Where did you start

[Guest Newt]

Originally posted by fish slime:

i started in Canada.i went there to visit family and my uncle took my to a river.i caught loads of fish.pekeral and musky i think they were called.thats how i started.

 

LOL - fish slime, you caught the larger (musky) and smaller (pickrel) cousins of the pike. Some fun, what. Now you absolutely gotta fill in with some UK Pike.

 

I can't say where I started as I was about 3 (late 1940s) and went with my Dad. The section of Arkansas I was raised in is one where the Mississippi river has wandered back and forth across and cut a huge number of lakes into the ground of 2 to a few hundred acres. Many are isolated and hard to find - and even harder to get to. He was native to that area and knew them all. We would change waters based on the time of year and what he wanted to target.

 

I did have a pond of an acre or 2 near the house that was full of little sunfish and I can remember catching a ton of them when I was a youngster though.

 

I also remember fishing the White River when I was 8 or 9 years old. Sitting on the muddy bank with a pole made from a piece of bamboo cut and dried, a piece of braid line, a float made from the cork out of a whisky bottle, and a hook of some variety. Fishing with a large insect. Hooked a 9lb drum and was pulled into the river. Caught the fish though. BTW - you don't have them but the fish is so names as it can make a drumming sound somehow and loves to get under an angler's boat and drum.

[Guest Chris Shaw]

Originally posted by peter morton:

Chris,Snap,

My 1st fishing trip was to Tooting Bec,about 1962 aged 7,Taken by my Mum,the rod was an old snooker cue with some rings whipped on and an old wooden starback reel held on by electrical tape.We set up on the "manhole cover" and first cast with a bit of worm i caught a Pongo Gudgeon,I was hooked for life.

I soon progressed to a 10ft cane and fiberglass rod and an Intrepid Truespin and spent many a happy day with the rest of the lads who inhabited the place.I was given the nickname Lucky,as i always seemed to catch 1st cast.

The thing used to be to wade out to the small island and fish towards the "bombhole" on the corner of the large island,which was supposed to be where the monster carp lurked.

I went back recently and the small island has been removed and 1/2 the lake fenced off as a nature reserve.Talking to a couple of people revealed that it is now controlled by a club as is the lake on Wandsworth common.

It didn't seem the same,Happy Memories though.

Peter.

 

 

 

Hey, the manhole swim, I know it well, we to catch lots from there.

 

You must of been fishing there at the same time as myself.

 

I fished there from an early age into my twenties.

 

We used do a trick off of the old landing stage, whereupon we would get back from the edge, then drop your float about 3 - 6 inches from the edge of the concrete, then drop tufts of grass into the water right next to your float, within second the float would slide away. We caught loads like that.

 

The small island was dug out because the council thought it to be dangerous as it was easy to wade out to. I had my double figure pike from it fishing out towards the point of the island.

 

A mate of mine was standing on what was left of the small island under the water level one evening float fishing for the carp towards the big island. He was aching for pee when he got a take, struck, missed and then wet himself. There was half a dozen of us on the bank at the time watching him. Did we laugh, I can honestly say, yes we did.

 

I also served most part of my carp fishing appenticeship on there also, the biggest I ever got was 12 1/2lb. Mind you it was not a bad fish for time.

 

We must have known each other you know, I used to live at the place, if we was not fishing we would be walking around chatting with other people fishing....

 

 

 

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Chris Shaw

The reel handles spun in unison as they played on.

[Guest TheDacer]

Who says you can't catch 5lb Chub on the Lugg?

 

I had a 4lbs 10oz and 4lbs 13oz last March.

 

Surely they've put on a bit of weight by now and got to the 5lb mark??

[Guest peter morton]

Hi Chris,

I used to fish mainly with two lads,Trev (a small blond haired chap) and "deaf" steve (a gentle giant with 2 hearing aids)If you tried to argue with him he would just switch them off!We caught a lot of tench from the reed swims to the right of the landing stage.

My best fish from the pond was a 13lb 10oz common carp,caught on a freelined lobworm from the front of the landing stage.It took me 7 years to catch a bigger one!

The other great adventure was to catch the train to Hampton Court,and then sneaking through the hole in the wire fence by the road bridge over the river Mole and fishing under the railway bridge,caught my first Barbel there,just under 2lbs but it seemed like a giant at the time.

Every time we went i used to go into the large tackleshop there and buy a couple of Camafloats (the first Drennan floats).I've still got a couple in my box today.

I'll have to stop now,i'm getting all misty eyed and emotional.

Happy Days,

Peter.

 

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HAPPINESS IS A ROD IN YOUR HAND

[Guest phil hackett]

Originally posted by Mike_pk_Waters:

 

Sammy’s Basin in what is now Daisy Nook Country Park Oldham, 1959, aged 6. Myself and my mate Squeakier Ford fished with garden cain rods, cotton bobbin reels, with cotton as line, matchstick floats and bent pin hooks.

Our summer holidays that year were spent attempting to catch 2 inch roach on balls of bread.

 

Oh the magic of it!!!

 

43 years latter with all the advance technology, wealth of knowledge, experience, and 10s of thousands of fish later, and that same magic of those childhood days is still there!

 

Do I still go back yes! but not to fish, all though I have my eye on it for producing a good perch or two, from the reports I’m hearing locally. My visits these days are more for research purposes, as the disused canal system that Sammy’s is part of, has one of the greatest concentrations of water voles in the whole of Gt. Manchester. I also visit the area when I’m a bit down with life. I find the whole of the country park an area where I can live in my own head for a few hours and sort out the problems. And of course a visit to the basin, that is I guess, my spiritual angling home, is always made. Just last week I was carrying out some survey work on the canal system, and the kids were on half-term holidays. The weather was fine and warm and there were 5 or 6 kids fishing. As I passed, I paused and thought is it giving you the MAGIC!!!

[Guest tony jolley]

John!

Yes you are now a "fellow member" of the Leeds and Liverpool appreciation club "LLAC" for short,

I was born in New springs and the stretch towards Top Lock, was my playground as a kid, and still is!!

 

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Tony B.T Jolley