In reply to Post #224
Thanks pete very much appreciated kens in the book as well not read it yet but looking forward to it as there is some great chapters by other anglers
Thanks pete very much appreciated kens in the book as well not read it yet but looking forward to it as there is some great chapters by other anglers
In reply to Post #225
Well in Pete, I will pick up a copy next time i do a bait order
Well in Pete, I will pick up a copy next time i do a bait order
In reply to Post #226
-4 today and it feels cold a few years back i would not bother about this type of weather you would see me out with my pike rods i have always liked a bit of piking we would get the boat out we have had some great days fishing from the boat, when graham and i were younger you would see us down on Bomere no one was allowed to fish the lake in those days we managed to get permission from the owner Mr SAM Davies the water was all ours you would see no other anglers on the water we also had the use of a punt the lake was a haven for wild life well water fowl you would see big rafts of ducks and big flocks of geese also visited the lake, i can remember a Mr lock from Bomere farm he never owned the fishing rights but he was in the shoot i have seen him and his workers out in the punt collecting the geese he had shot from his back garden which backed onto the lake they were good days it was nothing to see graham and myself catch up to twelve pike on a Sunday morning while listening to the distant church bells calling the faithful to worship at condover church, we caught pike up to twenty pounds but lost a lot bigger we used mackerel herrings sprats as dead bait the only problem we had was getting the dead bait out as the rods were not that good in the sixties most anglers i saw used old sea rods graham and myself managed to acquire a couple of ten ft fiber glass rods they certainly did the trick if it was windy we would float our baits out using a polystyrene tiles and a balloon attached but the wind had be blowing from the right direction which allowed us to sail the dead baits to our chosen fishing spot other than that we rowed them out using the punt. We never had indicators like today so where the line touched the water in front of the rod tip we would clip on a big piece of polystyrene that acted like a float when you had a take you could watch the polystyrene being towed away then vanish under the water it was crude but it worked. The lake was still shot over and the keeper was a Mr Hoggins who had a reputation for being a very hard man.
I am sure he wont mind me saying he was a bit of a rogue as well, he got into a few scrapes the last i heard of him he had repented and turned his back on shooting and such and was now a man of the cloth it really takes some believing i certainly could not watch him preach i would burst out laughing when i knew him he would fight any one that invaded his space his language was not that good either but he was my type of lad i can remember when he met another chap called panter he was a poacher well old hoggins caught him taking his pheasants all hell was let loose they fought and knocked hell into each other hoggins was covered in bramble scratches black eyes they packed up when they both had enough, funny really they remained friends until panters untimely death years latter, i think old hoggins met his match in those woods, on the day he met panter. well a bit more latter
-4 today and it feels cold a few years back i would not bother about this type of weather you would see me out with my pike rods i have always liked a bit of piking we would get the boat out we have had some great days fishing from the boat, when graham and i were younger you would see us down on Bomere no one was allowed to fish the lake in those days we managed to get permission from the owner Mr SAM Davies the water was all ours you would see no other anglers on the water we also had the use of a punt the lake was a haven for wild life well water fowl you would see big rafts of ducks and big flocks of geese also visited the lake, i can remember a Mr lock from Bomere farm he never owned the fishing rights but he was in the shoot i have seen him and his workers out in the punt collecting the geese he had shot from his back garden which backed onto the lake they were good days it was nothing to see graham and myself catch up to twelve pike on a Sunday morning while listening to the distant church bells calling the faithful to worship at condover church, we caught pike up to twenty pounds but lost a lot bigger we used mackerel herrings sprats as dead bait the only problem we had was getting the dead bait out as the rods were not that good in the sixties most anglers i saw used old sea rods graham and myself managed to acquire a couple of ten ft fiber glass rods they certainly did the trick if it was windy we would float our baits out using a polystyrene tiles and a balloon attached but the wind had be blowing from the right direction which allowed us to sail the dead baits to our chosen fishing spot other than that we rowed them out using the punt. We never had indicators like today so where the line touched the water in front of the rod tip we would clip on a big piece of polystyrene that acted like a float when you had a take you could watch the polystyrene being towed away then vanish under the water it was crude but it worked. The lake was still shot over and the keeper was a Mr Hoggins who had a reputation for being a very hard man.
I am sure he wont mind me saying he was a bit of a rogue as well, he got into a few scrapes the last i heard of him he had repented and turned his back on shooting and such and was now a man of the cloth it really takes some believing i certainly could not watch him preach i would burst out laughing when i knew him he would fight any one that invaded his space his language was not that good either but he was my type of lad i can remember when he met another chap called panter he was a poacher well old hoggins caught him taking his pheasants all hell was let loose they fought and knocked hell into each other hoggins was covered in bramble scratches black eyes they packed up when they both had enough, funny really they remained friends until panters untimely death years latter, i think old hoggins met his match in those woods, on the day he met panter. well a bit more latter
In reply to Post #227
I watched as he came down the field towards us i could tell by the way he walked he had his faithful black labs by his side he had not spotted us he looked in the direction of the old oak wood why was he out what was he looking for i said to my friend johnny get down out of sight but it was to late i heard the unmistakable voice shout out what are you doing there it was old bell , he was a snarled old warrior a good keeper who stood no messing we had been after the odd pheasant by walking the hedge rows with johnnie's dog butch he would push the odd rabbit and pheasant out for us to shoot but old Frank bell must have heard the shots now he was after us run johnny i shouted picking up my gun i ran for for the nearest cover i was into the fir wood it was dark nothing else grew under those firs as the light could not penetrate through the trees i crawled on my hands and knees through this impenetrable jumble of branches scratching my face in a number of places where had johnny got to he could not be far away i knew it would come i heard the bang as pellets rained down on me come out you buggers, he was shouting then another blast and another shower of lead, fell from above i kept on crawling and managed to get to the other side of the wood there was a strip of ground between the firs and the next copies i never even looked to see if it was safe and bounded across the field throwing my self over the iron railings i heard a noise from behind then a voice where is he Pete it was johnny we lay there in the undergrowth shaking with fear did he fire at you Pete no over my head he still thinks we are in there.
As we watched i caught sight of the blue land rover coming down the fields it was the police some one must have rang them it was Sgt old landers and p c sharp two more keepers arrived its time we were not here Johnny it was starting to get dark well make for the river walk the old falls then onto the blind school land and away across the fields and skirt the woods of bomere making for the old stone quarry which was on our village well that was the plan it never works quite like that the keeper had position two more men on the road he must of realized we may come this way so it was back to the river and in we went it was not that deep but very cold we forded down stream until we came to the bridge under we went there was a concrete ledge under the bridge and that is where we stayed we were cold and wet our teeth chattered but it was better than being caught it was now dark and we had a better chance to get away we gave it a good hour before moving across the river and away over the distant fields we went, they had given up so i thought arriving home i saw the blue land rover waiting out side the house bugger, it was old Sgt landers but my parents were not in i waited until he was gone before venturing into the house he called next morning had i been on land at condover no said i his eyes would go white with rage but he could not prove a thing i smiled as he drove away. well a bit more latter
I watched as he came down the field towards us i could tell by the way he walked he had his faithful black labs by his side he had not spotted us he looked in the direction of the old oak wood why was he out what was he looking for i said to my friend johnny get down out of sight but it was to late i heard the unmistakable voice shout out what are you doing there it was old bell , he was a snarled old warrior a good keeper who stood no messing we had been after the odd pheasant by walking the hedge rows with johnnie's dog butch he would push the odd rabbit and pheasant out for us to shoot but old Frank bell must have heard the shots now he was after us run johnny i shouted picking up my gun i ran for for the nearest cover i was into the fir wood it was dark nothing else grew under those firs as the light could not penetrate through the trees i crawled on my hands and knees through this impenetrable jumble of branches scratching my face in a number of places where had johnny got to he could not be far away i knew it would come i heard the bang as pellets rained down on me come out you buggers, he was shouting then another blast and another shower of lead, fell from above i kept on crawling and managed to get to the other side of the wood there was a strip of ground between the firs and the next copies i never even looked to see if it was safe and bounded across the field throwing my self over the iron railings i heard a noise from behind then a voice where is he Pete it was johnny we lay there in the undergrowth shaking with fear did he fire at you Pete no over my head he still thinks we are in there.
As we watched i caught sight of the blue land rover coming down the fields it was the police some one must have rang them it was Sgt old landers and p c sharp two more keepers arrived its time we were not here Johnny it was starting to get dark well make for the river walk the old falls then onto the blind school land and away across the fields and skirt the woods of bomere making for the old stone quarry which was on our village well that was the plan it never works quite like that the keeper had position two more men on the road he must of realized we may come this way so it was back to the river and in we went it was not that deep but very cold we forded down stream until we came to the bridge under we went there was a concrete ledge under the bridge and that is where we stayed we were cold and wet our teeth chattered but it was better than being caught it was now dark and we had a better chance to get away we gave it a good hour before moving across the river and away over the distant fields we went, they had given up so i thought arriving home i saw the blue land rover waiting out side the house bugger, it was old Sgt landers but my parents were not in i waited until he was gone before venturing into the house he called next morning had i been on land at condover no said i his eyes would go white with rage but he could not prove a thing i smiled as he drove away. well a bit more latter
In reply to Post #228
Over the years i have been bailiff on a few fisheries it can be a very lonely job you never know who you would meet in the dark i was lucky i could call for the assistance from some of the local game keepers the one chap used to bring along a ex police dog by gum he was fierce i would not fancy my chances against him and most poachers we caught were to frightened to run in case we let the dog go he would snarl bark the very look of him put a good many poachers off but it was not always possible to call him out as he worked on a big estate not far from the fishery and had trouble with poachers himself which kept him quite busy.
I would wait at the lodge for the poachers to arrive you could see the top car park which in the day was used by the many bird watchers that used the top pool it was owned by the RSPB and also a stock pool for the environment agency it was full of carp they would net every it so often taking the fish to stock other waters the poachers would arrive usually any time after midnight the silly buggers never switched there interior light off so you could see when they got out of the car i had also been supplied night vision binoculars a very handy piece of equipment i would let them settle in on the lake to maybe catch one or two so we had some evidence to take them to court but if the police arrived they just let the dogs go what a noise you could hear them a mile away the Sgt said it was better than taking them to court there car was checked over some times the tyres were let down or if the keepers were there the tyres were slashed they wont come back Pete if it costs them money most cars were not even taxed so i doubt they were even insured i suppose it was one way of getting rid of them the police even towed one or two cars away most were known to the police so it was a matter of visiting there homes.
You never knew who you would meet i always tried to have the company of some one else, my mate graham was also a bailiff but could only come at weekends but he was a great help we alarmed most of the lake by setting trip wires if they were activated at night you would here an almighty bang as it pulled a pin out of the tube releasing a bolt which activated a cartridge i would fill the cartridge full of rice and by putting a piece of tin under the tube god did it make a noise just like a shot gun going off , the poachers would shout out and run i had six trip wires set on the road side of the lake one would go then another until all six had gone off, we would double up laughing i would go around the next morning to reset them the poachers would drop there rods in there haste to get away i would take them back to the lodge to show the police as we were visited most days well it was for a free cuppa some times i even left the rice out leaving the lead in but i was always concerned i case some one got hurt but it certainly kept them away. well a bit more latter
Over the years i have been bailiff on a few fisheries it can be a very lonely job you never know who you would meet in the dark i was lucky i could call for the assistance from some of the local game keepers the one chap used to bring along a ex police dog by gum he was fierce i would not fancy my chances against him and most poachers we caught were to frightened to run in case we let the dog go he would snarl bark the very look of him put a good many poachers off but it was not always possible to call him out as he worked on a big estate not far from the fishery and had trouble with poachers himself which kept him quite busy.
I would wait at the lodge for the poachers to arrive you could see the top car park which in the day was used by the many bird watchers that used the top pool it was owned by the RSPB and also a stock pool for the environment agency it was full of carp they would net every it so often taking the fish to stock other waters the poachers would arrive usually any time after midnight the silly buggers never switched there interior light off so you could see when they got out of the car i had also been supplied night vision binoculars a very handy piece of equipment i would let them settle in on the lake to maybe catch one or two so we had some evidence to take them to court but if the police arrived they just let the dogs go what a noise you could hear them a mile away the Sgt said it was better than taking them to court there car was checked over some times the tyres were let down or if the keepers were there the tyres were slashed they wont come back Pete if it costs them money most cars were not even taxed so i doubt they were even insured i suppose it was one way of getting rid of them the police even towed one or two cars away most were known to the police so it was a matter of visiting there homes.
You never knew who you would meet i always tried to have the company of some one else, my mate graham was also a bailiff but could only come at weekends but he was a great help we alarmed most of the lake by setting trip wires if they were activated at night you would here an almighty bang as it pulled a pin out of the tube releasing a bolt which activated a cartridge i would fill the cartridge full of rice and by putting a piece of tin under the tube god did it make a noise just like a shot gun going off , the poachers would shout out and run i had six trip wires set on the road side of the lake one would go then another until all six had gone off, we would double up laughing i would go around the next morning to reset them the poachers would drop there rods in there haste to get away i would take them back to the lodge to show the police as we were visited most days well it was for a free cuppa some times i even left the rice out leaving the lead in but i was always concerned i case some one got hurt but it certainly kept them away. well a bit more latter
In reply to Post #229
When i was bailiff at the trout fishery it brought back many memories just over the field from the fishery is another small lake it is now used by the bird watchers and is owned by the RSB and also a stock pool for the environment agency when i was a young man i would poach that place long before i met up with my mate graham it was full of carp and tench i would cycle from my village at Bayston hill hiding my bike in the field adjacent to the lake i would ledger bread flake or worms. Being a butcher boy it gave me access to sausage rusk and charlie the butcher always gave me some to go fishing i would throw a bit in mixed with layers mash the fish would go mad no kidding you could get a fish every cast the carp were not that big i suppose the biggest went to round five pounds but this was in the late fifties we never really bothered much about size in those days we were young and all we wanted was to be out fishing we never asked permission as it would not be granted but i was about one day and i saw the owner who was rounding his sheep, up i approached this frosty looking gentleman can i fish your pool sir thou best get off he said if i catch e on that pool ill shoot yer with a ball of your own muck, charming he did not want to know he was a right old bugger we shoots that pool for the duck he said as i turned to walk away wheres yer from he said in broad shropshire language up the road sir well get e back up the road and dare yer not come back, little did he know i already fished his small lake i did not know they shot the lake for the ducks i thought to myself next time i will have a few myself he really rubbed me up the wrong way i wont say the gentleman's name because he was quite well known and and respected in the farming community over the years i became a friend of the old man he is now long gone but i had a few of those ducks and when i told him years latter he would just laugh yer did not take much notice did you young man over the years i found he was a kind old gentleman and he would give me eggs to take home for my parents we remained friends up to his death he was in his nineties and had a good life but when i look at that small lake it brings back happy memories.
I would go fishing and also take my trusted air rifle i would lie in the under growth there were hundreds of ducks mostly mallard, i would shoot them on the water then pull them in with long piece of stick it gave me a few bob for the back pocket i had no problem selling them i would also watch them shoot the lake they would be all dressed up in there finery men and women they mostly loaded for there husbands, the ducks would get up in there hundreds circle round and try to come back in the ducks would come crashing to the ground in a ball of feathers i would pick a few under their noses before they started picking up with the dogs they would also shoot a few pheasants that got up out of the undergrowth, they were great days it was a necessity to poach the pheasent and duck for food in those days as times were still quite hard well a bit more latter
When i was bailiff at the trout fishery it brought back many memories just over the field from the fishery is another small lake it is now used by the bird watchers and is owned by the RSB and also a stock pool for the environment agency when i was a young man i would poach that place long before i met up with my mate graham it was full of carp and tench i would cycle from my village at Bayston hill hiding my bike in the field adjacent to the lake i would ledger bread flake or worms. Being a butcher boy it gave me access to sausage rusk and charlie the butcher always gave me some to go fishing i would throw a bit in mixed with layers mash the fish would go mad no kidding you could get a fish every cast the carp were not that big i suppose the biggest went to round five pounds but this was in the late fifties we never really bothered much about size in those days we were young and all we wanted was to be out fishing we never asked permission as it would not be granted but i was about one day and i saw the owner who was rounding his sheep, up i approached this frosty looking gentleman can i fish your pool sir thou best get off he said if i catch e on that pool ill shoot yer with a ball of your own muck, charming he did not want to know he was a right old bugger we shoots that pool for the duck he said as i turned to walk away wheres yer from he said in broad shropshire language up the road sir well get e back up the road and dare yer not come back, little did he know i already fished his small lake i did not know they shot the lake for the ducks i thought to myself next time i will have a few myself he really rubbed me up the wrong way i wont say the gentleman's name because he was quite well known and and respected in the farming community over the years i became a friend of the old man he is now long gone but i had a few of those ducks and when i told him years latter he would just laugh yer did not take much notice did you young man over the years i found he was a kind old gentleman and he would give me eggs to take home for my parents we remained friends up to his death he was in his nineties and had a good life but when i look at that small lake it brings back happy memories.
I would go fishing and also take my trusted air rifle i would lie in the under growth there were hundreds of ducks mostly mallard, i would shoot them on the water then pull them in with long piece of stick it gave me a few bob for the back pocket i had no problem selling them i would also watch them shoot the lake they would be all dressed up in there finery men and women they mostly loaded for there husbands, the ducks would get up in there hundreds circle round and try to come back in the ducks would come crashing to the ground in a ball of feathers i would pick a few under their noses before they started picking up with the dogs they would also shoot a few pheasants that got up out of the undergrowth, they were great days it was a necessity to poach the pheasent and duck for food in those days as times were still quite hard well a bit more latter
In reply to Post #230
blimey, fishing bread over sausage rusk!! that takes me back a few years too pete!!
the bloke who taught me used to swear by it for winter fishing for roach & bream, with either flake or punched bread.
blimey, fishing bread over sausage rusk!! that takes me back a few years too pete!!
the bloke who taught me used to swear by it for winter fishing for roach & bream, with either flake or punched bread.
In reply to Post #231
HI brian yes we used it a lot, when i left the butchers to work else where i would buy it by the hundred weight it lasted quite a time and mixed with the layers mash you could ball it out quite a distance and it was reasonably priced
HI brian yes we used it a lot, when i left the butchers to work else where i would buy it by the hundred weight it lasted quite a time and mixed with the layers mash you could ball it out quite a distance and it was reasonably priced
In reply to Post #232
wont be on for a few days being rushed into hospita with a blood clot in my chest i will resume stories when i can
god bless you all pete
wont be on for a few days being rushed into hospita with a blood clot in my chest i will resume stories when i can
god bless you all pete
In reply to Post #233
Bloody heck! Speedy recovery Pete
Bloody heck! Speedy recovery Pete
In reply to Post #230
I never read this thread before. Just read those last 4 posts - great stuff! I'll certainly be spending a bit of time going through this.
Cheers Pete
I never read this thread before. Just read those last 4 posts - great stuff!
I'll certainly be spending a bit of time going through this.Cheers Pete
In reply to Post #233
God bless to you, Pete. All the best, you old poacher
God bless to you, Pete. All the best, you old poacher
In reply to Post #237
I've just been speaking to pete, and thankfully he's on the mend and home now, he's still very poorly and tired but hopefully he's going to be okay
Saw the thread and thought I'd let you know
I've just been speaking to pete, and thankfully he's on the mend and home now, he's still very poorly and tired but hopefully he's going to be okay
Saw the thread and thought I'd let you know
In reply to Post #238
Great to hear Stu, nice one!
Great to hear Stu, nice one!