In reply to Post #441
Its eighteen in Shropshire today has spring arrived at last. I took look at the forecast its going to be -2 again by the week end what ever is wrong I have never seen such weather in all my seventy years when I was young spring was a wonderful time of year the hedge rows, and woods, were full of nesting birds, the bottom of the woodland floor was a sea of yellow and blue with the primroses, and the blue bells, most of the farmers sheep, had now got lambs, and old foxy, and his lady friend had cubs, another year had started nature was so wonderful from the first of may you would see the nettles, and the road side flowers, covered in butterflies, the red admiral, and the tortoise shell, the large white, and small white, the common blue the lovely peacock, and many more where have they gone oh for the days of my youth when I could walk woodland and the lanes and see the hedgerows full of flowers, and the nesting birds you would find the robins nest tucked under the grassy bank beside the wood you would come across the rookery where old Sam shot the young for his pie, these were the days of my youth now a distant memory things have changed since then. we shared with our neighbors and friends left our back doors open and never got done we had very little for a thief to take but what we did have was respect and love for our fellow man we ate what we could afford we lived on rabbits and pheasants which were in abundance in those far off days.

one of the lakes I poached

I walked the rivers with rod on hand and poached the beautiful trout, I fished the estate lakes for Rudd, and roach, and if lucky catch the Tench, we also caught the carp, but most lakes did not hold carp only two to my knowledge I have told you about those lakes earlier in my stories, I would find the ducks, nest in the willows we would take a few home with us we did not take all they were lovely for breakfast we also ate the peewits, eggs they were nice but small but they helped us survive when the potatoes were ready in the fields we would be away buckets in hand and dig a root or two they were beautiful boiled and served covered in home made butter the farmer never missed a few he knew how hard life was most men in those days only earned eight pound a week if lucky farm labourers got less than that. well a bit more latter



A Tench from years ago I had some hair then

In reply to Post #442
The wild cherry,trees behind my house are covered in flower my old plum tree was the same but the frost killed the lot. THE buds on the trees are starting to unfold,blue bells,are out so spring is here at last but we still have that cold breeze graham and I went up to see the fishery that we have been given permission to fish,we saw a few come out they average around twelve pounds.
I am told he owner is putting a few really big carp in the water in the near future I am certainly looking forward to that he has had otters on the complex but there not there any more they have moved on he is going to fence all around the two lakes when talking to him a couple of weeks ago he had put an electric fence up which has helped matters I noticed we had a Canada goose sitting on eggs on one of the islands that is in the middle of the lake so I truly think the little furry animals have gone as they would have had the goose and eggs away.

I really cant wait to have a go at the carp, we were shown a nice photo of a carp,caught last week it was well into double figures so maybe next week graham and I will be having a go on this pretty lake,I will be quite happy being there whether I catch or not the owner has given us permission to park the car next to the lake so there will be no walking we are both in our seventies our minds are willing but our bodies are not it will be the first time we have fished this lake so it will be quite interesting roll on next week. God there are some sort of otters around I was told they are going to release more otters on the river Rea and build more Holt's it was told me by a man that's in the know I was a bit annoyed and told him so. If they do the river will be dead it presently stocked with trout and grayling and a few nice chub and roach it looks to me they are still releasing the otter in some areas.

When I was young I walked the river Rea I was about seventeen and had just acquired my first twelve bore shot gun the ministry of agriculture and fisheries would give you free cartridge if you shot any cormorants or wood pigeon I can remember being sent mine they were coloured white funny really they asked you to shoot the vermin in those days but not today its all changed to many do gooders that don't understand the counry side. well a bit more latter.

In reply to Post #443
been playing catch up tonight pete , cracking write ups mate . keep it up

In reply to Post #444
Thanks Ralph glad you still like them

In reply to Post #443
What a week end i had woke up Saturday morning with pains in feet ankles and wrists it turns out I had got severe gout I am just getting over it now I could not even change gear in the car, lovely weather and that's how it turned out for me so I never really went far well to be truthful I could not walk or get my shoes on as you get older every thing seems to drop apart I am 71 years old on the twenty sixth of this month and have really had a good life so I should not moan.

When I was a nipper I would be out from dawn till dusk fishing dominated my life and not all legal not far from where I lived there was a trout pool the owners had stocked for there own use and for friends it was full of rainbows with a few browns times were hard I would be about fifteen at the time I watched that pool for weeks it was looked after by the keepers the one keeper was not past having a few trout himself I decided the way forward was night lines I would use a rod to cast out cut the line which had already been baited with a couple of juicy lob worms cut the line and Tye it to a peg and bury it I would put out anything between eight or nine lines they would be set in the dark I would be back at first light I caught loads but I became to confident and venturing out one morning they were waiting for me they had discovered my lines not only keepers, but there was a police, presence I had just got the one line in when I was startled by a shout stay where you are you cannot get away I see the police car in the lane leading to the pool, I ran up through the wood I could hear the dogs, in the distance and the occasional shout.

I got out onto the field and saw the blue land rover in the distance it was the old Sgt I jumped a ditch looking back they were gaining on me there was a little brook a field away in I went up to my neck in water there was a tunnel that went under the road in I went and that were I stayed Io could hear them talking in the distance god I was cold I was soaked to the skin I could hear the whine of the dogs I just hoped they did not enter the tunnel I decided to follow the tunnel and get out onto the field the far side I crept out and ran up the hedge row and onto the main road I managed to get home I had a wash and went to bed it was not long before there was a knock on the door it was the Sgt is he in beryl in bed said mum and he has been there all night that's one night in my long life. well a bit more latter.

I really enjoy your write ups pete, keep them coming, always gives me a smile and a good think of when i was a teenager, makes me want to get out in the countryside, but you can't walk your dogs in some places without people thinking your hunting, but love to still hear about it all, keep at it and good luck.

In reply to Post #447
Thanks so much William I am glad you like my stories it makes it all worth while pete

In reply to Post #448
More of please, Pete...Gout...Urgh. Not nice.

In reply to Post #449
Thanks ken its been bl terrible could not walk to the car in two feet and ankles then wrist ill pop a bit more on latter pete

In reply to Post #446
To my mothers disgust I always carried a ferret in my shirt I would take every opportunity to catch a couple for food as in those days times were hard in the early fifties before myxomatosis there were literally hundreds of rabbits it was nothing to go up the fields and catch two or three they were really sort after in those days it was the only meat we had. We had it in a pie roasted or a stew it kept us going. You really had to keep your eyes open as you were trespassing some of the estates had full time rabbit catchers the money made was pumped back into the estate the rabbits would be sent to Birmingham or London I used to see hundreds sent by train to these locations.

Well I was a bit of a jack the lad I learned at a very young age how to get a pheasant, or two I would watch the big shoots in the area I would hide and watch the gentlemen and ladies shoot, they would shoot hundreds any that came down in the under growth were I was hidden would be in my bag I used an old sack to carry the birds until I was given a post office bag I carried everything in that bag nets for rabbiting, fishing, tackle when in use. lets get back to the shoot I would laugh to myself when the gun shouted to the keeper bird, down he would not find it I had already had it some of my mates would say you are going to get caught one of these days luckily I never did but i had a few near misses one such estate was not far from my home I should have known better I went down in to the woods in broad daylight found the feed ride I caught the birds, quite easily with a fishing hook, tied to some line with a big sultana or current on the hook, suppose I got to greedy I had caught about six birds when I heard the keeper shout and he was not by himself god did I run have you tried running with a bag on your back full of birds, I climbed an old ivy tree and hid the bag amongst the ivy leaves then I was away there were open field surrounding the wood that I would have to cross. I was half way across the field when I heard stop or ill shoot and he did the pellets flew over my head I just made it to cover god I was frightened I lay there shaking come on out they were shouting more pellets ricochet off the trees above were I lay.


The feed ride

I really thought this was it I managed to crawl out and flew across the ditch that surrounded the wood there was an obsolete firing range not to far were I was I made it to there and dived under some old sand bags and covered myself completely I could just see out i watched as a blue and white police land rover, crossed the field funny they never came to look at the firing range I stayed there for four hours I collected my birds latter I made my way home changed I knew we would get a visit from the sgt, we did about an hour latter where have you been today young man here I said I could not help smiling he could not prove any thing but it was a bit near for comfort I made sure that would not happen again but of course it did which I will tell you about latter.


The beautiful cock bird

In reply to Post #452
Thanks William

In reply to Post #451
As I walked across the field towards the river the wind roared it was a full moon and it cast shadows as the clouds scuttled across the sky, I reached the wicket gate that leads into the wood i disturbed a hare i watched as it ran across the field for a few seconds it startled me but I soon forgot and followed the path that led to the river, I was safe inside the wood I sat for a few minutes with my back to a big beech tree and just listened the wind roared in the tree tops I heard the bark of the keepers dogs in the distance old bell the keeper would be away to his bed I listened no breaking of twigs only the wind to keep me company tonight. I looked at my watch it was twelve thirty I slipped down the bank standing on firm gravel I cast the minnow and slowly wound it back the rod hooped over and I was in the first of many trout tonight I played the fish, to the side it was around the pound mark and beautiful with his spotted flanks the fish, was dispensed with and put into the bag no putting the fish back to night times were hard and they were needed at home for us and our neighbours.

I took a drink out of the bottle it was cold tea and it quenched my thirst, I sat for a minute listening to the sounds of the night a vixen, gave a sharp yap she was deep in the wood maybe calling her cubs, I heard the screech of the owl, in the tree tops. I cast the Minnow,out into the stream and I was soon in another for the bag it was only a pound but they were nice eating fish, my rod was a built cane spinning rod made by Hardy it handled these fish superbly and if chased it was not long to hide under the brambles it also made good worming rod I had about ten fish in the bag, As I made my way to the first water fall I knew there was a chance of a bigger fish spinning below the sill of the falls, I had not got long to wait the rod really bent into this fish, after a time I landed a lovely cock fish of two pounds, I managed another couple of fish when I heard a shout in the distance and the crying of dogs how do they know I am here, they could not or were they clutching at straws, I had plenty of time and ran across the top of the falls to the far side which belonged to the blind school I pushed my rod under a big chicken house that stood in the grounds and climbed the nearest big fir and that's where I stayed the wind ripped through the tree that I was hiding in causing it to sway to and fro.

As I watched I saw them coming through the wood I could smell pipe smoke, the police Sgt and a constable was there as well it was old landers who I heard say we have lost him tonight frank, are you going to check his home said old bell ,no point said the sgt how do you know he was here frank, he was seen crossing the field by my under keeper he gave you a ring at my house so old bell had got a phone that's how he gets in touch with the police so quickly. I found it quite hard to hear all the conversation because of the wind god I wish they would go it was three am in the morning and I needed my bed as they walked on down the river I climbed down and picked up my rod and made my way to the church where I had hid my bike I had caught thirteen fish I broke my rod down and tied it to the cross bar I could not cycle back on the road as the police were probably waiting so I made my way across the fields arriving home I put my bike over the style into our back garden putting my rod and bag into the shed I laid the fish out on a big meat dish they would be shared out tomorrow, the very next day we had a call from the sgt where is he beryl I could hear him from my bedroom ,still in bed she said but I was up as soon as he had gone you will get caught one day my mother said she did worry a bit but you know what I never did. more latter

In reply to Post #454

In reply to Post #455
Thanks again William it makes it all worth while