of the season.

Traveling light.

05 Wednesday Feb 2014

Posted by The tuesday swim in General fishing

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

angler, fishing, old, school

I came across this the other day and it made me laugh. The young man featured is now one of Britain’s most famous anglers, Jeremy Wade,  a real  adventurer. Although not everyone’s taste I’m a fan, his TV series can be a little over dramatic but he is compelling on camera and he’s bright, good for engaging a younger audience. Fishing from a Jag, perfect.
Jeremy Wade angler

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