In reply to Post #406
as i have said the river onny contained some big old brown trout the fishing rights if i remember right were owned by the shropshire fly fishing association. but that did not stop me having a few. we lived in the railway terraces and most found it hard to live as the wages in those days were very low so the odd tout helped them out. i would love a rainy morning with a bit of colour in the water and would be out in the early hours no bailiffs around at that time. i would free line a worm down a nice looking spot catching a couple then move up or down stream most were caught on little red worms from the manure heaps in the gardens as most grew there own veg in those days. i soon got quite a reputation and caught trout to order.i would bring home a least nine or ten every time i went, all around a pound but very good eating, i would also cycle around five miles to clun and fish the brook there they were great days the onny also contained some great perch not big but around a couple of pounds but to me they were great fish to catch. There used to be a water fall at a place called halford i loved to fish under the sill of the fall i would lip hook minnows and float fish the takes were savage and they fought like demons i always put them back until a neighbor said they were good to eat but they were not for me to many bones i would also catch the odd chub going a couple of pounds on the same method but there was not many in there it was mostly a trout and grayling river with a few perch not far from my house was stokesay pool it was right next to the castle and owned if i remember right the marsh brothers they did not like any one fishing the pool but turned a blind eye to us youngsters it was full of weed and stocked with roach and rudd and some very big pike i did not realize at the time how significant this pool was as i was only a youngster. i would fish holes in the weed using bread flake and porcupine quill as a float and would catch rudd great big fish you could not get your hand around also some big roach hybrids. those rudd were massive and many years latter graham and i fished it and had lots to three pounds and over alas the pool is still there but all the fish have gone. but us youngsters were always fishing it and i often wander if one of us ever caught a british record, as records never really mattered in those days it was pure enjoyment
as i have said the river onny contained some big old brown trout the fishing rights if i remember right were owned by the shropshire fly fishing association. but that did not stop me having a few. we lived in the railway terraces and most found it hard to live as the wages in those days were very low so the odd tout helped them out. i would love a rainy morning with a bit of colour in the water and would be out in the early hours no bailiffs around at that time. i would free line a worm down a nice looking spot catching a couple then move up or down stream most were caught on little red worms from the manure heaps in the gardens as most grew there own veg in those days. i soon got quite a reputation and caught trout to order.i would bring home a least nine or ten every time i went, all around a pound but very good eating, i would also cycle around five miles to clun and fish the brook there they were great days the onny also contained some great perch not big but around a couple of pounds but to me they were great fish to catch. There used to be a water fall at a place called halford i loved to fish under the sill of the fall i would lip hook minnows and float fish the takes were savage and they fought like demons i always put them back until a neighbor said they were good to eat but they were not for me to many bones i would also catch the odd chub going a couple of pounds on the same method but there was not many in there it was mostly a trout and grayling river with a few perch not far from my house was stokesay pool it was right next to the castle and owned if i remember right the marsh brothers they did not like any one fishing the pool but turned a blind eye to us youngsters it was full of weed and stocked with roach and rudd and some very big pike i did not realize at the time how significant this pool was as i was only a youngster. i would fish holes in the weed using bread flake and porcupine quill as a float and would catch rudd great big fish you could not get your hand around also some big roach hybrids. those rudd were massive and many years latter graham and i fished it and had lots to three pounds and over alas the pool is still there but all the fish have gone. but us youngsters were always fishing it and i often wander if one of us ever caught a british record, as records never really mattered in those days it was pure enjoyment
In reply to Post #1000
fantastic reading
im still using a "avon royal supreme centre pin" that my dad bought in1958,ive also got his "wallace wizard" split cane,whole cane btm rod(which i dont use) keep it coming 
ps,i used this reel for long trotting in the sixties,fishing bottom of dobs weir broxbourn on the lea
fantastic reading
im still using a "avon royal supreme centre pin" that my dad bought in1958,ive also got his "wallace wizard" split cane,whole cane btm rod(which i dont use) keep it coming ps,i used this reel for long trotting in the sixties,fishing bottom of dobs weir broxbourn on the lea
In reply to Post #413
In reply to Post #1000
fantastic reading im still using a "avon royal supreme centre pin" that my dad bought in1958,ive also got his "wallace wizard" split cane,whole cane btm rod(which i dont use) keep it coming ps,i used this reel for long trotting in the sixties,fishing bottom of dobs weir broxbourn on the lea
wallace wizard i have not seen one of those for years thanks for the kind remarks
In reply to Post #1000
fantastic reading im still using a "avon royal supreme centre pin" that my dad bought in1958,ive also got his "wallace wizard" split cane,whole cane btm rod(which i dont use) keep it coming ps,i used this reel for long trotting in the sixties,fishing bottom of dobs weir broxbourn on the lea
wallace wizard i have not seen one of those for years thanks for the kind remarks
In reply to Post #412
as you will rember i had many encounters with sgt landers he was always stopping me and ckecking my gun licence which in those days was seven and six pence and could be bought from the post office. looking back it was quite funny he lived up the road from our house at the local police station, and behind his house he had pheasents in a pen he used to breed a few for the local shoot, i waited for him one night to go out in his landrover crept across the field into his garden and poached a few out of his pen into a sack and away. hell did the ballon go up he was blaming every youth on the village me encluded. he never did find out who had them, well just up the road from me a place called lyth hill was another shoot , well a mr jones was the farmer he was always drunk well john and myself asked permission to shoot the pigeon on his property which was granted this was the only time i nearly got caught realy it was the pheasents we wanted and we had them by the sack load they were easy we used to make a few bob out of them to buy our cartridge well the keeper relized what we were up to and waited for us we had shot a few and it was just going dark when we heard a noise behind us in the wood then a shout . christ i dont know how many there was but we were away i have never run so fast or far old landers was there with a pc called stan sharp and came flying down the field in his landrover lights full on but we did have a good start on them and ran into a small wood not far from our village and there we stayed for next two hours you could them talking and shouting they even had dogs with them talk about being scared we were petrified we dumped the birds and hid the guns in a ditch and were away home, we collected the guns next day the funny thing i never had a visit from old landers and never once did i return to that shoot as you must now relize i was a bit of a jack the lad in those days what with fishing and shooting there never was a dull day to be continued
as you will rember i had many encounters with sgt landers he was always stopping me and ckecking my gun licence which in those days was seven and six pence and could be bought from the post office. looking back it was quite funny he lived up the road from our house at the local police station, and behind his house he had pheasents in a pen he used to breed a few for the local shoot, i waited for him one night to go out in his landrover crept across the field into his garden and poached a few out of his pen into a sack and away. hell did the ballon go up he was blaming every youth on the village me encluded. he never did find out who had them, well just up the road from me a place called lyth hill was another shoot , well a mr jones was the farmer he was always drunk well john and myself asked permission to shoot the pigeon on his property which was granted this was the only time i nearly got caught realy it was the pheasents we wanted and we had them by the sack load they were easy we used to make a few bob out of them to buy our cartridge well the keeper relized what we were up to and waited for us we had shot a few and it was just going dark when we heard a noise behind us in the wood then a shout . christ i dont know how many there was but we were away i have never run so fast or far old landers was there with a pc called stan sharp and came flying down the field in his landrover lights full on but we did have a good start on them and ran into a small wood not far from our village and there we stayed for next two hours you could them talking and shouting they even had dogs with them talk about being scared we were petrified we dumped the birds and hid the guns in a ditch and were away home, we collected the guns next day the funny thing i never had a visit from old landers and never once did i return to that shoot as you must now relize i was a bit of a jack the lad in those days what with fishing and shooting there never was a dull day to be continued
In reply to Post #1000
essential forum reading
never mind essential reading, i cant wait for the film to come out
essential forum reading
never mind essential reading, i cant wait for the film to come out
In reply to Post #416
hi baitmen i dont think a film but it is all very true its really funny because years latter i was working at shrews police station i was based there working for the home office as a radio mechanic and was called to market drayton police station to repair the radios and who should be there was sgt landers i was introduced to him, first thing he said was dont i know you i said no but could not help smiling and had a laught to my self he had not changed one bit only his hair a bit more grey the names i have used are all correct it takes a lot to remember all that happened all those years ago but i will put some more on latter i have had a great life some happy and some not but would do it all again if i could god bless pete
hi baitmen i dont think a film but it is all very true its really funny because years latter i was working at shrews police station i was based there working for the home office as a radio mechanic and was called to market drayton police station to repair the radios and who should be there was sgt landers i was introduced to him, first thing he said was dont i know you i said no but could not help smiling and had a laught to my self he had not changed one bit only his hair a bit more grey the names i have used are all correct it takes a lot to remember all that happened all those years ago but i will put some more on latter i have had a great life some happy and some not but would do it all again if i could god bless pete
In reply to Post #417
This really got nothing to do with fishing and the likes its somthing that came back to haunt me after all these years. Going back to my early years i was a dab hand with the catapoult and just down the road was the power station which powered all the village with electricity i shot one of the conducters off the main power lines The line came down in a shower of sparks , I can tell you we were away as fast as we could run, it put the electic off on the village for at least twelve hours. the police came and interviewed all the lads me included the next day asking if we knew who had done it. everyone knew it was me including some of the village residents but it really gave me a bad reputation and they never ever forgot that i put there ejectricity off. two years ago i went to a reunion at the village hall, some i had not seen for years, and at the opening speach they mentioned things that had happened in the village years ago , i could not belive my ears first up was the lad that put the village in darkness, they all looked at me and clapped there hands. well i suppose i have been forgiven at last, but it goes to show people dont forget i used to have a hob ferret called george he came every where with me i would carry him in my shirt or down my pullover carrying a few nets in a bag i would poach the land arround our village off bayston hill find a small warren net a few holes put the ferret in have a couple and away to the next . we lived on rabbit in those days mostly rabbit pie i sold any we did not eat for sixpence. i had a few encounters with the local farmers but always got away.most are now gone but there sons still rember and have had many laughs with me about those days well thats all for now it wil be continued
This really got nothing to do with fishing and the likes its somthing that came back to haunt me after all these years. Going back to my early years i was a dab hand with the catapoult and just down the road was the power station which powered all the village with electricity i shot one of the conducters off the main power lines The line came down in a shower of sparks , I can tell you we were away as fast as we could run, it put the electic off on the village for at least twelve hours. the police came and interviewed all the lads me included the next day asking if we knew who had done it. everyone knew it was me including some of the village residents but it really gave me a bad reputation and they never ever forgot that i put there ejectricity off. two years ago i went to a reunion at the village hall, some i had not seen for years, and at the opening speach they mentioned things that had happened in the village years ago , i could not belive my ears first up was the lad that put the village in darkness, they all looked at me and clapped there hands. well i suppose i have been forgiven at last, but it goes to show people dont forget i used to have a hob ferret called george he came every where with me i would carry him in my shirt or down my pullover carrying a few nets in a bag i would poach the land arround our village off bayston hill find a small warren net a few holes put the ferret in have a couple and away to the next . we lived on rabbit in those days mostly rabbit pie i sold any we did not eat for sixpence. i had a few encounters with the local farmers but always got away.most are now gone but there sons still rember and have had many laughs with me about those days well thats all for now it wil be continued
In reply to Post #418
I used to fish the severn in those days no barbel then only roach and chub and dace , i got to know a old chap he was always roach fishing by the grey friars bridge shrewsbury, and always ledgered bread paste his catch rate was very good he would be there nearly every day and would catch some decent fish going up to a couple of pounds he showed me how and what to do, i worked right opposite the river at a butchers my first job i was 15 and just left school so it was no problem for me i would take my rods to work with me and fish after work, i found it quite difficult to catch these roach the rod tip would knock then pull over very fast missed again, so i learned to hold the rod and also feel for the bite with the line between my fingers my catch rate improved using this method but i still missed a few. just across the river was a pontoon behind the mortuary and i gained permission to fish from, it was great and i used to trot a float down the river using an old center pin reel by gum did i catch mostly on bread flake and paste you were very limited on tackle and i used to go to Philips tackle shop and buy cork body floats very like avon floats and a few pence of maggots i found with using maggot i mostly caught dace but good ones going half to a pound but they were very quick and i would miss a few as always get the fish going and you would get a take from the pike and i got broke many times so myself and a friend decided to set our stall up to catch these marauding pike while fishing for the roach and dace to be continued
I used to fish the severn in those days no barbel then only roach and chub and dace , i got to know a old chap he was always roach fishing by the grey friars bridge shrewsbury, and always ledgered bread paste his catch rate was very good he would be there nearly every day and would catch some decent fish going up to a couple of pounds he showed me how and what to do, i worked right opposite the river at a butchers my first job i was 15 and just left school so it was no problem for me i would take my rods to work with me and fish after work, i found it quite difficult to catch these roach the rod tip would knock then pull over very fast missed again, so i learned to hold the rod and also feel for the bite with the line between my fingers my catch rate improved using this method but i still missed a few. just across the river was a pontoon behind the mortuary and i gained permission to fish from, it was great and i used to trot a float down the river using an old center pin reel by gum did i catch mostly on bread flake and paste you were very limited on tackle and i used to go to Philips tackle shop and buy cork body floats very like avon floats and a few pence of maggots i found with using maggot i mostly caught dace but good ones going half to a pound but they were very quick and i would miss a few as always get the fish going and you would get a take from the pike and i got broke many times so myself and a friend decided to set our stall up to catch these marauding pike while fishing for the roach and dace to be continued
In reply to Post #419
Very interesting reading and look forward to the story continuing.
A jack the lads tale, brilliant!
Keep up the good work Pete.
Very interesting reading and look forward to the story continuing.
A jack the lads tale, brilliant!
Keep up the good work Pete.
In reply to Post #419
i see there is a thread on the forum called guesting, well ive certainly done plenty of that as you can see by my stories i think bomere was one of the hardest i ever shall we say poached, it was well keepered with the house at the end of the lake it was owned by a mr davies and all the locals were frightened to go any where near the place, i would go down and fish it for the pike it had a reputation for its big fish, i was always told as a young lad to stay away from the place as it was dangerous and a few had drowned there including my great uncle who was never found and to the best of my knowledge is still there, i had some great days fishing using spinners i would catch some nice pike not really big ones but the biggest around ten pounds but they were massive to a young lad i would also fish for the roach that it held using bread flake i caught lots not big but it was good fishing i would fish right under the keepers nose and have even fished there on shoot days i never got caught but did get chased on more than one ocassion, it was strictly private and my mates would not even come with me. just behind bomere was shomere a lovely looking pool but it was very boggey and you had to watch where you trod it was full of rudd and bream i managed to fish it and hid in the reeds i had some great days on there catching bags of bream and plenty of rudd to arround a pound all on maggot and bread flake but it was not a place i really liked i always felt uncomfortable fishing the place whether it was akward to get away from there i dont know but in my latter years i have run a syndicate on there and have had the same feeling really strange more latter
i see there is a thread on the forum called guesting, well ive certainly done plenty of that as you can see by my stories i think bomere was one of the hardest i ever shall we say poached, it was well keepered with the house at the end of the lake it was owned by a mr davies and all the locals were frightened to go any where near the place, i would go down and fish it for the pike it had a reputation for its big fish, i was always told as a young lad to stay away from the place as it was dangerous and a few had drowned there including my great uncle who was never found and to the best of my knowledge is still there, i had some great days fishing using spinners i would catch some nice pike not really big ones but the biggest around ten pounds but they were massive to a young lad i would also fish for the roach that it held using bread flake i caught lots not big but it was good fishing i would fish right under the keepers nose and have even fished there on shoot days i never got caught but did get chased on more than one ocassion, it was strictly private and my mates would not even come with me. just behind bomere was shomere a lovely looking pool but it was very boggey and you had to watch where you trod it was full of rudd and bream i managed to fish it and hid in the reeds i had some great days on there catching bags of bream and plenty of rudd to arround a pound all on maggot and bread flake but it was not a place i really liked i always felt uncomfortable fishing the place whether it was akward to get away from there i dont know but in my latter years i have run a syndicate on there and have had the same feeling really strange more latter
In reply to Post #423
As i have said i left school at fifteen and had a bit of money in my pocket to buy tackle i already owned a hardy built cane combination rod that my parents bought also a Mitchell 300 reel so i was well equipped i also still had the old tank aerials but managed to buy another mitchell and also a 12 ft cane rod with a green heart top which had a very fast action. hooks and line were coming on in leaps and bounds the year was 1957 i still had my old center pin which i used for trotting down the severn for the dace my Michell's were loaded with five pound line it was a bit springy but did the job, a bit latter i did manage to buy an apollo taper flash it was a great rod but the only fault was it corroded from the inside over a period of years but it served me well. i had an assortment of floats mainly the avon type but also made my own out of balsa wood and cork which were hung all over the house while the paint dried it drove my mum scaty. carp tackle was very limited as only a few fished for them. the likes of dick and the carp club. I loved to go chub fishing on my beloved rea brook ,i would feed them with great big pieces of bread from a fresh loaf and catch them off the top you would miss a few i had them to four pounds on this method and had some great evenings after work, there was also some nice roach present. There was one stretch i really liked it was very fast that ran into some slower water i would sit behind the reeds and feed maggots then trot down with bread flake and maggot as soon as the float reached the deeper water it dipped and i was in i had some great mornings catching loads to three quarters of a pound. it was fantstic fishing it was the best days of my life. i would also by make bread paste and mix it with blue if you could get it let it stand a couple of days did it stink but deadly for ledgering for the chub looking back i think i caught my biggest chub from there on that paste 4ib 80z but a good chub in those days it also held some good eels and i caught loads ledgering lobs to about three pound for a small brook it held some fantastic fish to be continued
As i have said i left school at fifteen and had a bit of money in my pocket to buy tackle i already owned a hardy built cane combination rod that my parents bought also a Mitchell 300 reel so i was well equipped i also still had the old tank aerials but managed to buy another mitchell and also a 12 ft cane rod with a green heart top which had a very fast action. hooks and line were coming on in leaps and bounds the year was 1957 i still had my old center pin which i used for trotting down the severn for the dace my Michell's were loaded with five pound line it was a bit springy but did the job, a bit latter i did manage to buy an apollo taper flash it was a great rod but the only fault was it corroded from the inside over a period of years but it served me well. i had an assortment of floats mainly the avon type but also made my own out of balsa wood and cork which were hung all over the house while the paint dried it drove my mum scaty. carp tackle was very limited as only a few fished for them. the likes of dick and the carp club. I loved to go chub fishing on my beloved rea brook ,i would feed them with great big pieces of bread from a fresh loaf and catch them off the top you would miss a few i had them to four pounds on this method and had some great evenings after work, there was also some nice roach present. There was one stretch i really liked it was very fast that ran into some slower water i would sit behind the reeds and feed maggots then trot down with bread flake and maggot as soon as the float reached the deeper water it dipped and i was in i had some great mornings catching loads to three quarters of a pound. it was fantstic fishing it was the best days of my life. i would also by make bread paste and mix it with blue if you could get it let it stand a couple of days did it stink but deadly for ledgering for the chub looking back i think i caught my biggest chub from there on that paste 4ib 80z but a good chub in those days it also held some good eels and i caught loads ledgering lobs to about three pound for a small brook it held some fantastic fish to be continued
In reply to Post #424
Great reading Pete Thanks very enjoyable 
Great reading Pete
Thanks very enjoyable
In reply to Post #425
thanks for the kind remarks ozzone
thanks for the kind remarks ozzone
In reply to Post #426
I loved my life and the nature all around me. we continued fishing from the pontoon you would soon get the pike going, you would trot down for the roach and bang you got a take out came the pike gear one method that i used was live baiting. i used ten pound line with a big old cork float or a plastic one with a drilled bullet a swivel and trace below you could adjust the cork float as it had a piece of dowling the middle i would attach a small roach and could fish it at different depths i found this method caught as it was a free roaming set up. but never really caught the bigger fish but we caught lots using it, I was only young but learning all the time another method that worked well in winter was float fished dead bait i would fish the the float well over depth with a split it on the trace then a small drilled bullet next a swivel line through the float and and then a split shot to stop the float. beads were not around in those days we had a few good days using this method but it was a waiting game. But you could still fish for the roach and chub While you waited for a take. today when i go i just ledger dead baits and it has accounted for some good fish i still did a bit of poaching and would be up the fields with my gun. i, met a chap by the name of blunt and would both shoot together it was the partridge we were after and would walk the local fields and accounted for a quite a number the were great to eat and mum and dad loved them we got chased a few times by the police and keepers but never got caught it was sgt landers he knew what we were up to but could not prove a thing. over the years i got to know a local gypsy his knowledge of the country side was immense and he taught me how to tickle trout and i had a few from local brooks doing it but that's another story spinning for the pike was another method big old spoons i would make my own i would pinch mums spoons cut the handle off and drill both ends to attach the swivels they worked but were not as good as the ones you bought from the shops i used to buy one called the kidney spoon i would walk the severn and cast to any likely spot i caught lots not really big but they would scrap well. i would never kill one in those days and would put them back no matter what size they were and conservation was on my mind even in those days to be continued
I loved my life and the nature all around me. we continued fishing from the pontoon you would soon get the pike going, you would trot down for the roach and bang you got a take out came the pike gear one method that i used was live baiting. i used ten pound line with a big old cork float or a plastic one with a drilled bullet a swivel and trace below you could adjust the cork float as it had a piece of dowling the middle i would attach a small roach and could fish it at different depths i found this method caught as it was a free roaming set up. but never really caught the bigger fish but we caught lots using it, I was only young but learning all the time another method that worked well in winter was float fished dead bait i would fish the the float well over depth with a split it on the trace then a small drilled bullet next a swivel line through the float and and then a split shot to stop the float. beads were not around in those days we had a few good days using this method but it was a waiting game. But you could still fish for the roach and chub While you waited for a take. today when i go i just ledger dead baits and it has accounted for some good fish i still did a bit of poaching and would be up the fields with my gun. i, met a chap by the name of blunt and would both shoot together it was the partridge we were after and would walk the local fields and accounted for a quite a number the were great to eat and mum and dad loved them we got chased a few times by the police and keepers but never got caught it was sgt landers he knew what we were up to but could not prove a thing. over the years i got to know a local gypsy his knowledge of the country side was immense and he taught me how to tickle trout and i had a few from local brooks doing it but that's another story spinning for the pike was another method big old spoons i would make my own i would pinch mums spoons cut the handle off and drill both ends to attach the swivels they worked but were not as good as the ones you bought from the shops i used to buy one called the kidney spoon i would walk the severn and cast to any likely spot i caught lots not really big but they would scrap well. i would never kill one in those days and would put them back no matter what size they were and conservation was on my mind even in those days to be continued
In reply to Post #427
in those days i was as i said a bit of a jack the lad, i loved the country side and all that was in it. i would go birds nesting. which was allowed in those days. i would only take one egg out of a nest and had a fair collection. my Caty was always in my pocket and if i had the chance off a rabbit or pheasant i would certainly take it which was most welcome at home i would go any where private or not and had some narrow escapes when chased by the game keepers. not far from my home was a place called jackdoor rocks and i would clime the rocks to get their eggs, well i took home a young jackdoor and reared him he became a marvelous pet and would come every where with me. he would follow me to school and meet me when i left sitting mostly on my head or shoulder, but there was one problem he used to take all mums spoons out of the house into his gage she was not impressed and i got a good many telling off he would take anything silver. he also came when i went fishing for the trout and the grayling he would let you know if anyone was around i had old jack for a good many years i went to feed him one morning and he had fell off his perch and was dead i was heartbroken we had been companions for years. but life must go on i still fished stokesay pool and one day i was there i caught my first pike what a fish it took a small rudd as i played him it was only around eight pounds but massive to me. i learned very quickly that there teeth are sharp as trying to get the fish and hook out it closed its mouth on my hand it really hurt and had trouble getting it out it made quite a mess and brought the tears to my eyes, well the farmer came around and killed it saying he was going to eat it but not before my dad took some photos. not far from stokesay was onibury court there was some nice pools on the property none of the locals would go near the place. as it was heavily keeper I would be away on my bike and fish these pools they held big roach rudd and pike. and as i have said strictly private. i would hide my bike get to the pools hide in the reeds and float fish with worms or bread i had some nice roach going a pound or more , the rudd where most beautiful. colour but caught nothing over half a pound no one ever knew i had been there and i was never discovered i had to move quickly one day when they shot it for duck and hid up the nearest tree more to follow
in those days i was as i said a bit of a jack the lad, i loved the country side and all that was in it. i would go birds nesting. which was allowed in those days. i would only take one egg out of a nest and had a fair collection. my Caty was always in my pocket and if i had the chance off a rabbit or pheasant i would certainly take it which was most welcome at home i would go any where private or not and had some narrow escapes when chased by the game keepers. not far from my home was a place called jackdoor rocks and i would clime the rocks to get their eggs, well i took home a young jackdoor and reared him he became a marvelous pet and would come every where with me. he would follow me to school and meet me when i left sitting mostly on my head or shoulder, but there was one problem he used to take all mums spoons out of the house into his gage she was not impressed and i got a good many telling off he would take anything silver. he also came when i went fishing for the trout and the grayling he would let you know if anyone was around i had old jack for a good many years i went to feed him one morning and he had fell off his perch and was dead i was heartbroken we had been companions for years. but life must go on i still fished stokesay pool and one day i was there i caught my first pike what a fish it took a small rudd as i played him it was only around eight pounds but massive to me. i learned very quickly that there teeth are sharp as trying to get the fish and hook out it closed its mouth on my hand it really hurt and had trouble getting it out it made quite a mess and brought the tears to my eyes, well the farmer came around and killed it saying he was going to eat it but not before my dad took some photos. not far from stokesay was onibury court there was some nice pools on the property none of the locals would go near the place. as it was heavily keeper I would be away on my bike and fish these pools they held big roach rudd and pike. and as i have said strictly private. i would hide my bike get to the pools hide in the reeds and float fish with worms or bread i had some nice roach going a pound or more , the rudd where most beautiful. colour but caught nothing over half a pound no one ever knew i had been there and i was never discovered i had to move quickly one day when they shot it for duck and hid up the nearest tree more to follow