Memories of Days Gone By.

[Merv Harrison]

Stolen from the Yorkshire Fishing website, a gentle reminder for us 'older one's'.

Watch Hook, Line and Sheffield 1963 — BFI Player

 

[thecrow]

Collar and tie along with shiny shoes, don't see much of that on the bank now, thank you I enjoyed that.

 

[binka]

Thanks for sharing that Merv, what a contrast to today eh?

Thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

[S-Kippy]

OMG....how I hated those baskets. The most uncomfortable things to sit on.

Nice reminder of how life used to be....not just fishing.

 

[dorsetandchub]

Thanks a million, Merv - great stuff.

Didn't life look better then??

 

[slaphead]

Thanks for posting that Merv, really enjoyed that trip down Memory Lane.

 

[lambert1]

Wonderful stuff Merv. I was only 3 when that was made, but the memories of sixties Britain came flooding back. Particularly liked some of the home shots as it reminded me of my grand parents. Keep nets have certainly improved

 

[flightliner]

A friend sent it to me by e-mail Merv,I used to work at the company that won the the match and knew the winner Tommy Evans. I also fished a few times with Jack carr who won the all england in the fifties on the somerset levels- the Huntspill I think- he was the guy in the tackle shop talking bait.
The guy presenting the trophies was Tommy Eyre president of the old NFA and my apprentice supervisor at the winning teams steelworks.
I used that train as a young teenager right up to the day when Beaching had the line from Lincoln to Boston axed . Fished the works sports match just the once too.
Tommy by the way only fished in shirt and tie because he was being filmed.
Dont be mistaken with the "genteel" atmosphere portrayed in the film tho.The fenland match scene was a hotbed of very competative anglers
Great and happy days.

 

[john step]

Very enjoyable. Nice glimpse of swing tips, early Mitchels and aluminium bait tins.
Although I never knew the Witham then but I can recognise the river now from the film, although on many stretches the banks are being overtaken by brambles.
The line the specials ran on is now a cycle path called "the rail way" of all things!

The river is mostly used in the winter by pikers nowadays.

 

[bracket]

Merv, great link thanks for that. I remember Jack Carr winning the All England. It was on the Huntspill. In those day the match was decided on wieght alone and Jack Carr put 63 odd lbs on the scales to win the individual and team result for one of the Sheffield teams almost on his own . His catch set the record for the Nation which stood for years and was eventually beaten off the same venue with a weight of 68lbs , I think by a Rugby angler called Dave Rudge but I could be wrong about the name. On reflection I think it may have been Dave Burr and I am confusing him with Barry Rudge the captain of the Goole team who were second in a Trent National (this is beginning to sound like the inane ramblings of an old man). Someone will no doubt correct me. Pete.

 

[chub_on_the_block]

Baskets were all the rage when i started club fishing in the late 70s. I never owned one, but I did have their "modern" equivalent at the time - an Efgeeco seat box - i think i had the "Standard" or was it the "Major"...

 

[Derek Gibson]

Thank's for that Merv, I remember that period well, and some of the ''characters''. A real trip down memory lane.

Nostalgia is a wonderful thing for some of us.

 

[barbelboi]

Enjoyed that Merv, another who remembers that period very well (from a bit further South though............)

 

[Peter Jacobs]

What a brilliant piece of angling history that is.

Here in the south it was more common for the clubs to use a charabanc or three to take the members to a distant river and as a junior I still well remember those fabulous trips to the Stour and the Hampshire Avon that set the tone for my entire angling career.

Thanks for finding and sharing that Merv.

Incidentally, the into' music seemed to be a cross between Hancock's Half Hour and a Carry On movie . . . . .

 

[flightliner]

Merv, great link thanks for that. I remember Jack Carr winning the All England. It was on the Huntspill. In those day the match was decided on wieght alone and Jack Carr put 63 odd lbs on the scales to win the individual and team result for one of the Sheffield teams almost on his own . His catch set the record for the Nation which stood for years and was eventually beaten off the same venue with a weight of 68lbs , I think by a Rugby angler called Dave Rudge but I could be wrong about the name. On reflection I think it may have been Dave Burr and I am confusing him with Barry Rudge the captain of the Goole team who were second in a Trent National (this is beginning to sound like the inane ramblings of an old man). Someone will no doubt correct me. Pete.

Pete, It was to the best of my knowledge Dave Burr from Rugby and Jack used to fish for the old Sheffield Amalgamated Anglers
I always thought that once the points system and divisions 1 2 3 etx was brought into the "All England" match it was never the same from then on as it took all the romance from it and for years afterwards when looking at the results I still considered the team with the biggest weight to have be the winners.
It roughly coincided with me giving up regular match angling tho it wasnt the reason why.Still did the odd pub/club knock up tho but must be about fifteen years back since my last.

 

[Merv Harrison]

Pleased you enjoyed it, as Flightliner say's, "Don't be mistaken by the 'genteel' atmosphere".

On occasions it was all out war between some teams, I well remember about40 years ago, two of the top anglers in the Country, (who are still on the scene), coming to a local pub to give a talk and demonstration, along with them came a few members of their team, approx 20minutes after they commenced, insults were being traded with the local match angling team, and a mass brawl looked on the cards, fortunately sense prevailed, and a good evening was had by SOME.

ps. If it had descended into a brawl, I think my money would have gone on the visitors, who were from mining stock.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Jack Carr won in 1955 with 68-2-4; Dave Burr won in 1965 with 76-9-0, both matches on the Huntspill and both anglers helping their teams to victory.

 

[bracket]

Jack Carr won in 1955 with 68-2-4; Dave Burr won in 1965 with 76-9-0, both matches on the Huntspill and both anglers helping their teams to victory.

Mark. Thanks for the correct results. Nice to know someones kept a record. Once upon a time the results were tabulated in the annual AT diaries. Pete.

 

[maverick 7]

Thanks for that Merv.....absolutely brilliant piece of footage.

When that clip was made I was 13 years old and just about to embark on my fishing travels a couple of years later and that very same train was the mode of transport we used every Sunday...Me and my pals used to go to Southry and Woodhall Spa quite a lot....they was brilliant days. The clip was exactly like it was for us at Sheffield Darnall Station a few miles east of Sheffield Victoria where the guys got the train in the clip.

......if only it was still like that today......

Maverick

 

[itsfishingnotcatching]

Wonderful footage Merv, many thanks