In reply to Post #158
What a privillage that must of been for you Pete, Brilliant stuff!
What a privillage that must of been for you Pete, Brilliant stuff!
In reply to Post #159
Thanks ash for your kind remarks much appreciated
Thanks ash for your kind remarks much appreciated
In reply to Post #158
I was always up the fields or down the woods although fishing was my main hobby i loved wild life i loved to see the badgers they would be huddled all together on the meadow looking for worms they got quite used to myself and grahams presence at night when we were out with the rifle after the rabbits, when i used to bivie up on the big lake you would quite often hear them at the back of your bi-vie it could be quite of putting if you did not know what was making the noise. At one time going back a few years i would scatter a few peanuts ,just out side the bi vie they would be soon sniffing around i got them quite tame and they were not scared at all the problem was they would spray my boots with musk i thought foxes were bad enough but badgers really made me stink i was banned out of the house until i had a shower and change of cloths but i did not mind they are lovely creatures they are a communal animal only one boar living with the sows and a number of youngsters i have had eight on nine badgers playing out while i just sat and watched, the one sow would bring her youngsters out of the set usually about five it was great watching them slide down the bank just like children, i do wonder how they are going to get on in the wake of the cull. Its all been done before they gassed them all in summerset parts of Devon and Cornwall it made no difference the cattle still caught bovine TB i have my own theories on the problem, they can now inoculate why not try and see if that will work with out annihilating them all. Since they were protected the species have really increased and i suppose you could say there far to many but i love to see them then country side will be a worse place without them.
The one set has at least ninety holes now that a lot the farmer was not very happy as the badgers had eroded his fields and the tractor had got stuck a few times its wheel went through into one of the many tunnels he used to get very angry about them i know the badger society removed some of the culprits by catching them in a trap and taking them else where but a few miles away was no good, they were back with a few days i think the farmer has now given up as there is only so much that can be done this set has been in existence well before i was born its really incredible to think how many badger have been born there, i can't believe its nearly autumn some of the leaves are on the change and even falling off in the high winds it certainly has come around so quickly it does not seem five minutes since last year the older you get the quicker it goes there is talk about another bad winter there are good crops of berries and hazel nuts around loads of black berries some of the holy tree,s have been covered in berries so the birds will now feed and gorge there selves getting ready for the coming winter. well a bit more latter
I was always up the fields or down the woods although fishing was my main hobby i loved wild life i loved to see the badgers they would be huddled all together on the meadow looking for worms they got quite used to myself and grahams presence at night when we were out with the rifle after the rabbits, when i used to bivie up on the big lake you would quite often hear them at the back of your bi-vie it could be quite of putting if you did not know what was making the noise. At one time going back a few years i would scatter a few peanuts ,just out side the bi vie they would be soon sniffing around i got them quite tame and they were not scared at all the problem was they would spray my boots with musk i thought foxes were bad enough but badgers really made me stink i was banned out of the house until i had a shower and change of cloths but i did not mind they are lovely creatures they are a communal animal only one boar living with the sows and a number of youngsters i have had eight on nine badgers playing out while i just sat and watched, the one sow would bring her youngsters out of the set usually about five it was great watching them slide down the bank just like children, i do wonder how they are going to get on in the wake of the cull. Its all been done before they gassed them all in summerset parts of Devon and Cornwall it made no difference the cattle still caught bovine TB i have my own theories on the problem, they can now inoculate why not try and see if that will work with out annihilating them all. Since they were protected the species have really increased and i suppose you could say there far to many but i love to see them then country side will be a worse place without them.
The one set has at least ninety holes now that a lot the farmer was not very happy as the badgers had eroded his fields and the tractor had got stuck a few times its wheel went through into one of the many tunnels he used to get very angry about them i know the badger society removed some of the culprits by catching them in a trap and taking them else where but a few miles away was no good, they were back with a few days i think the farmer has now given up as there is only so much that can be done this set has been in existence well before i was born its really incredible to think how many badger have been born there, i can't believe its nearly autumn some of the leaves are on the change and even falling off in the high winds it certainly has come around so quickly it does not seem five minutes since last year the older you get the quicker it goes there is talk about another bad winter there are good crops of berries and hazel nuts around loads of black berries some of the holy tree,s have been covered in berries so the birds will now feed and gorge there selves getting ready for the coming winter. well a bit more latter
In reply to Post #161
I would only be about ten years old i would roam the fields and woods i had an old Diana air rifle it was not that powerful but it would bring a pheasant down i walked many miles with that old gun and i suppose i got quite good it was very accurate when i went up to sam's he would go and shoot the rooks with it for his rook pie, he made it a bit more powerful i think he altered the spring no one ever knew but me i carried it every where, there were pheasants in every wood and field as all the estates bred them. I can remember seeing the rearing field old SAM lived there when there were chicks about he had a little hut he eat slept in it, he would go home then, back again his wife would bring his dinner up for him it must have been very lonely for her living in the cottage in those woods by her self while SAM was on the rearing field, there would be lines of coups with a broody hen sitting on the eggs where they got the Broody's from i don't know but there was at least a hundred SAM would guard them with his life, he slept with his gun and anything that threatened those birds he shot it was his lively hood and if he did not produce the pheasants in season he would be soon out of work.
i also roamed for miles up the river onny and its tributaries just me and my rod i would spin the different pools catching the beautiful brown trout in those days there was an abundance of wild life i would sit for hours watching the kingfisher dive for the minnows to feed her young brood, she had a hole in the bank a bit further up the river you would see the little dipper running through the rapids more or less under water funny little birds but when i was young they were quite a common sight the sand martins would have there nests in the many holes in the river bank there would be hundreds in the breeding season a bit latter on the otter hounds would be around the men would walk through the water up to there waist they had about twelve dogs they were known as the otter hounds it was not for me the water would turn red when they killed the animal but this is the way it was at times i would meet the hunt on my travels the ladies would be dressed in black with long skirts and would ride side saddle some of the men would be dressed in red or black bloody hell they were posh they caught me one day in the woods what are you doing here young man well it went something like that i tried to explain i was at Sam's but they would have none of it and said they would get the police man but SAM arrived on the scene and saved me i had a telling off from old SAM saying i should not have been in the woods without him but it went in one ear and out the other SAM would say your about as bone headed as that dog he takes no notice and he would burst out laughing his wife would say leave that young alone but he would just smile to him self.
He was a great old character and i learned so much from him he would show me the partridges nest and how to find it in the bottom hedgerows you could soon walk passed it they were that well camouflaged how to find the pheasants nest there was never a dull moment i would on occasions go rabbiting with him he would take his old gun and ferrets he would net some holes and leave other open any that bolted from the open holes he shot some he netted he was a good shot and rarely missed but he was brought up with a gun in his hands and it went every where with him he would not do to much rabbiting as the estate employed some fellow full time catching the rabbits they made quite a bit of revenue out of them i think a lot went to london birmingham and the cities or else where. They would hang out side the game shops in there hundreds people lived on them in those days they fetched about sixpence each but it was a cheep meal, but it would not last very long as the myxomatosis reared its ugly head well there we go a bit more latter.
I would only be about ten years old i would roam the fields and woods i had an old Diana air rifle it was not that powerful but it would bring a pheasant down i walked many miles with that old gun and i suppose i got quite good it was very accurate when i went up to sam's he would go and shoot the rooks with it for his rook pie, he made it a bit more powerful i think he altered the spring no one ever knew but me i carried it every where, there were pheasants in every wood and field as all the estates bred them. I can remember seeing the rearing field old SAM lived there when there were chicks about he had a little hut he eat slept in it, he would go home then, back again his wife would bring his dinner up for him it must have been very lonely for her living in the cottage in those woods by her self while SAM was on the rearing field, there would be lines of coups with a broody hen sitting on the eggs where they got the Broody's from i don't know but there was at least a hundred SAM would guard them with his life, he slept with his gun and anything that threatened those birds he shot it was his lively hood and if he did not produce the pheasants in season he would be soon out of work.
i also roamed for miles up the river onny and its tributaries just me and my rod i would spin the different pools catching the beautiful brown trout in those days there was an abundance of wild life i would sit for hours watching the kingfisher dive for the minnows to feed her young brood, she had a hole in the bank a bit further up the river you would see the little dipper running through the rapids more or less under water funny little birds but when i was young they were quite a common sight the sand martins would have there nests in the many holes in the river bank there would be hundreds in the breeding season a bit latter on the otter hounds would be around the men would walk through the water up to there waist they had about twelve dogs they were known as the otter hounds it was not for me the water would turn red when they killed the animal but this is the way it was at times i would meet the hunt on my travels the ladies would be dressed in black with long skirts and would ride side saddle some of the men would be dressed in red or black bloody hell they were posh they caught me one day in the woods what are you doing here young man well it went something like that i tried to explain i was at Sam's but they would have none of it and said they would get the police man but SAM arrived on the scene and saved me i had a telling off from old SAM saying i should not have been in the woods without him but it went in one ear and out the other SAM would say your about as bone headed as that dog he takes no notice and he would burst out laughing his wife would say leave that young alone but he would just smile to him self.
He was a great old character and i learned so much from him he would show me the partridges nest and how to find it in the bottom hedgerows you could soon walk passed it they were that well camouflaged how to find the pheasants nest there was never a dull moment i would on occasions go rabbiting with him he would take his old gun and ferrets he would net some holes and leave other open any that bolted from the open holes he shot some he netted he was a good shot and rarely missed but he was brought up with a gun in his hands and it went every where with him he would not do to much rabbiting as the estate employed some fellow full time catching the rabbits they made quite a bit of revenue out of them i think a lot went to london birmingham and the cities or else where. They would hang out side the game shops in there hundreds people lived on them in those days they fetched about sixpence each but it was a cheep meal, but it would not last very long as the myxomatosis reared its ugly head well there we go a bit more latter.
In reply to Post #162
I loved birds nesting i would be away all day looking for nests climbing trees ripping the arse out of my trousers it was a grand child hood i would clime to the buzzards nest the kestrel and the sparrow hawk the kestrel would lay her eggs in an old crows nest i was never afraid of heights in fact i was quite a good climber i could shin up a tree with no branches or clime the rocks for the jackdaws eggs if the nest was there i would clime to it i know one thing i could not do it now to big in the belly and my legs don't work i would clime to the crows and the rooks nest i would only take one egg from each nest i would carry a pin making a hole each end of the egg then blow the yoke out i had a big collection in those days but today it is illegal to take birds eggs, i got to know a couple of chaps in those days who caught wild birds the gold finch, linnet, bullfinch, siskins, you name it they had it they would make bird lime the birds would stick to it they would smear it on thistle tops and such they would breed with these birds in a big Avery then ring the youngsters and let the adults go some times they would let a few youngsters go if they had to many they would cross the linnet with a border canary the young males were called mules they sang beautifully it was a bit hush hush and they would not tell you that much i know they used traps as well as i found them in the hedge rows i asked if i could go with them but they always answered no i suppose they only had them selves to look after and could not be bothered with a Youngster in tow.
There was always something to do i used to fish old farmer bagots land he was a funny old chap and he let all his part of the river to some of the big fly fishing clubs one such club was the Shropshire fly fishers they would be one side the river i the other side they would be fly fishing i would be worming they did not like this at all i must admit i did not make a habit of this as they would shout and tell you it was private they would nearly blow a fuse if you caught one under there noses saying they would fetch the police man but being a nimble youth i would be away before it ever came to that but i did most of my poaching early morning or late evening when no one was about we did have the policeman call but he usually went away laughing and feeling a bit jolly after mum or dad had plied him with elderberry or damson whine my parents made quite a bit of the stuff it would be in the cupboard in old dusty bottles dad never drank so who had it god knows friends and neighbours i would think there was only two policemen on the village who were kept quite busy chasing petty crime IE poaching and such i don't think we heard much about robbers in those days we left our back door open all hours nothing would go missing in fact things turned up a loaf of bread eggs even butter your neighbours shared if they had to much, we did the same but those days have long gone you could not leave your door open today but they were great days we did not have that much but what we did have was respect and love for your fellow neighbor and friends. well a bit more latter
I loved birds nesting i would be away all day looking for nests climbing trees ripping the arse out of my trousers it was a grand child hood i would clime to the buzzards nest the kestrel and the sparrow hawk the kestrel would lay her eggs in an old crows nest i was never afraid of heights in fact i was quite a good climber i could shin up a tree with no branches or clime the rocks for the jackdaws eggs if the nest was there i would clime to it i know one thing i could not do it now to big in the belly and my legs don't work i would clime to the crows and the rooks nest i would only take one egg from each nest i would carry a pin making a hole each end of the egg then blow the yoke out i had a big collection in those days but today it is illegal to take birds eggs, i got to know a couple of chaps in those days who caught wild birds the gold finch, linnet, bullfinch, siskins, you name it they had it they would make bird lime the birds would stick to it they would smear it on thistle tops and such they would breed with these birds in a big Avery then ring the youngsters and let the adults go some times they would let a few youngsters go if they had to many they would cross the linnet with a border canary the young males were called mules they sang beautifully it was a bit hush hush and they would not tell you that much i know they used traps as well as i found them in the hedge rows i asked if i could go with them but they always answered no i suppose they only had them selves to look after and could not be bothered with a Youngster in tow.
There was always something to do i used to fish old farmer bagots land he was a funny old chap and he let all his part of the river to some of the big fly fishing clubs one such club was the Shropshire fly fishers they would be one side the river i the other side they would be fly fishing i would be worming they did not like this at all i must admit i did not make a habit of this as they would shout and tell you it was private they would nearly blow a fuse if you caught one under there noses saying they would fetch the police man but being a nimble youth i would be away before it ever came to that but i did most of my poaching early morning or late evening when no one was about we did have the policeman call but he usually went away laughing and feeling a bit jolly after mum or dad had plied him with elderberry or damson whine my parents made quite a bit of the stuff it would be in the cupboard in old dusty bottles dad never drank so who had it god knows friends and neighbours i would think there was only two policemen on the village who were kept quite busy chasing petty crime IE poaching and such i don't think we heard much about robbers in those days we left our back door open all hours nothing would go missing in fact things turned up a loaf of bread eggs even butter your neighbours shared if they had to much, we did the same but those days have long gone you could not leave your door open today but they were great days we did not have that much but what we did have was respect and love for your fellow neighbor and friends. well a bit more latter
In reply to Post #163
You saw very little traffic on the road when i was young you could wander far and wide you would see the occasional lorry or car but it was so quiet us lads would play football on the main road running through our village after the war years, the early fifties things picked up you did see a lot more transport a lot of our friends had motor cycles and side cars i think when i was about eight my step father bought an Aeriel square four he then added a side car it got us every where to the sea and back ,and to the towns of ludlow and shrewsbury but our main transport was our bikes i would bike miles to go fishing rods tied onto the cross bar, an old army bag or my big post office bag on my back with all the odds and ends from sandwiches to a big bottle of ginger beer we even carried a box of matches plus an old tobacco tin with hooks and weights in as i have said before tackle was poor at the time but we managed on what we could afford. I loved to go to, the little carp lake about 6 miles from my home when i first fished there it must of been around 1950 i used to go with a friend called Ray evans we were two young scallywags and fished together quite often unfortunately, Ray died many years ago at the age of fifty two he will always remain in my heart as he was a great friend who fished and shot with me until he died he is buried in the little church yard at Halford craven arms, we would go carp fishing together i can well remember us casting out and lying down in the long grass we would shake with excitement as we saw the carp break surface you could see there backs out of the water then tremble with anticipation as the float moves and slides below the surface you grab the rod strike and you were in the fish would charge around as you played him this beautiful monster of the deep, we had no landing nets then so it was a matter of getting it to the bank then getting it out with our hands at times we got a bit wet trying to get the fish on dry land no mats then only lush grass he would lie there this beautiful fish no more than three pounds ,but to us youngsters it was huge we would return it gently and watch it swim away then we stood around congratulating our selves they were great days.
The summers seemed to be long i can only remember sunny weather but we must of had rain its just i can only remember the good times we would strip of and swim in the lake no one cared they were hazy lazy days we had a few weeks off school in the summer i spent most of my time either fishing the river or the small carp lake we also followed the corn harvest it was an exiting time as i have told you before catching the rabbits that bolted from the corn and tried to get away these were the days of my youth to picking the apples from the orchards they were privately owned by the many farmers we got chased a few times but we loved to scrump not only the apples but damsons to we would take a basket home and mother would make jam from the fruit the apples we would have a stew or a pie they were marvelous days we roamed the country side care free which i feel is sadly missing today we should not have been there as most estates or farms were strictly private but it did not worry us as lads we would also dig the potatoes before they were harvested we would fill a couple of buckets and make our way home they were boiled and eaten with home made butter and big chunks of bread yum yum but times were very hard so nothing we got was ever waisted . well a bit more latter
You saw very little traffic on the road when i was young you could wander far and wide you would see the occasional lorry or car but it was so quiet us lads would play football on the main road running through our village after the war years, the early fifties things picked up you did see a lot more transport a lot of our friends had motor cycles and side cars i think when i was about eight my step father bought an Aeriel square four he then added a side car it got us every where to the sea and back ,and to the towns of ludlow and shrewsbury but our main transport was our bikes i would bike miles to go fishing rods tied onto the cross bar, an old army bag or my big post office bag on my back with all the odds and ends from sandwiches to a big bottle of ginger beer we even carried a box of matches plus an old tobacco tin with hooks and weights in as i have said before tackle was poor at the time but we managed on what we could afford. I loved to go to, the little carp lake about 6 miles from my home when i first fished there it must of been around 1950 i used to go with a friend called Ray evans we were two young scallywags and fished together quite often unfortunately, Ray died many years ago at the age of fifty two he will always remain in my heart as he was a great friend who fished and shot with me until he died he is buried in the little church yard at Halford craven arms, we would go carp fishing together i can well remember us casting out and lying down in the long grass we would shake with excitement as we saw the carp break surface you could see there backs out of the water then tremble with anticipation as the float moves and slides below the surface you grab the rod strike and you were in the fish would charge around as you played him this beautiful monster of the deep, we had no landing nets then so it was a matter of getting it to the bank then getting it out with our hands at times we got a bit wet trying to get the fish on dry land no mats then only lush grass he would lie there this beautiful fish no more than three pounds ,but to us youngsters it was huge we would return it gently and watch it swim away then we stood around congratulating our selves they were great days.
The summers seemed to be long i can only remember sunny weather but we must of had rain its just i can only remember the good times we would strip of and swim in the lake no one cared they were hazy lazy days we had a few weeks off school in the summer i spent most of my time either fishing the river or the small carp lake we also followed the corn harvest it was an exiting time as i have told you before catching the rabbits that bolted from the corn and tried to get away these were the days of my youth to picking the apples from the orchards they were privately owned by the many farmers we got chased a few times but we loved to scrump not only the apples but damsons to we would take a basket home and mother would make jam from the fruit the apples we would have a stew or a pie they were marvelous days we roamed the country side care free which i feel is sadly missing today we should not have been there as most estates or farms were strictly private but it did not worry us as lads we would also dig the potatoes before they were harvested we would fill a couple of buckets and make our way home they were boiled and eaten with home made butter and big chunks of bread yum yum but times were very hard so nothing we got was ever waisted . well a bit more latter
In reply to Post #164
My stories are not just about fishing but about my life in general from the forties up until now as i have told you all i was born in the war years and until 1947 i lived most of my early years with my grandad i suppose i have him to thank for getting me into fishing in was only three when i first started to fish with my grandad, from that point on a became obsessed with this great hobby of ours i have not just fished for carp , all fish fish were worth catching in my book i really cut my teeth on the river Rea just down the fields a stones throw from my house, and the onny when we moved to Craven arms it was while i was there that i started to fish the lakes and pools that existed on the many estates in the surrounding country side they were all private in those days i don't think many anglers had had really seen the potential of these old estate lakes as i have mentioned before they were generally shot over and the fishing was left alone i would go as much to say most had never been fished maybe the keeper had fished but most were so over grown you had a job getting to the side of the water what with brambles old trees you could not cut any out as the keepers would be onto you and you would soon get caught one such lake i will mention no name as it is still private and is still a shooting estate i was determined to fish the lake but it was surrounded by rosedendrum,s there was no way through i was young so i literally crawled rod and all under these bushes until i reached the side of the water even thought i was young by the time i had got there and my rod set up i would be knacked but it was well worth the effort i float fished and caught some great tench i would use home made bread paste my mother would make it god knows what she put in it as it smelled beautiful good enough to eat i never caught any huge fish maybe a couple of pounds three pound the biggest most i think were over stocked and the fish were stunted the lakes had been left alone and were only used for duck shooting there would be signs keep out shooting in progress or private lake and woods keep out dogs will be shot on sight.
Some of these old keepers were real hard characters and would not hesitate to put a shot above your head i had it happen to me i was frightened to death i was in the cover of a pheasant wood he knew i was there and shouted for me to come out i had been doing a bit of poaching i never answered then bang bang the pellets hitting the undergrowth around me i was out the other side and over the top of the old quarry hiding on The railway line until things had quietened down i had that happen a couple of times, they would not of got away with that with todays laws. They would protect there birds using most methods because if they did not put a good show of birds in the shooting season they would soon be out of a job but things were a lot different then they were hard days the wages were really peanuts and most poeple were very hard up but they managed to scrape by. well a bit more latter
My stories are not just about fishing but about my life in general from the forties up until now as i have told you all i was born in the war years and until 1947 i lived most of my early years with my grandad i suppose i have him to thank for getting me into fishing in was only three when i first started to fish with my grandad, from that point on a became obsessed with this great hobby of ours i have not just fished for carp , all fish fish were worth catching in my book i really cut my teeth on the river Rea just down the fields a stones throw from my house, and the onny when we moved to Craven arms it was while i was there that i started to fish the lakes and pools that existed on the many estates in the surrounding country side they were all private in those days i don't think many anglers had had really seen the potential of these old estate lakes as i have mentioned before they were generally shot over and the fishing was left alone i would go as much to say most had never been fished maybe the keeper had fished but most were so over grown you had a job getting to the side of the water what with brambles old trees you could not cut any out as the keepers would be onto you and you would soon get caught one such lake i will mention no name as it is still private and is still a shooting estate i was determined to fish the lake but it was surrounded by rosedendrum,s there was no way through i was young so i literally crawled rod and all under these bushes until i reached the side of the water even thought i was young by the time i had got there and my rod set up i would be knacked but it was well worth the effort i float fished and caught some great tench i would use home made bread paste my mother would make it god knows what she put in it as it smelled beautiful good enough to eat i never caught any huge fish maybe a couple of pounds three pound the biggest most i think were over stocked and the fish were stunted the lakes had been left alone and were only used for duck shooting there would be signs keep out shooting in progress or private lake and woods keep out dogs will be shot on sight.
Some of these old keepers were real hard characters and would not hesitate to put a shot above your head i had it happen to me i was frightened to death i was in the cover of a pheasant wood he knew i was there and shouted for me to come out i had been doing a bit of poaching i never answered then bang bang the pellets hitting the undergrowth around me i was out the other side and over the top of the old quarry hiding on The railway line until things had quietened down i had that happen a couple of times, they would not of got away with that with todays laws. They would protect there birds using most methods because if they did not put a good show of birds in the shooting season they would soon be out of a job but things were a lot different then they were hard days the wages were really peanuts and most poeple were very hard up but they managed to scrape by. well a bit more latter
In reply to Post #165
The clouds scuttled across the sky casting shadows across the surrounding land we were both huddled together under the hedge row that surrounded the small pool the grass looked silver in the full moon the only noise we could here was the occasional yap of a dog fox higher up in in hill country as you looked up above you could see the twinkling stars there was no light pollution here how insignificant we really are the universe is so huge we are like a leaf on a tree just a small part of this planet we call earth graham and i have stood here many times over the years we never failed to get a thrill waiting for the ducks to come into the small pool my dog blaze trembled with anticipation it was a chilly night as i pulled the color up on my coat as we looked behind where we stood the big hill stood out in the moonlight looking more like a big volcano you could see the big fir wood on the side of the hill it was over run with rabbits and we thought of the days we had spent there shooting the bolting rabbit i would wonder what it was like thousands of years before in the jurassic period what strange animals roamed these hills.
You heard the odd noise from the ducks as they fed far out on the big stubble fields it would not be long before they flew our way to rest on this small pool like there parents had done for generations but it was a moonlight night they could fly all night but we need not worry they came in like darts in two and threes big fat mallard duck there were hundreds the sky was alive with ducks i had a right and left graham did the same as i stood blaze my dog brought them to hand there was a fair pile on the ground in front of us we needed to fill our orders the farmer wanted at least six we ended the evening with twenty mallard we stood and watched as more came in we would leave them in piece until the next time it was like a harvest they would taste good as they had been feeding on the best we walked to the landrover putting the ducks in the back as we rode across the feilds we could see the rabbits bolting for the safety of the big woods on the side of the hill, a fox crossed our path and you could see his shining eyes in the beam of the head lights after a rabbit maybe for his impending supper we came out off hill country calling at the farm where the farmer met us with a big smile want a drink pete no john we must get home we left him hollding his share of the ducks and made our way home i soon fell asleep in the chair beside the fire dreaming of things to come this would be some time in the seventys. a bit more latter
The clouds scuttled across the sky casting shadows across the surrounding land we were both huddled together under the hedge row that surrounded the small pool the grass looked silver in the full moon the only noise we could here was the occasional yap of a dog fox higher up in in hill country as you looked up above you could see the twinkling stars there was no light pollution here how insignificant we really are the universe is so huge we are like a leaf on a tree just a small part of this planet we call earth graham and i have stood here many times over the years we never failed to get a thrill waiting for the ducks to come into the small pool my dog blaze trembled with anticipation it was a chilly night as i pulled the color up on my coat as we looked behind where we stood the big hill stood out in the moonlight looking more like a big volcano you could see the big fir wood on the side of the hill it was over run with rabbits and we thought of the days we had spent there shooting the bolting rabbit i would wonder what it was like thousands of years before in the jurassic period what strange animals roamed these hills.
You heard the odd noise from the ducks as they fed far out on the big stubble fields it would not be long before they flew our way to rest on this small pool like there parents had done for generations but it was a moonlight night they could fly all night but we need not worry they came in like darts in two and threes big fat mallard duck there were hundreds the sky was alive with ducks i had a right and left graham did the same as i stood blaze my dog brought them to hand there was a fair pile on the ground in front of us we needed to fill our orders the farmer wanted at least six we ended the evening with twenty mallard we stood and watched as more came in we would leave them in piece until the next time it was like a harvest they would taste good as they had been feeding on the best we walked to the landrover putting the ducks in the back as we rode across the feilds we could see the rabbits bolting for the safety of the big woods on the side of the hill, a fox crossed our path and you could see his shining eyes in the beam of the head lights after a rabbit maybe for his impending supper we came out off hill country calling at the farm where the farmer met us with a big smile want a drink pete no john we must get home we left him hollding his share of the ducks and made our way home i soon fell asleep in the chair beside the fire dreaming of things to come this would be some time in the seventys. a bit more latter
In reply to Post #166
As i stood within the wood you could hear the sound of the hunting horn they were out in force today i could see the hounds four field away from the old style where i sat i saw a streak of rustic red as two foxes made there way towards this old wood and sanctuary the wood was private, but the hounds could not tell on they would come through the wood following the scent of old charlie, i watched as the foxes parted company one making its way through the old bog that surrounded the pool the other making it way towards the big bushes of Rhododendrons in to it she vanished she would lie there panting for breath hoping the dogs would not find her scent it was a chilly day and had started to snow it stung my face as i looked out from my hiding place the dogs were now in the wood casting here and there the huntsmen blew his horn to call them back but the hounds were on the scent the leading dog was away around the bog where the biggest of the foxes went the noise they made would wake the dead there was about eight couple in all i made my way towards the hounds old foxy had gone to earth and they stood around with waging tales waiting for the terror men to appear what a shock they would get when they appeared with spades in hand to dig old foxy out, i stood in there way gun in hand sorry i would say you cannot come this way this is private property so please call of your hounds and take them away the owners of the woods had already written to the hunt requesting that they should stay away the huntsman arrived on his horse hi Pete he says for he knew me well from years ago we tried to call them back but they were on the scent he cracked his whip blew his horn and took the hounds away i watched as they carried on across the fields they disappeared in the distance but they would be back another day.
The woods were private treble ssi no one was allowed to trespass here i was lucky and could walk where i liked with kind permission from the owners as long as i looked after there interests and kept people away you could stand most days in those woods and hear a pin drop that's how quite they were i would walk and look after the two big badger sets make sure they were not disturbed the wild life was amazing around and on the lake the different species of ducks and the big skeins of geese that rested on the water. I would fish it with graham catching the pike we had amazing days on that old lake and would tag any pike we caught but that was years ago long before the present owners its still ssi and run by English nature i am still allowed on the property a privilege, i love and except, a beautiful place to walk and dream your life away. a bit more latter
As i stood within the wood you could hear the sound of the hunting horn they were out in force today i could see the hounds four field away from the old style where i sat i saw a streak of rustic red as two foxes made there way towards this old wood and sanctuary the wood was private, but the hounds could not tell on they would come through the wood following the scent of old charlie, i watched as the foxes parted company one making its way through the old bog that surrounded the pool the other making it way towards the big bushes of Rhododendrons in to it she vanished she would lie there panting for breath hoping the dogs would not find her scent it was a chilly day and had started to snow it stung my face as i looked out from my hiding place the dogs were now in the wood casting here and there the huntsmen blew his horn to call them back but the hounds were on the scent the leading dog was away around the bog where the biggest of the foxes went the noise they made would wake the dead there was about eight couple in all i made my way towards the hounds old foxy had gone to earth and they stood around with waging tales waiting for the terror men to appear what a shock they would get when they appeared with spades in hand to dig old foxy out, i stood in there way gun in hand sorry i would say you cannot come this way this is private property so please call of your hounds and take them away the owners of the woods had already written to the hunt requesting that they should stay away the huntsman arrived on his horse hi Pete he says for he knew me well from years ago we tried to call them back but they were on the scent he cracked his whip blew his horn and took the hounds away i watched as they carried on across the fields they disappeared in the distance but they would be back another day.
The woods were private treble ssi no one was allowed to trespass here i was lucky and could walk where i liked with kind permission from the owners as long as i looked after there interests and kept people away you could stand most days in those woods and hear a pin drop that's how quite they were i would walk and look after the two big badger sets make sure they were not disturbed the wild life was amazing around and on the lake the different species of ducks and the big skeins of geese that rested on the water. I would fish it with graham catching the pike we had amazing days on that old lake and would tag any pike we caught but that was years ago long before the present owners its still ssi and run by English nature i am still allowed on the property a privilege, i love and except, a beautiful place to walk and dream your life away. a bit more latter
In reply to Post #167
It was early may i lay in the undergrowth at the side of the wood she made her way towards me not a care in the world she stopped and squatted down relieved her self and on she came, i held my breath as she poked her nose through the fence where i lay hidden. She was a lovely vixen and her eyes were bright she was not pulled around from suckling her cubs, they were in an old rabbit warren up the bank from where i lay she sensed something was not right as she made her way past the earth then did a complete circle and past me by again she stopped and checked the air by sniffing here and there, she vanished into the earth bringing out her four young cubs they were not that old but they rolled down the bank and scrambled back up rolling over and over playing like kids they tried to suckle but she would not stand for that away she went across the fields maybe in search of a rabbit for their meal,
The badgers brought there cubs down from the same bank the boar came first then the sow followed by five lovely cubs it was late evening she brought them through the fence where i lay i held my breath as they clambered across my boots my friend Bern was next to where i lay and was operating the camera even thought they scrambled over my feet they did not know we were there, they were going to the green pastures beyond to feast on the many worms it was getting late i must go but i would be back the next day.
As i drove down the drive the next day i was quite taken back the dog and the vixen were lying out on the grass adjacent to the earth i drove past thinking they would move how wrong i was they never moved i stopped the car and wound down the window i was no more than six feet from the pair but before i could get the camera out they moved away i watched them disappear from sight over the brow of the bank heading towards the earth, i got down into the wood thinking the cubs would come out but i was in for a shock i waited for about three hours but there was no sign they were gone she had moved them something had disturbed her, i wondered if it was us the night before where would she take them i walked the hedgerows and eventually found them tucked up in a hole under some old willow trees i did not go to close and left them well alone i did not want to disturb her again but we watched from afar she fed them often bringing rabbit even hedgehog, over the coming weeks they really did grow and became more inquisitive leaving the sanctuary of the earth and venturing further away i knew it would not belong before they went there separate ways they were now old enough to hunt for there selves the vixen was not visiting as much she knew it was time for them to go. This was in the eighties all part of my life and my love of nature and my beloved foxes. more to come latter
It was early may i lay in the undergrowth at the side of the wood she made her way towards me not a care in the world she stopped and squatted down relieved her self and on she came, i held my breath as she poked her nose through the fence where i lay hidden. She was a lovely vixen and her eyes were bright she was not pulled around from suckling her cubs, they were in an old rabbit warren up the bank from where i lay she sensed something was not right as she made her way past the earth then did a complete circle and past me by again she stopped and checked the air by sniffing here and there, she vanished into the earth bringing out her four young cubs they were not that old but they rolled down the bank and scrambled back up rolling over and over playing like kids they tried to suckle but she would not stand for that away she went across the fields maybe in search of a rabbit for their meal,
The badgers brought there cubs down from the same bank the boar came first then the sow followed by five lovely cubs it was late evening she brought them through the fence where i lay i held my breath as they clambered across my boots my friend Bern was next to where i lay and was operating the camera even thought they scrambled over my feet they did not know we were there, they were going to the green pastures beyond to feast on the many worms it was getting late i must go but i would be back the next day.
As i drove down the drive the next day i was quite taken back the dog and the vixen were lying out on the grass adjacent to the earth i drove past thinking they would move how wrong i was they never moved i stopped the car and wound down the window i was no more than six feet from the pair but before i could get the camera out they moved away i watched them disappear from sight over the brow of the bank heading towards the earth, i got down into the wood thinking the cubs would come out but i was in for a shock i waited for about three hours but there was no sign they were gone she had moved them something had disturbed her, i wondered if it was us the night before where would she take them i walked the hedgerows and eventually found them tucked up in a hole under some old willow trees i did not go to close and left them well alone i did not want to disturb her again but we watched from afar she fed them often bringing rabbit even hedgehog, over the coming weeks they really did grow and became more inquisitive leaving the sanctuary of the earth and venturing further away i knew it would not belong before they went there separate ways they were now old enough to hunt for there selves the vixen was not visiting as much she knew it was time for them to go. This was in the eighties all part of my life and my love of nature and my beloved foxes. more to come latter
In reply to Post #168
As i sit writing this the leaves are starting to fall from the trees it will be beautiful down the woods with all the different colours its a most beautiful time of year winter is knocking on our door once again the trees and hedgerows have been full of berries black berries holy berries there has been a good nut harvest the elderberries so the birds will be hard at it gorging on the berries getting ready for the coming winter for me the fishing has not been that good graham my friend has not been to well and i am now suffering my self quite badly mainly my back and i have severe asthma something i have never suffered with until now, but it certainly gets you down so at the present all i can do is reminisce about my early years i suppose i have led an interesting life with my fishing shooting and general love of nature i have met some interesting people along the way and if i had the opportunity i would do it all again i would not change one thing i do miss fishing at night i loved the dark and the quietness of it all i would sit and listen to the different noises so different from the day the dog fox calling the vixen the old Tawney owl high up in the tree above where you sit the barn owl as it drifts across the fields like a white ghost the call of the coot the moorhen the badgers as they pass you by it has been a most wonderful experience make the most of what you have got before age creeps up and takes it away life is so very short you are like a leaf on a tree we only come this way once so take it by the throat and enjoy every moment i certainly have.
I have had my ups and downs i fought in the booths at the fair ground i feared no man but being young you soon learn there is always some one better than you i had a few hidings but my love has been fishing and my wild life i have fished most lakes around my county and a few out side the county not all legal i have poached the pheasants so we could live a better life as in the days of my youth it was very hard when i look back and think of all the different game keepers i knew they have now all gone they have died and took there knowledge with them maybe there ghosts still haunts those woods i poached long ago when i was young there was old bell he was middle aged a good keeper i poached the river under his very nose he chased me a few times i would always hang a couple of trout on his gate to say thank you he knew it was me but could not prove a thing he would call the police and the Sgt Landers would arrive with a couple more policemen old Stan sharp was one i have climbed the trees to get away and have listened to them as the chatted far below i have not dared move a muscle but these are my memories of an age long ago it was a wonderful period in my life i would do it all again if permitted but that is not an option. well a bit more latter
As i sit writing this the leaves are starting to fall from the trees it will be beautiful down the woods with all the different colours its a most beautiful time of year winter is knocking on our door once again the trees and hedgerows have been full of berries black berries holy berries there has been a good nut harvest the elderberries so the birds will be hard at it gorging on the berries getting ready for the coming winter for me the fishing has not been that good graham my friend has not been to well and i am now suffering my self quite badly mainly my back and i have severe asthma something i have never suffered with until now, but it certainly gets you down so at the present all i can do is reminisce about my early years i suppose i have led an interesting life with my fishing shooting and general love of nature i have met some interesting people along the way and if i had the opportunity i would do it all again i would not change one thing i do miss fishing at night i loved the dark and the quietness of it all i would sit and listen to the different noises so different from the day the dog fox calling the vixen the old Tawney owl high up in the tree above where you sit the barn owl as it drifts across the fields like a white ghost the call of the coot the moorhen the badgers as they pass you by it has been a most wonderful experience make the most of what you have got before age creeps up and takes it away life is so very short you are like a leaf on a tree we only come this way once so take it by the throat and enjoy every moment i certainly have.
I have had my ups and downs i fought in the booths at the fair ground i feared no man but being young you soon learn there is always some one better than you i had a few hidings but my love has been fishing and my wild life i have fished most lakes around my county and a few out side the county not all legal i have poached the pheasants so we could live a better life as in the days of my youth it was very hard when i look back and think of all the different game keepers i knew they have now all gone they have died and took there knowledge with them maybe there ghosts still haunts those woods i poached long ago when i was young there was old bell he was middle aged a good keeper i poached the river under his very nose he chased me a few times i would always hang a couple of trout on his gate to say thank you he knew it was me but could not prove a thing he would call the police and the Sgt Landers would arrive with a couple more policemen old Stan sharp was one i have climbed the trees to get away and have listened to them as the chatted far below i have not dared move a muscle but these are my memories of an age long ago it was a wonderful period in my life i would do it all again if permitted but that is not an option. well a bit more latter
In reply to Post #169
I would hide my bike in the thick under growth then walk along the railway line then over the style into the fields it was around midnight when i arrived at my destination climbing the fence and into the wood i stood and listened no sound could i hear the woods were quite and still no one with prying eyes only the animals of the woods i was used to them they would hurt no one it was the keepers that i kept my ear open for but now they would be tucked up in bed after visiting the pub the dog at the house gave the occasional bark but that would not wake him from his slumbers. I approached the lake and made my way forward i had only one rod but i was going to fish this old lake it was left from the ice age not many had fished it only friends of the owners and maybe the keeper, we as youngsters had heard tales of how the pool was bottomless and held some massive pike it was supposed to be very haunted it was a tale put out by the owners to keep people away they wanted no one down these woods i was sixteen years old no ghosts would worry me i had been here many times before. Tonight it was to fish but i would also visit the coverts before i went home i had also brought my trusted rifle it was rapped up in the old sack.
I cut myself a forked stick from the hazel tree behind, i was only using worm i cast it out and sat and waited i had folded a piece of silver paper on the line to act as an indicator my torch had a red reflector i watched with excitement but no movement did it make about an hour latter it moved and slowly the silver paper reached the butt ring i struck and i was in it felt a good fish i played it carefully to the side i could see i had hooked an eel it was a good size maybe three pound plus it was one for home as it would be cooked and eaten the next fish was a small roach of a pound it was worth coming i looked at my watch it was three o clock i put the eel in the bag and hung it on the fence behind with my rod. i only wanted a couple of pheasent for the family as i walked past the keepers cottage i stopped and listened all was quite i moved down into the wood behind the house i moved into the trees surounding the big pen shinning the torch up in the trees i picked one out aimed and pulled the trigger down he came in a ball of feathers then another this was easy i ended up with six i stuffed them into the old postal, bag then i was away the dogs never even barked as i passed the cottage, i made my way back to my rod and sack which i had brought to sit on and cover my gun and retraced my steps untill i i got to my bike then tying my rod to the cross bar bag on my back made for home and bed hanging the pheasents in the shed . the eel was skinned and eaten the next day it made good eating fryed and battered it was a sucsessfull night i left no mess no sign i had even been there it would not be long before i returned again the year was about 1957 long ago but to me it only seems like yesterday. more latter
I would hide my bike in the thick under growth then walk along the railway line then over the style into the fields it was around midnight when i arrived at my destination climbing the fence and into the wood i stood and listened no sound could i hear the woods were quite and still no one with prying eyes only the animals of the woods i was used to them they would hurt no one it was the keepers that i kept my ear open for but now they would be tucked up in bed after visiting the pub the dog at the house gave the occasional bark but that would not wake him from his slumbers. I approached the lake and made my way forward i had only one rod but i was going to fish this old lake it was left from the ice age not many had fished it only friends of the owners and maybe the keeper, we as youngsters had heard tales of how the pool was bottomless and held some massive pike it was supposed to be very haunted it was a tale put out by the owners to keep people away they wanted no one down these woods i was sixteen years old no ghosts would worry me i had been here many times before. Tonight it was to fish but i would also visit the coverts before i went home i had also brought my trusted rifle it was rapped up in the old sack.
I cut myself a forked stick from the hazel tree behind, i was only using worm i cast it out and sat and waited i had folded a piece of silver paper on the line to act as an indicator my torch had a red reflector i watched with excitement but no movement did it make about an hour latter it moved and slowly the silver paper reached the butt ring i struck and i was in it felt a good fish i played it carefully to the side i could see i had hooked an eel it was a good size maybe three pound plus it was one for home as it would be cooked and eaten the next fish was a small roach of a pound it was worth coming i looked at my watch it was three o clock i put the eel in the bag and hung it on the fence behind with my rod. i only wanted a couple of pheasent for the family as i walked past the keepers cottage i stopped and listened all was quite i moved down into the wood behind the house i moved into the trees surounding the big pen shinning the torch up in the trees i picked one out aimed and pulled the trigger down he came in a ball of feathers then another this was easy i ended up with six i stuffed them into the old postal, bag then i was away the dogs never even barked as i passed the cottage, i made my way back to my rod and sack which i had brought to sit on and cover my gun and retraced my steps untill i i got to my bike then tying my rod to the cross bar bag on my back made for home and bed hanging the pheasents in the shed . the eel was skinned and eaten the next day it made good eating fryed and battered it was a sucsessfull night i left no mess no sign i had even been there it would not be long before i returned again the year was about 1957 long ago but to me it only seems like yesterday. more latter
In reply to Post #170
I have been lucky enough in life to know many great anglers dick walker was the top of the list followed by jack Hilton bill Quillan terry Thomas Ivan marks who i met when i was fishing in Denmark with angling times another one i have had a few drinks with was billy lane who was with us on our trip they were all great anglers . it was such an honour for a young chap like me to have known them, the first time i met dick i was speechless i had no idea how to approach this great man we were fishing on his private bit of river i had been trotting down hoping for a chub or a good bream it was a very cold day and had forecast frost when i see the big man walking towards me he wore his trade mark hat caught owt Pete was his first words we shook hands and as you all know it started a friendship until his untimely death from cancer he was a clever man a genius really the things he invented speak for them selves the arsley bomb the bite alarm rods he was a true pioneer for our sport i don't think it would be like it is today if it had not been for dick and his many friends from the carp catchers club, i am still in touch with his son Tim i have been looking for some letters i have from dick to myself god know where i have put them i have promised Tim he can have them or copies of them i think they are up in the attic some where i have struggled to get up there as yet i have not found them but i will continue to look as it would be nice to put them on the forum.
When i first knew dick he was into trout fishing in a big way and had broken the rainbow record he was also doing a bit of perch fishing and was very successful at it like he was at most fishing he was a wonderful friend and helped me in many ways from rods to bite alarms his knowledge was extensive a good engineer. i fished with Jack Hilton in the early seventies it was only for a week but he was top of the game when it came to carp fishing he had caught some very big carp i think if i remember right he was fishing Red mire at the time of his visit to fish with us , i loved to chat to jack and bill as they were a mine of information both great anglers i baited up for a week before his arrival to maybe make it a bit more easier to fish the lake as it was called heart break pool but it held some wonderful bream and big Rudd he had never fished for bream and was really up for it so in the company of Dennis Kelly my self and graham he was great company in fact it was the first time i had seen a bivie he had made it out of black polythene but it was warm and dry another of the pioneers its all down to these chaps that we have what we have today it was a pleasure and a privalidge to have kown them all . well a bit more latter
I have been lucky enough in life to know many great anglers dick walker was the top of the list followed by jack Hilton bill Quillan terry Thomas Ivan marks who i met when i was fishing in Denmark with angling times another one i have had a few drinks with was billy lane who was with us on our trip they were all great anglers . it was such an honour for a young chap like me to have known them, the first time i met dick i was speechless i had no idea how to approach this great man we were fishing on his private bit of river i had been trotting down hoping for a chub or a good bream it was a very cold day and had forecast frost when i see the big man walking towards me he wore his trade mark hat caught owt Pete was his first words we shook hands and as you all know it started a friendship until his untimely death from cancer he was a clever man a genius really the things he invented speak for them selves the arsley bomb the bite alarm rods he was a true pioneer for our sport i don't think it would be like it is today if it had not been for dick and his many friends from the carp catchers club, i am still in touch with his son Tim i have been looking for some letters i have from dick to myself god know where i have put them i have promised Tim he can have them or copies of them i think they are up in the attic some where i have struggled to get up there as yet i have not found them but i will continue to look as it would be nice to put them on the forum.
When i first knew dick he was into trout fishing in a big way and had broken the rainbow record he was also doing a bit of perch fishing and was very successful at it like he was at most fishing he was a wonderful friend and helped me in many ways from rods to bite alarms his knowledge was extensive a good engineer. i fished with Jack Hilton in the early seventies it was only for a week but he was top of the game when it came to carp fishing he had caught some very big carp i think if i remember right he was fishing Red mire at the time of his visit to fish with us , i loved to chat to jack and bill as they were a mine of information both great anglers i baited up for a week before his arrival to maybe make it a bit more easier to fish the lake as it was called heart break pool but it held some wonderful bream and big Rudd he had never fished for bream and was really up for it so in the company of Dennis Kelly my self and graham he was great company in fact it was the first time i had seen a bivie he had made it out of black polythene but it was warm and dry another of the pioneers its all down to these chaps that we have what we have today it was a pleasure and a privalidge to have kown them all . well a bit more latter
In reply to Post #171
Its many years since i fished heart Break pool when i was fifteen i would go along to watch some of the local anglers fish for the big pike it was supposed to hold i got to know the owner quite well and he showed me a pike in a glass case it was thirty two pounds that was back in 1957 it had been caught by the owner his name was sir Reginald Holcroft at the time he lived at a place called pulverbatch and i had to cycle up to see the said gentleman i remember knocking on this big door and being asked into this big rambling house and sir showing me this stuffed pike and lots more beside do you think i can fish the pool i said don't see why not he answered ill give you written permission but don't go anywhere the top pool i did not know there was a top pool but there apparently was he explained it was used for duck shooting and he kept it rather hush hush this really tickled me as i had and still was a poacher of sorts but i would not touch this other pool as he had put his trust in me and i was only 15 years old i felt really privileged to fish there but it was really hard and it broke a good many hearts for a start it was very deep going down to at least 45 ft in the middle so i would only fish the margins with a live bait small perch or roach i caught . I would watch the big cork float bobbing about as the small fish towed it around then it would disappear under the water i would count to ten then i would strike i caught absolutely loads of pike but nothing over seven pounds but they were big fish to me.
But there were other fish in the lake i had heard stories from other anglers about the big bream that was reputed to be in the place in the summer i tried very hard and float fished the margins in between the big Lillie beds i caught no bream but what i did catch was some wonderful perch most were around two pounds i had no scales in those days i also caught a few roach nice fish but i had also seen some big fish rolling on the surface and i presumed these were the bream i wanted one of those fish above all others i tried and tried without success what i did not realize then it would be many years before i got to grips with these big fish i wanted to night fish but sir would not let me . it was many years latter when i got the lease to the place that i really started to catch some lovely bream i had them to 9-12 0z they were good fish that would of been around 1971 or there abouts we also caught some big rudd i did not know they were even in the place we caught them to three pounds also bream hybrids to four pound pounds this was the same pool i fished in the company of Jack hilton and Bill quinlon. more latter
Its many years since i fished heart Break pool when i was fifteen i would go along to watch some of the local anglers fish for the big pike it was supposed to hold i got to know the owner quite well and he showed me a pike in a glass case it was thirty two pounds that was back in 1957 it had been caught by the owner his name was sir Reginald Holcroft at the time he lived at a place called pulverbatch and i had to cycle up to see the said gentleman i remember knocking on this big door and being asked into this big rambling house and sir showing me this stuffed pike and lots more beside do you think i can fish the pool i said don't see why not he answered ill give you written permission but don't go anywhere the top pool i did not know there was a top pool but there apparently was he explained it was used for duck shooting and he kept it rather hush hush this really tickled me as i had and still was a poacher of sorts but i would not touch this other pool as he had put his trust in me and i was only 15 years old i felt really privileged to fish there but it was really hard and it broke a good many hearts for a start it was very deep going down to at least 45 ft in the middle so i would only fish the margins with a live bait small perch or roach i caught . I would watch the big cork float bobbing about as the small fish towed it around then it would disappear under the water i would count to ten then i would strike i caught absolutely loads of pike but nothing over seven pounds but they were big fish to me.
But there were other fish in the lake i had heard stories from other anglers about the big bream that was reputed to be in the place in the summer i tried very hard and float fished the margins in between the big Lillie beds i caught no bream but what i did catch was some wonderful perch most were around two pounds i had no scales in those days i also caught a few roach nice fish but i had also seen some big fish rolling on the surface and i presumed these were the bream i wanted one of those fish above all others i tried and tried without success what i did not realize then it would be many years before i got to grips with these big fish i wanted to night fish but sir would not let me . it was many years latter when i got the lease to the place that i really started to catch some lovely bream i had them to 9-12 0z they were good fish that would of been around 1971 or there abouts we also caught some big rudd i did not know they were even in the place we caught them to three pounds also bream hybrids to four pound pounds this was the same pool i fished in the company of Jack hilton and Bill quinlon. more latter
In reply to Post #172
I have been passionate about many things in the country side one such exercise was done by a friend we had a big incubator at the farm and we breed English grey partridge they had mostly all died out when he started to breed and let them go, that was a few years ago but we still have one or two coveys around today the birds prefer open grassland with dense cover for nesting they also loved the thick hedge rows which was used for nesting, but the greys really benefited uncultivated areas or wide unsprayed fields but unfortunately farming methods have really been to blame for there decline also the increase in foxes has had its effect, some will say but you breed them to shoot yes maybe but we were also trying help the population as it had fallen by about eighty percent in recent years it a beautiful little bird, that needs a chance no one in my syndicate dare shoot one we have put a total ban on touching them i hope over the years they will increase i may not be here to see it we will wait and see.
Another animal to see a very big decline was the hair going back into the sixties and seventies there were hundreds and on some of the big hair drives i attended it was nothing to see over one hundred shot in a day and that did not even make a dent in the population the big Shropshire estates made money from them it helped the estate out, but over the years in our county they started to disappear mainly due to insecticides spraying the fields i have found young leverets dead herbicides also caused death because it killed the natural diet it reduced the food the animal fed on but they are now making a steady come back it is another we have put a shooting ban on last year we started to see a few so i hope they breed and start to recover its really sad how man destroys the wild life more out of ignorance not understanding what the insecticides they were spraying did to our native wild life, it also effected fish in our streams polluting many water courses but things now seem to be on the mend.
The old game keepers persecuted many of our English falcons especially the peregrine, they were also shot in the war years to protect the homing pigeon and it also was infected disastrously once again from agriculture insecticides, plus egg thieves did not help, another of our birds that suffered was the buzzard, poison was really blame the game keepers of the time would inject a dead rabbit with the poison strychnine was one such thing it would kill anything that fed off the dead rabbit i am glad those days have gone but we still see it carried out by some unsavory characters , owls, were another that suffered quite severely but we now live in better times all that mattered years ago was the pheasant and the partridge on most estates the keeper would have to show the birds on shoot days to his boss and the many gentleman and ladies that took part in the days sport, if that did not happen his job would be at stake so the keeper took action by eliminating everything that threatened his livelihood i know this has nothing to do with fishing but it has been a big part of my life. well a bit more latter
I have been passionate about many things in the country side one such exercise was done by a friend we had a big incubator at the farm and we breed English grey partridge they had mostly all died out when he started to breed and let them go, that was a few years ago but we still have one or two coveys around today the birds prefer open grassland with dense cover for nesting they also loved the thick hedge rows which was used for nesting, but the greys really benefited uncultivated areas or wide unsprayed fields but unfortunately farming methods have really been to blame for there decline also the increase in foxes has had its effect, some will say but you breed them to shoot yes maybe but we were also trying help the population as it had fallen by about eighty percent in recent years it a beautiful little bird, that needs a chance no one in my syndicate dare shoot one we have put a total ban on touching them i hope over the years they will increase i may not be here to see it we will wait and see.
Another animal to see a very big decline was the hair going back into the sixties and seventies there were hundreds and on some of the big hair drives i attended it was nothing to see over one hundred shot in a day and that did not even make a dent in the population the big Shropshire estates made money from them it helped the estate out, but over the years in our county they started to disappear mainly due to insecticides spraying the fields i have found young leverets dead herbicides also caused death because it killed the natural diet it reduced the food the animal fed on but they are now making a steady come back it is another we have put a shooting ban on last year we started to see a few so i hope they breed and start to recover its really sad how man destroys the wild life more out of ignorance not understanding what the insecticides they were spraying did to our native wild life, it also effected fish in our streams polluting many water courses but things now seem to be on the mend.
The old game keepers persecuted many of our English falcons especially the peregrine, they were also shot in the war years to protect the homing pigeon and it also was infected disastrously once again from agriculture insecticides, plus egg thieves did not help, another of our birds that suffered was the buzzard, poison was really blame the game keepers of the time would inject a dead rabbit with the poison strychnine was one such thing it would kill anything that fed off the dead rabbit i am glad those days have gone but we still see it carried out by some unsavory characters , owls, were another that suffered quite severely but we now live in better times all that mattered years ago was the pheasant and the partridge on most estates the keeper would have to show the birds on shoot days to his boss and the many gentleman and ladies that took part in the days sport, if that did not happen his job would be at stake so the keeper took action by eliminating everything that threatened his livelihood i know this has nothing to do with fishing but it has been a big part of my life. well a bit more latter