It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I report the passing of a dear friend and angling companion, Len Head. Almost 25 years ago to the day we first met on the banks of Bures Lake on the Suffolk/Essex borders; we were both attracted to this beautiful little lake by the tales of big tench. To put things into perspective in 1975 a five pounder was big, a six was huge and a seven pounder a dream. Shortly after our first meeting, Len turned that dream into reality with a magnificent brace of tench weighing 7lbs-01oz & 8lbs-02oz.

We soon struck up the foundations of a good friendship that grew and grew and for the past twenty or so years we fished together every week.

As if by coincidence or possibly by design, just a few days before his passing Len phoned me from the lake to tell me that the fish were really having it and that I should get down there ASAP as he had caught five good fish in just a couple of hours. Half an hour latter the ‘jammy one’, as Len called Sarah my wife and I arrived just as he put the net under an 8lb-01oz fish which he promptly followed up with another weighing exactly 7lbs.

We laughed and joked soaking up the essence of the moment and reflected back over the past twenty-five seasons tenching, time had turned full circle. As we fished the rest of the session through in adjacent swims we planned the downfall of big fat tench with the tails the size of your hand. Unfortunately these plans will never now come to fruition. Leastways, not to our partnership, which had seen the capture of many big fish of different species during our long and happy times together.

Len was one of a rare breed of anglers he possessed a sixth sense for fish location, something you couldn’t learn or buy, he referred to it as his ‘nose’ for fish, an instinct that hardly ever let him down. He was also a very competent angler equally at home with both coarse and game fishing, something that many a good trout found out to there cost. Each year he would venture out to France with his carp-fishing pal of many years, Doug Woods. Together they pioneered some good carp waters and caught big fish. In fact Len and Doug had just postponed there usual May trip for a date latter in the year due to business commitments. Len was certainly no stranger to fishing in other countries and a couple of years ago fulfilled a lifelong ambition to fish in India for mahseer in the company of his good friends John Wilson and Jason Davis. Often whilst out pike fishing together on some desolate wind swept gravel pit or fen drain we would talk of fishing in foreign lands for exotic species, something I’m left to dream about now, alone.

During the 1970’s and 80’s Len took to writing about his fishing, first in angling magazines, then chapters in other authors books and finally writing three books of his own, Rod Building, River Fishing and the highly acclaimed and still regarded by many, definitive book on tench fishing, simply called Tench. He possessed a good descriptive writing style and his work has become very sought after and collectable. In more recent years he again contributed some fine work to other authors books but despite encouragement from his close friends we couldn’t pursued him to write another. There was another book there, we often spoke about it and I’m sure it would have been great, but in the end he would say, "no, I want just to go fishing". Probably because he was a perfectionist with an eye for detail and accuracy this put him off, for he knew it would take a couple of years to produce and a lot of lost fishing time.

As a sign writer of the old school his work was superb and a joy to behold.

I was fortunate, before the days of computer graphics, to be able to see him at work with his brush, stick and paint palette. We would talk about all things fishing whilst he performed his magic, a long lost skill that Len has taken with him to the fast flowing rivers and lily clad lakes in the sky. There he joins his recently departed brother Ted whose obituary I also had the privilege to write not that many months ago. If there is a heaven then there will be lakes and if there’s lakes then there will be fish, and yes you know what the Head brothers will be up to. Save a swim for me.

To Lens family, wife Joan, daughters Caroline, Julie and Denise, the grandchildren Toby, Alex, Max, Ellie and Jordan, especially little Jordan a sure angler in the making. To Lens brothers Mike, Phil and Les, sisters June and Karen, to all the other members of the family and his great many friends, I make no apologies for keeping Len away from you on misty dawns and warm summer evenings. Apart from being one of angling’s greats he was akin to a piece of fine art, there for the sharing. I consider myself honoured for the time he spent with me and thank you all for allowing this to happen.

Len bought joy, not just into our lives, but to thousands of others. His written work will be enjoyed by future generations of anglers long after we too are gone. Fishing lines may part in the future but our friendship will never be broken. Goodbye, old mate, and thanks for everything.

Alan Pearce