Geens pit?
anyone fished it lately.?
had a 39lb mirror a while back?
anyone fished it lately.?
had a 39lb mirror a while back?
In reply to Post #1
Remember reading about it in Quest for the Queen by John Bailey
Remember reading about it in Quest for the Queen by John Bailey
In reply to Post #2
Yes, there's a picture of bailey and the owner unhooking it, I had a ticket for quite some time, I worked for the owner back then, I often had the place to myself for days, sometimes weeks, ran the place when the family went on holiday.
I never had the "big'un" but caught several quality fish. and some great memories alongside a certain "artist angler".
Yes, there's a picture of bailey and the owner unhooking it, I had a ticket for quite some time, I worked for the owner back then, I often had the place to myself for days, sometimes weeks, ran the place when the family went on holiday.
I never had the "big'un" but caught several quality fish. and some great memories alongside a certain "artist angler".
In reply to Post #3
The chapter in the book was written by another angler who caught the big one he also wrote about Booton Pit aka the graveyard if I remember correctly
The chapter in the book was written by another angler who caught the big one he also wrote about Booton Pit aka the graveyard if I remember correctly
In reply to Post #4
I always assumed "Johns [Bailey]Story" of the geens pit 34, had been written by Bailey himself?
the owner,[also named John, had previously had the same fish [Bertha"] at 39lb
there was talk of the scales not being accurate, they were, I checked them myself.
I still fish the "graveyard" and began fishing it as a youngster long before the "names" found it.
It's still rumoured to hold a few "surprises", but of course it doesn't appeal to the current crop of overstocked mud hole types who sit in the bivvy with an ipad rather than learning its many secrets.
and personally I thinks that a good thing.
I just remembered the "Wild Carp" chapter and there is another well known local wildie spot in the book, even a photo.
I always assumed "Johns [Bailey]Story" of the geens pit 34, had been written by Bailey himself?
the owner,[also named John, had previously had the same fish [Bertha"] at 39lb
there was talk of the scales not being accurate, they were, I checked them myself.
I still fish the "graveyard" and began fishing it as a youngster long before the "names" found it.
It's still rumoured to hold a few "surprises", but of course it doesn't appeal to the current crop of overstocked mud hole types who sit in the bivvy with an ipad rather than learning its many secrets.
and personally I thinks that a good thing.
I just remembered the "Wild Carp" chapter and there is another well known local wildie spot in the book, even a photo.
In reply to Post #2
Strangely enough I just picked Quest for the Queen to read again recently.
A few of the old Norfolk waters have been lost or changed beyond recognition.
I remember Booton as a water, and fished it a few times.
Booton, Geen's and Greens all producing 30's at a time when 30 was a lifelong target nationally
Strangely enough I just picked Quest for the Queen to read again recently.
A few of the old Norfolk waters have been lost or changed beyond recognition.
I remember Booton as a water, and fished it a few times.
Booton, Geen's and Greens all producing 30's at a time when 30 was a lifelong target nationally
In reply to Post #6
Yes Sadly that is true, one thing about being my age is I feel I fished many of these waters [including many in that book] when both them and I were in our prime.
I recently visited a place on the upper Bure, a place where I had caught Dace a mere ounce off the british record. another stretch where and winter bream, and sizable roach holed up in the winter where four rivers merged, hard fighting river tench, and a small estate lake with specimen Crucians. not forgetting large carp in the broads,
almost all these places when revisited, are sadly a shadow of their former glory.
some completely neglected,predated upon and likely beyond any recovery,? certainly not within the time I have left.
"The Graveyard" appears to be hanging in there. and thanks must go to those who made that possible. and hopefully continue to do so.
Yes Sadly that is true, one thing about being my age is I feel I fished many of these waters [including many in that book] when both them and I were in our prime.
I recently visited a place on the upper Bure, a place where I had caught Dace a mere ounce off the british record. another stretch where and winter bream, and sizable roach holed up in the winter where four rivers merged, hard fighting river tench, and a small estate lake with specimen Crucians. not forgetting large carp in the broads,
almost all these places when revisited, are sadly a shadow of their former glory.
some completely neglected,predated upon and likely beyond any recovery,? certainly not within the time I have left.
"The Graveyard" appears to be hanging in there. and thanks must go to those who made that possible. and hopefully continue to do so.
In reply to Post #5
I looked in my copy I believe it was a chap called Gerry Morris the chapter was small waters and estate lakes
Mark
I looked in my copy I believe it was a chap called Gerry Morris the chapter was small waters and estate lakes
Mark
Some of these places mentioned must have been lovely in there time..
You know what they say,never go back..!
I feel the pain of those who loved and fished those places,although I have never been to Norfolk or Suffolk, see ,I had a list of lots and lots of waters to fall back in as I got older,some with special memories as well ..most have also been predated,or lost to the rampant tourist industry..
It makes you think,and to enjoy those quiet places,for in some cases they are lost for ever...
This is why I detest ,lakeside lodges,pods ...swim names on boards ..and well modern bs,life...!
You know what they say,never go back..!
I feel the pain of those who loved and fished those places,although I have never been to Norfolk or Suffolk, see ,I had a list of lots and lots of waters to fall back in as I got older,some with special memories as well ..most have also been predated,or lost to the rampant tourist industry..
It makes you think,and to enjoy those quiet places,for in some cases they are lost for ever...
This is why I detest ,lakeside lodges,pods ...swim names on boards ..and well modern bs,life...!
In reply to Post #8
Yes Gerry was the man on Booton, for a while, not sure about Geens though?
I don't remember him ever being there.
I have the book, I'll have to look it up, it was after all a while ago now.
Yes Gerry was the man on Booton, for a while, not sure about Geens though?
I don't remember him ever being there.
I have the book, I'll have to look it up, it was after all a while ago now.
In reply to Post #9
Taverham Mills is a very changed lake since I was fishing it back in the 1990's.
I packed in my ticket around 2000 or 2001.
Some of the fish we were fishing for back then were Redmire Leneys, purchased from Redmire after a successful spawning year, Italians, and original stock.
For years I fished it, catching some beautiful fish, fully scaled mirrors, linears, commons and the heavy stomach dark gray Italians, but all just short of 20lb. The last fish I caught from there was 20lb and ounces, a common, and was a little tatty.
There was another small heavily lily covered lake just outside of Wymondham that had some cracking crucians, I can remember a 3lb crucian that was photographed when I caught it first thing Saturday morning after sitting up all night with some mates.
Or finding carp in the Yare around Thorpe St. Andrew and watching them go into Pike Square to spawn
The one fish I never caught from the rivers around Norwich is barbel, I fished the stretches known for them, had roach to 1.14, chub to 5lb yet never a barbel
Taverham Mills is a very changed lake since I was fishing it back in the 1990's.
I packed in my ticket around 2000 or 2001.
Some of the fish we were fishing for back then were Redmire Leneys, purchased from Redmire after a successful spawning year, Italians, and original stock.
For years I fished it, catching some beautiful fish, fully scaled mirrors, linears, commons and the heavy stomach dark gray Italians, but all just short of 20lb. The last fish I caught from there was 20lb and ounces, a common, and was a little tatty.
There was another small heavily lily covered lake just outside of Wymondham that had some cracking crucians, I can remember a 3lb crucian that was photographed when I caught it first thing Saturday morning after sitting up all night with some mates.
Or finding carp in the Yare around Thorpe St. Andrew and watching them go into Pike Square to spawn
The one fish I never caught from the rivers around Norwich is barbel, I fished the stretches known for them, had roach to 1.14, chub to 5lb yet never a barbel
In reply to Post #11
John Bailey has extensive and accurate knowledge on the Wensum Barbel, they are not as numerous as they once were, otters and cormorants have seen to that, but they're hanging in their,,, for now anyway.
leneys are [or were] very common around Norfolk estate lakes.
far better looking than some of the examples around from more recent stockings.
I listened to this article from Olivier Portrat [primarily because of his association with wels catfish]
but he has studied the effects of cormorant predation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIJdipmxyXs
John Bailey has extensive and accurate knowledge on the Wensum Barbel, they are not as numerous as they once were, otters and cormorants have seen to that, but they're hanging in their,,, for now anyway.
leneys are [or were] very common around Norfolk estate lakes.
far better looking than some of the examples around from more recent stockings.
I listened to this article from Olivier Portrat [primarily because of his association with wels catfish]
but he has studied the effects of cormorant predation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIJdipmxyXs
In reply to Post #10
I assumed it was Geens as the lake he wrote about was only an acre or so and the gig one he caught was a common
Great book loved the bit about Stoneham and the GPO pool by Chris Currie as they were local to me
I assumed it was Geens as the lake he wrote about was only an acre or so and the gig one he caught was a common
Great book loved the bit about Stoneham and the GPO pool by Chris Currie as they were local to me
In reply to Post #12
Where I saw some barbel a couple of years ago was nowhere near the known big fish stretches of the Wensum.
I have caught chub to 5lb from the spot, just no barbel, but a mate has had two to just shy of double figures. The barbel can just disappear.
Even the Wensum around Taverham, Costessey and Drayton is a shadow of what it used to be.
Where I saw some barbel a couple of years ago was nowhere near the known big fish stretches of the Wensum.
I have caught chub to 5lb from the spot, just no barbel, but a mate has had two to just shy of double figures. The barbel can just disappear.
Even the Wensum around Taverham, Costessey and Drayton is a shadow of what it used to be.
In reply to Post #13
I wonder if thee was a certain amount of "poetic licence" applied within the book, as he does indeed talk of 1,1/2 acres, but then goes on to describe the contours and features of the lake in question.
in a similar way when showing the location of the wildies, there is a photo of a particular piece of wildie water that is instantly recognisable, but totally apart from the rest of the photos.
my guess is the resultant jumble was intended to avoid the hordes of unwanted visitors that were expected to descend upon these small venues.
I wonder if thee was a certain amount of "poetic licence" applied within the book, as he does indeed talk of 1,1/2 acres, but then goes on to describe the contours and features of the lake in question.
in a similar way when showing the location of the wildies, there is a photo of a particular piece of wildie water that is instantly recognisable, but totally apart from the rest of the photos.
my guess is the resultant jumble was intended to avoid the hordes of unwanted visitors that were expected to descend upon these small venues.