In reply to Post #523
We will have to leave the barbel for the time being, as my mate has an operation, today he will soon get over it and maybe next week we will continue our fishing, with all this rain it should flush the river, improving our chance to catch one of the biggies, I know they are there as I have peronaly caught one which weighed twelve and a quarter pounds I had three doubles that morning so it is a matter of time before we put one on the bank. what we like about the swim its not far to walk and we park the car on the road above the swim and graham hands the rods and such down to me we are up and fishing within ten minutes.

Another big barbell caught at night


A lovely barbell caught at night

When I was a young man there were no barbel in the river only roach chub bream and pike and of course dace when dace fishing the pike, would scythe through the shoals, at times we would put a live bait out under a big pike, bung it would not be there for long before the float was towed across the surface before vanishing beneath the water the fish would be on and i would play him to the side they were mostly around ten to fifteen pounds, and were great fun to catch, another way was to use dead baits and ledger them I have had a fair bit of success using that method there was some big pike, caught up to thirty odd pounds but I was never lucky enough to catch one that size. When I did a bit of poaching I have had big pike strike while I was roach, fishing and have ,lost a few big pike, So I would take another rod with me and used it to fish a live bait, you would hook one and they would tail walk across the surface, leaving a trail of silver spray. I would land it then put it back you were always on edge incase
the game keeper, caught me it was not nice fishing it was many years later when I eventually got permission to fish the lake, graham and I were over the moon and had some fantastic weekends fishing for the pike we used dead baits and would catch at least ten pike, in a morning they were beautifully marked fish the biggest would be around twenty pounds but we lost a lot bigger fish.

A nice coloured pike
Thinking back that was in the middle sixties I was eventually offered the lease and formed a syndicate which graham, and myself ran for a number of years it was fantastic fishing and I caught fish I did not know existed in the lake and that was Tench, I caught them to nine pounds plus the roach, fishing was something else graham and myself caught eight in one evening all over the magical two pounds this was in the sixties we did not own a good camera we did not have the money to buy one our scales, were the spring balance type they seemed quite accurate i know friends that fish the same lake it does not seem to fish like it did the tench, seemed to have vanished there are plenty of bream and I believe a roach was caught over three pounds the pike do get caught but not like the biggies we managed to catch all those years ago well that's another story. more later

In reply to Post #529
I feel I must mention our friend the bailiff Rodger he is a fantastic angler and catches some huge specimens the latest big fish are worth a mention I have known rodg for a number of years most of his fish come from short evening sessions he is a very knowledgeable angler I have mentioned him before in my stories so here is his latest big Barbel


A wonderfull fish caught by Rodger



Another biggie two of his biggest fish this year

He really deserves these fish as he realy suffers with his illness and never complains well done rodg keep them coming

More stories to come latter

In reply to Post #529
I am hoping we will be out after the barbell this next week I will have to see how my mate gets on after his operation.

I was reminiscing yesterday with a good friend about the lake I poached all those years ago. As I have said myself and graham had the syndicate on the Lake for many years Bernard, our other mate was also member as well infact it was Bernard and my self that caught the first carp, out of the water, I had seen what looked like carp feeding in the lily beds so I decided to feed a clear spot not far from the bed of lilies, we had already built some swims out of pallets so it was bern and myself who fished this swim for the first time although there was room for graham he unfortunately had to work on the saturday morning so could not make it I suppose it was around two in the morning when the carp, started to show in our swim and it looked if they were on our bait it was not long before Berns indicator shot up to the but ring, he lifted the rod and he was in i can still remember landing that fish, and the excitement it caused as we peered into the big landing net we could not believe our eyes it was a beautifully marked mirror, it weighed in at Twenty seven pound plus we just sat there we had proved there were carp in the lake, it was the only one that night but there was more to follow.

The first common I caught from the lake on the white pop up this was years ago

The next sessions was done by Graham, and Bernard in the same swim I was away on holiday and unfortunately the both blanked but graham, was nearly eaten alive by mozzies, and ended up in Bernards kitchen having calamine lotion rubbed all over his back and arms I don't think I had ever seen such a mess and that was a week later, and it put graham, off fishing the lake for a week or two. The next session was further up the lake I baited with hemp and maize three times a week a little bit often not huge quantities. Bern, set up in the swim next to me, I fished one rod just two feet out dropping it in the margin I used a white chocolate homemade pop up and fed a handful of hemp, around the hook bait the other hook bait was maize. I suppose it was about two thirty when the rod with my pop up on was away it took about ten minutes to subdue the fish I shouted for Bern but he was fast asleep so I weighed it at twenty two pounds plus it was a lovely looking common I did not want to sack it so I took a photo and returned it to the water.

The first mirror I had from the lake you can tell it was years ago by the photo

Bern blanked that night but the following week we both caught he had a nice common, twenty plus I had a big mirror, that was also twenty three plus god we were doing well I did wonder how long it would be before others found out where we were fishing and what we were catching. I can remember the first thirty I had we never publicized any that we caught, but it soon got around the grapevine that we were catching some good fish and it was not long before the offers came to fish the water we could not compete but I was bailiff and could still fish the lake I will tell you more about the lake latter, more to come

In reply to Post #531
superb reading great articles by petethecrip proper fishin keep em coming fella couple of lads i know fished ellsmere for the bream early seventies had some really big fish out for that era to they were days

In reply to Post #532
Thanks I really appreciate your remarks

In reply to Post #531
I met a chap in our local pub who owned a lovely lake, not very far from my home he gave us permission to fish the lake, he told me there was some good carp, in the water. It was before the bolt rig was invented. The lake was covered in weed there was few holes you could fish, through. We had a look and decided to have a go I had a word with dick walker, about the best way to fish the water, and what bait may work we started to fish the lake, using bread flake, bread paste, flavored with honey, and the humble maggot, cat, food made into paste mixed with bread, we started to catch some lovely chub, that had been stocked into the lake god, they were big seven pounds was about the biggest we caught. I can well remember graham catching seven chub, in one session not one was under six pounds I think the biggest was seven pounds.


one of the first carp I caught there

Graham could no longer come fishing because of his work load. I had a friend that worked with me his name was George Kimberly, he was a nice chap so I took him along, i hooked my first carp in his company on floating crust he snagged me in the weed bed, I tried to extract him from the weeds it was hopeless so the next best thing was to wade to the weed bed. It was around four feet deep but you could not get you legs through the thick weed, I am afraid we lost him. We tried all day to catch another but failed we did manage to catch a few Tench, but not very big I think we will pull some of this weed, out I said to George, he was all for it we arranged to meet the following Saturday, we arrived armed with a rake head and some rope, we managed to clear quite a nice swim, we will give it a go tomorrow George, and we did and managed to catch our first carp, on floating crust he was seventeen pounds we were over the moon we never had another that day and packed up late in the evening.


We were only young size did not matter

The only bite alarms I had were the ones dick walker, gave me. George had none and used a doe bobbin on his line between reel and but ring I did have my Mitchell 300 I would put them on the back wind, god i rapped my knuckles a few times but it was worth it we started to catch a few nice fish we were both young but we soon learned we found the average depth was around five ft, I think fishing that lake was the happiest time of my life it did not matter what size fish we caught we loved every minute fishing there. We never saw a soul only the gamekeeper who would come and have a chat the place was heaving with pheasants, and I never touched one. I will continue latter.

Another from years ago

In reply to Post #534
November and October are my favourite time of the year I love the woods when all the leaves change colour winter is approaching fast I can stand in the wooded vale, and just listen to the birds and other wildlife fungus grows under the trees and some grow on the trees, there's been plenty of berries, to feed the birds, and some animals, it won't be long before the little dormouse,, will curl up in her nest and sleep the winter through. It does not matter where you look you will see the nut shells below the trees where the squirrel and others have had their fill you can smell the decay in the wood as leaves rot away .

The fungus clings to the tree
Next month you will hear the yap of the dog fox as he looks for a mate I have listened to them from my house, you can hear their call on a calm night. They will couple within the next few weeks the cubs. will be born march or april, I have seen them in February. but that's when we had mild winters, as we walk across the fields and the evening closes in you will see old brock huddled up in the fields eating the many worms,he finds. The rabbit, runs for the hedge we have disturbed him feeding on the succulent grass it won't be long before the keeper and his lad will be here with his nets and ferrets, unless the poacher, had been around and caught them first.


old brock would eat the worms

I have been out on a Novembers night, away I would go with my gun, wrapped in an old sack, with bag on my back I knew the keepers, would be in the pub, so it was a time to poach the pheasants, down the woods, It was an easy job I took a friend with me a lad called john ledington, he was a fair shot himself, we had shot the duck from the honey meadow, many times until one night we were discovered by the keeper. We were never caught but he found the ducks, where I had hidden them so we never ventured there again for a few weeks. No it was down the woods tonight john would shine the light I would do the shooting, we would move from the feed ride deeper into the wood. The trees were loaded with roosting birds we would be away before the keeper had gone to bed we used the sack that covered my gun to carry the birds. we made our way to my home and hung the pheasants along the beam how many john I have counted twenty. it was one in the morning when john made his way home with brace of birds, we would go again but for now we had enough, they would be shared with our neighbours and freinds those left would be sold. a little more latter

The keeper will be out with his ferrets

In reply to Post #535
We have not been fishing as my mate graham has not been to well since his operation, so for now it is a no no I can't go by myself as my legs are quite bad at times and I do fall down. like I did last week I fell on concrete what a mess bruised from my hip to the knee.

one of the woods I poached and watched the wild life
I can't even go down my beloved woods, I spent most of my young life in the woods there is so much so much to see I can just sit and listen to the different birds or sit and watch the badger set I have been very lucky to have been able to see the wildlife its been a privilege to be allowed in some of the woods by the owners or gamekeepers a few years ago it would not of happened as I upset a few with my poaching, but that was years ago no need to poach these days as you can buy a pheasant or to quite cheaply from the market.

I now reminisce about those days that have long gone, when I was young I would be out fishing or down the woods getting the family a meal It was very hard after the war the wages, were not that much but one thing everyone did was to help each other as I mentioned earlier in my stories you could leave your back door open some time we came back from shopping to find a freshly baked loaf, had been left or maybe some homemade butter, We all helped one another. Before the myxomatosis came we lived on rabbit, I loved rabbit pie, we had that most sundays for our dinner. I soon learned how to get a rabbit or two I would be up early I knew where to go the keepers, would have set their rabbit snares I would take a few rabbits before he was around reset the snare and be away, i would bring six or seven back home I would gut and skin the rabbits then share them out with the neighbors sometimes they would give me sixpence god I thought I was rich it is surprising what you could buy with a sixpence.

The hedge rows covered in gorse in summer
They were lovely days we would walk miles in the summer, as boys we all had a katty in our pockets we would shoot a few rabbits that cutched, in the big nettle patches, in early summer we would be away birds nesting there was more variety of birds in those days sadly missing today. Farming methods have not done our wild life any good. When I was a youngster you would see loads of Hares in the fields I have watched their mating ritual it realy made me laugh the males would fall out over the females it looked just like a boxing match, in our area today you are lucky to see one they seem to have vanished I have been on a few hare drives and have seen over fifty shot on one stand the estates made quite a bit of revenue the Hares would be sent by Train to the big cities or game dealers. A bit more latter



The hedgerows we would birds nest in the spring

In reply to Post #536
hi pete just wondering did you ever get to fish fennymere the home of pinky and perky what a water that once was an old fishing mate of mine from way back has told me it is know a syndicate and he is one of its members lucky fella i realise its not the water it was but what history thats one i wouldnt of minded guesting oh yes

In reply to Post #537
Hi no I never fished fenemere a friend had pinky at forty pounds I was asked once about a membership but that was years ago

In reply to Post #538
Good to see your still going Pete

Keep it up mate

In reply to Post #539
Thanks greg appreciate your remarks

In reply to Post #536
I really am pissed off we can't go fishing my mate is still not well and I was at the orthopaedic hospital yesterday to see a specialist about my ankle, it is worn out and they won't operate. So I have got to be fitted with some sort of boot that will help me walk, that's enough of that so lets get on with my stories about days long gone. Come with me into the hills of Shropshire and walk the paths of my ancestors, and catch the trout, from the hilltop streams, or catch the humble rabbit, or poach the wild pheasants, that have strayed from the estate down in the valley.
Or come with graham and I on a September night, and watch the ducks, come and feed off the grains of wheat left in the stubble field. The farmer had left some bales to make a hide we would snuggle up with the dog, between us, The bales kept the cold wind away, you could hear the wind whine and whistle as it went through the tree tops in the wood behind us. There was a small pool behind the wood the duck would come in their hundreds they would circle around before they came in to land , I watched them coming in the distance. As they circled over our heads up popped graham he took a right and left then it was my turn I managed one then the geese, gave away their presence we could see them in the distance skein after skein made its way towards us Canada, and greylag, I sent the dog to fetch those ducks, that had been shot and waited for the geese.

What a night we managed twelve geese, and ten duck, all mallard, graham got the landrover as we loaded the birds. We watched a fox traversing down the distance hedge row after a free meal no doubt We had to visit the farmer on the way home to drop him a couple of birds, he always asked us in and we usually sat before a roaring fire with a class full of malt whisky, in our hand we have gone from there many time worse for wear , they were wonderful days I would tickle the trout in the hilltop stream as it tumbled down to the distant valley, they were beautiful spotted brownies, none were over half a pound but lovely eating I would catch four or five then make my down to the valley and home. I loved the freedom of the hills, there was so much to see the buzzard, or the sparrow hawk, the fox,. the occasional grouse, what more could one ask but now I cannot walk those hills and I only have my memories from a time long ago. more latter

In reply to Post #541
I can well remember the hay making when I was a youngster we as boys we would roll and fight in it. The sun seemed to shine every day, in the holidays from school, we would be either swimming, in the river or birds nesting, or fishing, we had a camp beside the river in some rhododendron bushes it was well hidden from prying eyes we would catch the trout, and grill them over a fire made in a empty oil drum. We would call at mr prices farm and find some chicken eggs then boil them in the river water in a old tin. They were wonderful days our parents trusted us and we would be out all day walking the woods birds nesting or climbing the trees to the rooks nests we all carried a catapult we would have great fun shooting at old tins and such. I became quite a good shot I used to hang about with a lad called Jackie bounds he was not a bad shot until the one day he shot at a pigeon and missed and broke a bedroom window god we did run I can see this big chap chasing us now we used to call him dummy as he could not speak but he could run and he caught us and took both us to the police station we had our catapults confiscated but over the years I got to know this man very well and really got on with him.

We soon made another catapult it was part of growing up a rag arsed young lad with the catapult in full view sticking out of his back pocket we did shoot one or two of mr prices chickens he had hundreds free range god they were tough old birds, mum would boil them before roasting they were not much better I did not shoot any more talk about old boilers it put me off chicken and I have never liked it since. We learned to shoot the rabbits, before maxomatosis we would all gather when they cut the corn, the field would be full of rabbits we all waited until they came to the last bit of standing corn the rabbits, would bolt for safety us lads would chase them and knock them on the head, after they had cut the last bit of corn, there would be a pile of rabbits, at times over a hundred you would be given a couple by the farmer and the rest would be sold at market I would hide a couple and fetch them latter in those early years we lived on rabbit.

I fished with a lad called Ray Evans we fished a small pool at stokesay castle, the farmer would let us young lads go
we would float fish it I used a porcupine quill and used bread paste, or bread flake, as bait. The pool was covered in weed so you fished in the holes, between the weeds we caught rudd big fish you could not get you hands around them. We did not know the significance about the fish we were catching as we were only young lads some of those fish were over three pounds maybe four. It was not until years latter that we realized the potential in this very old pool.
It was soon snapped up by a gentleman called valentine he wrote in angling times about the pool and the fish in it but he did not last long I really wondered if it was the publicity but it became vacant and graham and I started to fish the pool with permission from the owner. I will tell you more latter

In reply to Post #542
When graham and I were younger we liked a bit of sea fishing I ran a club and we went with the Endeavor group, at Aberystwyth we went out approx twenty miles Vic was the captain and the owner of the three boats, he ran, he certainly knew his fishing. I loved fishing for the porbeagle sharks, and the tope, we caught shark, to over two hundred pounds I peronaly caught tope, to forty five pounds that fish got me into the British tope club we had some wonderful days with vic I think I told you about one such day we were fishing the targets that the air force and navy used for practice. vic would radio the authorities and tell them we were fishing in the area and would get the all clear. we were fishing, away this one day when in the distance we saw what I could only describe as a big white missile coming rapidly towards us it was a bit late to move it missed us by ft bloody hell it was huge if it had hit us we would of had a big hole through the boat it was about six ft above the sea vic was straight on the phone playing hell with the authorities we listened to the swearing and such he was told no one had let them know we were fishing on the range, poor old vic had forgot to tell them never mind we had to move out of the area I suppose a miss was good as a mile.

a young me with a good tope
This one day we were fishing when this gentleman collapsed with a heart attack we tried to get him back but it was to late he had gone so vic got on the radio to base and got the helicopter to fetch the body after that no one felt like fishing it spoilt the day. We could not get to port until the tide came in so we carried on we caught fish but no one had their mind on the fishing infact I was glad when I got home this happened twice over the years very unpleasant. We fished with another skipper from anglesey we were out with him one day when we were nearly turned over by a big oil tanker god it was huge as it passed us. There was some language between our skipper and the captain it turned out he was Russian he seem to not care a toss. I loved to fish the wrecks off Anglesey we caught some good fish including cod conger and of course dog fish they were good days we fished a least once a month maybe more.

Another tope
Graham and I carried on fishing for the bream at the time we were fishing berrington, we made some impressive catches from this small water we had perch to three pounds bream to over nine and some beautiful roach we had the water to ourselves for a few years, until I was asked to if we would like the water to run a syndicate I leaped at the chance I had a few well known anglers in the syndicate one was Dennis Kelly, known for his big bream exploits it was on this water that I fished with Jack Hylton and Bill quinlan I have told you about that in my first part of my stories . there was another small lake above Berrington pool that was strictly private I will tell you more about that latter.


A Bream from berrington years ago