Redmire finished?

[stillwater blue]

was my post removed or did I fail to post it in the first place?

There was a second thread that got started in another sub-forum, perhaps you posted there?

I know I did

 

[Nobby C (ACA)]

Having both fished Redmire, not Bernithan Court, Redmire and sometimes use a cane rod and pin I'll say my bit.
TFF is stuffed with folks who extol the virtues of ***** tackle. That is their prerogative, it's still ***** IMO and while I can understand why some wish to use cane, an old Allcocks or Hardy fixed spool is a rank bit of tat. Engineering has progressed far beyond any misty eyed pining for an era most would be shocked by its elemental lacking of modern comforts. Centrepins are ok for a laugh but still not a patch on modern reels unless trotting for small silvers.
How many on TFF use wooden plate cameras to record their catch then?
Chris Yates stating that a Shimano rep said they (Shimano) could never replicate the clutch from a Hardy Altex or whatever it's called is complete twaddle. He just made that up and his sheep followers swallow every word he utters, I wonder if this blatant admiration embarrasses him?
Pining for an era you wouldn't like at all is nothing but false romanticism but,if it floats someones boat, fair play to them.
I stood at the dam, walked the pitches and felt......nothing. Zip,zilch, nada, the only emotion I did feel was emptiness, I wanted to feel spiritual but all I felt was practical. It's a small, muddy pond with some cricket bat commons in there and a possible 30. For £100 a day or whatever it was (my trip was free, not boasting, just saying) it's a waste of time.
Doe eyed sites like TFF pine for days when most were never even born and Redmire is now a busted flush money spinner frequented by folks who still adhere to the notion that the Emperor is sporting particularly fine apparel.
Sweetcorn Kid is so infatuated with Chris Yates to the extent that he apes every nuance of the mans character, it's cringe worthy. Sorry to be so blunt but it's true.
I had the chance to go back to Redmire (again, for free) a couple of times but just couldn't summon up any enthusiasm for it. There are far better waters around that were also around in the 50's and that are not rammed out carousels with a false aura of 'special' cast over them to ensnare the gullible and whimsical.
I don't want to appear rude or crude and I have no ill feeling to sweetcorn kid and his ilk but theirs is a very blinkered attitude. But they like it so that's fine for them.

 

[bennygesserit]

Having both fished Redmire, not Bernithan Court, Redmire and sometimes use a cane rod and pin I'll say my bit.
TFF is stuffed with folks who extol the virtues of ***** tackle. That is their prerogative, it's still ***** IMO and while I can understand why some wish to use cane, an old Allcocks or Hardy fixed spool is a rank bit of tat. Engineering has progressed far beyond any misty eyed pining for an era most would be shocked by its elemental lacking of modern comforts. Centrepins are ok for a laugh but still not a patch on modern reels unless trotting for small silvers.
How many on TFF use wooden plate cameras to record their catch then?
Chris Yates stating that a Shimano rep said they (Shimano) could never replicate the clutch from a Hardy Altex or whatever it's called is complete twaddle. He just made that up and his sheep followers swallow every word he utters, I wonder if this blatant admiration embarrasses him?
Pining for an era you wouldn't like at all is nothing but false romanticism but,if it floats someones boat, fair play to them.
I stood at the dam, walked the pitches and felt......nothing. Zip,zilch, nada, the only emotion I did feel was emptiness, I wanted to feel spiritual but all I felt was practical. It's a small, muddy pond with some cricket bat commons in there and a possible 30. For £100 a day or whatever it was (my trip was free, not boasting, just saying) it's a waste of time.
Doe eyed sites like TFF pine for days when most were never even born and Redmire is now a busted flush money spinner frequented by folks who still adhere to the notion that the Emperor is sporting particularly fine apparel.
Sweetcorn Kid is so infatuated with Chris Yates to the extent that he apes every nuance of the mans character, it's cringe worthy. Sorry to be so blunt but it's true.
I had the chance to go back to Redmire (again, for free) a couple of times but just couldn't summon up any enthusiasm for it. There are far better waters around that were also around in the 50's and that are not rammed out carousels with a false aura of 'special' cast over them to ensnare the gullible and whimsical.
I don't want to appear rude or crude and I have no ill feeling to sweetcorn kid and his ilk but theirs is a very blinkered attitude. But they like it so that's fine for them.

Very eloquent post , I could do without the minor character piece on "the sweetcorn kid" ( its so silly trying to talk about people with made up names , maybe people in public life should be given names like this ) but very well written and a very fresh point of view.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

TFF is stuffed with folks who extol the virtues of ***** tackle. That is their prerogative, it's still ***** IMO and while I can understand why some wish to use cane, an old Allcocks or Hardy fixed spool is a rank bit of tat.

I think your earlier post was probably put on to the thread that was deleted as a duplicate.

Regardless of which, that is your opinion, which if you added about £2.60 to it would get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

Are you no longer a member then of TFF?

Still, each to their own, eh?

Notwithstanding, tight lines, wherever you and however you chose to fish . . . . . .

 

[Nobby C (ACA)]

Yes, while writing I understood that my description of the SK could be construed as harsh but I stand by the content. Why emulate a person down to the minutiae when you could just be yourself?
It is his forum after all and as a founder then he represents the views there. As I said, each to their own, Peter, you don't have to agree with it, it's a free world, no need to be sarcastic though, just say you disagree,I'm fine with non positive responses.
I take it you're a fully fledged bamboo bending adorer of all things tweedy then?
:wh

PS : I don't frequent Starbucks, I might if they used Kelly kettles and broken orange pekoe or whatever it is Mr Yates drinks.
Tight lines to all, carbon or cane users all.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I take it you're a fully fledged bamboo bending adorer of all things tweedy then?

No, although I do use split cane rods and centrepin reels from time to time and own and use a Kelly Kettle too

That said I am equally at home sat behind 16m of pole, a trio of Carp rods with a bivvy etc., or a pair of Barbel rods or just a float or a quiver tip rod on the river.

 

[scottiedog]

I commenced a seven day session on Redmire 17 years ago today & it was then exactly as it was in the Passion For Angling episode. I blanked btw but the atmosphere was still there, just.
With all due respect I feel it's now time to stop looking at the place through romantic rose tinted glasses. All the Leney carp which were stocked way back in the 1930's (nearly 80 years ago) are now probably all deceased, the netting/stock survey was maybe essential to determine exactly how many carp were present so restocking requirements could be calculated. Nothing stays the same forever including Redmire.

 

[binka]

I'll be booking a day if I can get in for next summer, not for the aim of catching anything as such but for the sheer enjoyment of sitting with a copy of Chris Yates' map and stretching my imagination back to the goings on of his and previous eras and the many greats who trod those banks.

Present day form has nothing to do with it for me, in fact I see it as much more of a legend due to the fact that Redmire isn't still producing the headlines which it once did.

I wouldn't be remotely interested in the typical, present day travelling circus scenario.

I think that Redmire and its greats will be forever remembered as legends in the hearts of those that were captivated by its stories as early anglers, not what it produces today.

After all... You wouldn't book a trip to a colosseum expecting to see real gladiatorial combat and animal fights would you?

 

[cg74]

Steve, why not turn it into a proper iconic coarse fisheries pilgrimage, go via Tring Reservoirs, TC Pit and the Royalty stretch of the Hampshire Avon.

 

[chub_on_the_block]

I think theres a lot to be enjoyed fishing some of those great waters of the past, especially if they have become forgotten in the intervening years. For me, ideally they really should be off the modern radar - seriously under-fished - but not devoid of possibility either.

Tomorrow i am off to the Dorset Stout for a few days. I havent fished it since the 1980s and my PB Roach (1Ib 15oz) and chub (4Ib 15oz) came from that river.

 

[binka]

Steve, why not turn it into proper iconic coarse fisheries pilgrimage, go via Tring Reservoirs, TC Pit and the Royalty stretch of the Hampshire Avon.

Now that would be one heck of a fishing holiday

 

[stickfloat100]

What none of you seem to understand, which is what I wrote for in the first place, is that place is worse than it's ever been.
It's full of ghost carp, not Leneys, and I mean full, there's over 100 6" fish splashing around in the margins along with goldfish. Why? Because the owners were in denial that these ghosts existed 5 years ago and have been since. Nothing whatsoever has been done to remove them it seems. There's not a strand of weed yet the one thing that characterised Redmire in any literature was gin clear water and wall to wall weed. Again, nothing has been done to combat this, they have been more concerned with building a fenced off picnic area, a gravel car park, a raised walkway to make it a year round fishery, rude notices, a two-bit otter fence that clearly doesn't work, I could go on. Yet those that have run it into the ground think there's nothing wrong and the Redmire name will carry them on, and we all sit by letting it happen and even glorify it's sorry state in the AT by a group of nutters who think as Nobby said that those days were more righteous to fish in than today. I was airing my views and I am interested to hear how so many of you misinformed folk still think it's mecca without knowing how much of a muddy hole it's been left to become. I want to see it change and without exposing these issues publically it will never happen. Let me put it another way, I don't know one of the "greats" that wouldn't rather give up fishing than see it how it is today. It's a disgrace, and I have that from the horses mouth. Last thing to mention, I am flaberghasted by the reports that it gets fished in the close season, I wonder what those that have paid a lot of money to fish it on June 16th would have to say about this? What about trading standards? Selling off the first week for a ridiculous sum yet it being bragged about down the pub as being fished by the owner and his mates on June 1st etc?

 

[sam vimes]

Ultimately it's a privately owned fishery. The owners can do as they please with it. If people feel strongly enough about the place they have a couple of options. They can either boycott the place, and hope everyone else does, until financial pressures make the owners change tack, or they can dig deep, buy the place, and do whatever they want with it. The alternative seems to be a fairly futile protest campaign on as many forums as possible.

The suggestion that everyone is burying their heads in the sand is laughable. Some do seem to care. Some seem to still want to fish it. Others, myself included, really couldn't give a damn. I can acknowledge the special past the place has without really caring what happens to it in the future.

Stickfloat, you obviously care about the place and I can admire your zeal. However, I really think you need to accept that most don't share that zeal. I also feel that you should accept that things change, not necessarily for the better. Your campaign is pointless as the only folks that can make changes are the owners. If I were the owner, I'd hardly react positively to your complaints and the way you are making them.

 

[thecrow]

I am one of those that doesn't care, places change, fish stocks change, to expect places to remain the same is futile.

It was once a special place that was only available to the select few now its open to anyone who has a mind to pay high prices to fish for carp that are not there any longer.

I have revisited some of my old haunts from my youth and they have all changed, some are not even there any longer, some are better than when i fished them some are not but one thing is the same on all of them and that is that no matter how much you might want those days to return they never will, i am just thankful that i had some good times on them, memories are almost always better than the reality of today.

 

[binka]

What none of you seem to understand, which is what I wrote for in the first place, is that place is worse than it's ever been.
It's full of ghost carp, not Leneys, and I mean full, there's over 100 6" fish splashing around in the margins along with goldfish. Why? Because the owners were in denial that these ghosts existed 5 years ago and have been since. Nothing whatsoever has been done to remove them it seems. There's not a strand of weed yet the one thing that characterised Redmire in any literature was gin clear water and wall to wall weed. Again, nothing has been done to combat this, they have been more concerned with building a fenced off picnic area, a gravel car park, a raised walkway to make it a year round fishery, rude notices, a two-bit otter fence that clearly doesn't work, I could go on. Yet those that have run it into the ground think there's nothing wrong and the Redmire name will carry them on, and we all sit by letting it happen and even glorify it's sorry state in the AT by a group of nutters who think as Nobby said that those days were more righteous to fish in than today. I was airing my views and I am interested to hear how so many of you misinformed folk still think it's mecca without knowing how much of a muddy hole it's been left to become. I want to see it change and without exposing these issues publically it will never happen. Let me put it another way, I don't know one of the "greats" that wouldn't rather give up fishing than see it how it is today. It's a disgrace, and I have that from the horses mouth. Last thing to mention, I am flaberghasted by the reports that it gets fished in the close season, I wonder what those that have paid a lot of money to fish it on June 16th would have to say about this? What about trading standards? Selling off the first week for a ridiculous sum yet it being bragged about down the pub as being fished by the owner and his mates on June 1st etc?

On the contrary... I fully understand what you are saying.

As I've already mentioned it's not really about the present day fishing for me, I would however like to visit the place so as to cast my imagination back to more historical days.

I would find that in itself a very enjoyable experience... Regardless.

With the greatest respect I question whether you are understanding that it's simply not all about the quality or the purity of the present day fishing for some people?

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I would find that in itself a very enjoyable experience... Regardless.

Well, I have just finished reading a nice little article, complete with pictures, on a.n.other site recording a week long trip to Redmire for the week commencing August 25th This Year.

In the first 4 days this chap caught an 18lbs common, then a 23lbs common and finally another common at 25lbs.

Apart form catching he also witnessed many good sized Carp in the shallows . . . . . . . .

Not a bad few days considering that, according to some, the venue is "finished"

If anyone wants the link to the article them please send me a PM

 

[barbelboi]

Read the article earlier Peter - the fish certainly look in very good condition.............

 

[Tee-Cee]

As I mentioned in another Thread, I have just finished reading ' Redmire Pool ' by Clifford & Arbery, first published in 1984. Obviously it cannot show the fish caught in recent years, but some of those caught in the years leading up to this date, many of which are shown in this book, are nothing short of fantastic.
The colours of the commons, linear mirrors etc etc of different weights right through to the Yates 51lb'er are simply stunning, particularly the latter, of which Yates describes the colour as ' glowing yellow, chesnut and blue' when he caught it and it's absolutely spot on. The same fish is also in full colour at 38lbs caught by Tom Mintram many years before....

Personally, I have never been one for big carp, but slowly thumbing through this book is a pleasure just for the pictures. All the other information is a bonus IMHO

Regardless of what you think of Redmire, or it's chequered history, or even what you think of carp fishing in general, I can only recommend this book to anyone interested in fishing, as anyone with any soul cannot be anything but impressed with what it has to offer...
The background work took something like 12 years to put together ( I think that's right ) and even then it might never have been published if it hadn't been for Kevin Maddocks and Bekay Publishing.

Anyway, if you can get hold of a copy, I don't think you will be disappointed.

My well thumbed copy sits proudly on my bookshelf. Yes, proudly is the right word, as I'm proud to own it for what it represents to me having stood on the Dam wall for those few magical hours years ago and felt it's history, and what it represented in my youth and development as an average angler over so many years .....

For me, it will always be THE place in angling history, although I appreciate others will feel quite differently....Either way, this book is a 'must'.


ps I was amazed to be reminded that Fred Taylor, fished the place for 10 years, every year, for some days, and never hooked a fish of any sort. In fact he only had two minor lift bites in all that time................

 

[alchemist]

It is a shame that Rob Fox, the long standing bailiff of the pool, has decided to resign from his position as he cannot bear to see it continue to decline.
The pool currently has a maximum depth of 6.5 ft (in the centre channel) and is dark brown in colour and ghost carp still swim in its waters.
He feels that unless some drastic action is taken urgently a hugely significant part of angling heritage will be lost forever.
It is unfortunate that there is a perception that everything is fine and the view that because more fish than ever are getting caught then all is well but the problem is with a lack of weed and the level of silting up it has recently experienced there is now a lack of natural food (one of the factors which made it special originally) and so the fish have to rely on anglers' baits and so get caught far more frequently.
Hopefully by resigning his role a clear message will be sent to those involved in running the pool and create a desire to do something drastic to save this unique and historic pool.

 

[binka]

It is a shame that Rob Fox, the long standing bailiff of the pool, has decided to resign from his position as he cannot bear to see it continue to decline.
The pool currently has a maximum depth of 6.5 ft (in the centre channel) and is dark brown in colour and ghost carp still swim in its waters.
He feels that unless some drastic action is taken urgently a hugely significant part of angling heritage will be lost forever.
It is unfortunate that there is a perception that everything is fine and the view that because more fish than ever are getting caught then all is well but the problem is with a lack of weed and the level of silting up it has recently experienced there is now a lack of natural food (one of the factors which made it special originally) and so the fish have to rely on anglers' baits and so get caught far more frequently.
Hopefully by resigning his role a clear message will be sent to those involved in running the pool and create a desire to do something drastic to save this unique and historic pool.

That sounds like a very gallant thing to do by someone who clearly cares a lot about this water.

I haven't read in depth (pardon the pun!) about the pre-Walker et al origins of Redmire but how did Redmire come about prior to that stocking of Donald Leneys?

Was it just dug out, did it exist unrecorded prior to the historic events that later unfolded?