At last.......

[108831]

Hopefully the bream licence will have snot dribbling from the fins,to make Jez feel the joy.

 

[flightliner]

Hopefully the bream licence will have snot dribbling from the fins,to make Jez feel the joy.

lol Alan, a pound to a penny they've already got next years lisence with a Bream on it ready for printing but as a concession to Jerry his can be a one off with it showing two of them.:fish2::lol:

 

[108831]

Have heard its scratch and sniff,excellent....:evil:

 

[108831]

lol Alan, a pound to a penny they've already got next years lisence with a Bream on it ready for printing but as a concession to Jerry his can be a one off with it showing two of them.:fish2::lol:

What a two headed one,that'd work for me...

 

[john step]

Back in the day on the Trent when Gudgen and Bleak were prolific and often the targeted fish of choice by snatchers in the 400+ peg opens there was many a discussion (argument) in the Lord Nelson Pub as the brown envelopes were being handed out and the Shipstones ale was flowing freely :guiness: about the then only about and rare young Barbel that the odd match man hooked, being giant Gudgen and the almost unheard of inter breeding fish that anglers down South were catching the so called Pike / Perch later identified as the Zander.

If I remember correctly the then editor of Angling Times the late Russel Hole dedicated a couple of of weekly center pages to the subject there was so much confusion and debate about the subject

Tight Lines

The Lord Nelson that brings back some memories.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I have a special spot for the Gudgeon as it was one of the first fish I would catch on the River Thames at Hampton Court when I was a nipper.


When my angling friend and I had our trip to Redmire we also took a half day to recreate the "match" between James and Yates and had a great afternoon.



For me then, it is great to see a little fish on the licence, for a change

 

[no-one in particular]

I have a special spot for the Gudgeon as it was one of the first fish I would catch on the River Thames at Hampton Court when I was a nipper.

I used to catch Guddgeon in that area as well Peter when I first started fishing, Staines to Sunbury. Still have a soft spot for them. big shoals of bleak as well, they used to shoal up in the shallows right in the edge. However, rarely catch either fish now, the very odd Gudgeon and no Bleak. I read once that in Victorian times families used to go down onto the Thames and have Gudgeon days, the men would catch hundreds of them and the ladies would cook them up.

Found this, interesting read-

ONE OF my very favourite fishing stories is the extraordinary tale of how the Rev George Harvest, of Thames Ditton, Surrey, lost a bride. It seems that the vicar was betrothed to the Bishop of London's daughter, and all was set fair for the wedding - until George decided to while away those awkward hours before the nuptials with a spot of fishing.

By all accounts George was quite a fisher. But his love of angling was to be his undoing. 'On his wedding day, being gudgeon fishing, he overstayed the canonical hour, and the lady, justly offended at his neglect, broke off the match.'

For this account I am indebted to H T Sheringham, former fishing editor of the Field, who narrated the story in the Fishing Gazette of 10 April 1920. He commented: 'There is a calmness about the narrative which carries conviction. Is there anything more remarkable in the annals of gudgeon fishing?'

Probably not. But the tiny gudgeon, one of the smallest British fish, is a pretty exceptional specimen. This might explain why it was once a far more upper-class fish than trout or salmon, and why, at the London auctioneers Bonhams next month, a 3oz stuffed gudgeon is likely to fetch more than pounds 1,000.

The tiny fish, preserved for posterity in 1936 by J Cooper and Sons, the foremost fish taxidermist, was caught from a private pool on the Bourne Brook, near Birmingham, by F W Jefferies. It is splendidly mounted in a tiny case less than a foot long, its bow-fronted glass inlaid with gold leaf.

You might wonder why anybody would go to the trouble of mounting a fish smaller than a sprat. But a 3oz gudgeon is mighty. The British record, caught in 1990, is a mere 5oz. They are usually about 5in long, so a two-ouncer is a whopper and one an ounce larger is, in piscatorial terms, better than a 30lb salmon.

Despite being puny, the gudgeon is highly prized. In Fish and Fishing (1877) Dr J J Manley wrote: 'In my humble opinion, however mean a fish the gudgeon may be thought whereon to exercise the angler's skill, he is worthy of all commendation for the angler's table, and indeed the board of the most fastidious gourmet.' This tastiness created a unique Victorian weekend spectacle on the Thames - upper- class men and women, immaculately dressed, embarking on gudgeonfishing parties.

"Most women find fishing immensely boring. But by all accounts, the promise of a day's gudgeoning would tempt the grandest dames and the greatest society beauties. Of course, the women may actually have gone along to snare men as well as fish. Edmund Waller, exhorting men to beware of lady gudgeonfishers"

........

A worthy fish for the license I think.

 

[rayner]

There's a pond at Aston Springs that's absolutely stuffed with Gudgeon, they're a bleedin nuisance.
Does the rod licence really need a fish on it. I would rather see a pic of Emma Howard Boyd.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

"I read once that in Victorian times families used to go down onto the Thames and have Gudgeon days, the men would catch hundreds of them and the ladies would cook them up."

Many years ago on one of the Jack Hargreaves programmes he mentioned a dish called "Gudgeon Tanzy" (or possibly "Tandy") and that was quite popular in Victorian times

Despite some searching I've never found the recipe, sadly.

 

[S-Kippy]

Despite some searching I've never found the recipe, sadly.

I suspect one of the main ingredients would be gudgeon !

Speaking of which I heard from a very reliable source that the Thames at Walton is the place to go for specimen gudgeon. Proper lumps apparently....my source said he wouldnt be at all surprised if Walto threw up a record pongo. Sadly...if it did it would probably end up as livebait for zander or perch as that's where the locals go for their livies.

 

[Philip]

Love Gudgeon to bits, however surely this would be more apt on the license ? :wh

 

[binka]

But the tiny gudgeon, one of the smallest British fish, is a pretty exceptional specimen. This might explain why it was once a far more upper-class fish than trout or salmon, and why, at the London auctioneers Bonhams next month, a 3oz stuffed gudgeon is likely to fetch more than pounds 1,000.

The tiny fish, preserved for posterity in 1936 by J Cooper and Sons, the foremost fish taxidermist, was caught from a private pool on the Bourne Brook, near Birmingham, by F W Jefferies. It is splendidly mounted in a tiny case less than a foot long, its bow-fronted glass inlaid with gold leaf.

I believe this very fish was sold at auction back in 2011 and fetched £5,500...

 

[peter crabtree]

There are many gudgeon aficionados around the Herts/Beds border, check it out...

GUGGS - Grand Union Gobio Gobio Society

 

[bracket]

The Lord Nelson that brings back some memories.

Don't it just. I have had many a post match session in that establishment over the years with my angling colleagues. Pete.

 

[no-one in particular]

I believe this very fish was sold at auction back in 2011 and fetched £5,500...

View attachment 3979

Nice one Binka, lovely thing. I have a penchant for these Victorian stuffed animals, sadly they are often beyond my pocket, I wouldn't mind that on my wall though but I would have to give up beer, fags and women for a year, difficult decision but at least I wouldn't be bidding against Bracket! Right Pete

Should the Gudgeon be promoted to National Treasure Status? There's a petition in it I am sure.

 

[bracket]

Nice one Binka, lovely thing. I have a penchant for these Victorian stuffed animals, sadly they are often beyond my pocket, I wouldn't mind that on my wall though but I would have to give up beer, fags and women for a year, difficult decision but at least I wouldn't be bidding against Bracket! Right Pete

Should the Gudgeon be promoted to National Treasure Status? There's a petition in it I am sure.

Not so sure about that markg, I have a soft spot for gudgeon, Won a few matches off the Trent with them . I recall topping 28lb of gudgeon in club matches on two occasions at East Bridgeford. So happen I might break into my secret stash and put a modest bid in, maybe the odd ten grand just for the craic . Pete.

 

[flightliner]

There's a pond at Aston Springs that's absolutely stuffed with Gudgeon, they're a bleedin nuisance.
Does the rod licence really need a fish on it. I would rather see a pic of Emma Howard Boyd.

Which pond would that be Rayner, Stable ?