20.5lb mirror from 1957

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Nigel Moors 2

Guest
I'm not into carp fishing myself but do appreciate wild fish and this is an excellent fish for that period, especially as there weren't that many caught back then.

Where was it caught from, anymore details?
 
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The Monk

Guest
would you trust your daughter with this man?









Excellent picture mate and a truely incredible fish for the period, I had actually caught a few carp by 1957 but it was another 18 years before I caught my first twenty. Wasnt 1957 the last year of the Carp Catchers Club or was it 1958, I think Fred J was the last to join?
 
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petsrod

Guest
Nigel,
I caught this fish and several other high doubles, 17s.18s.19s. & a 20 lb. Common in the summer of 1957. A 5.5 Lb common was my P.B. in the 6 years prior to 57. All fish caught at North Stoneham Lakes,mostly top lake, Nr Southampton,Hants.

All were caught on golf ball sized parboiled potatoes freeligned into small holes in dense lilies.

These carp were of Leney stock from 1931,In 1963 I landed a 26.5 lbs. Mirror whilst tench fishing. I left the club controllig Stoneham just after that.

These lakes were taken over by a mostly match fishing club and the lakes were drained and the drag lines moved in. The lilies and sedges were removed along with most of the bankside trees and bushes.

The top lake was about 9 acres and only held
7 large carp, I believe these were removed to another water! As Far as I am concerned the water was ruined in favour of tiddler snatchers, it nearly broke my heart!

I gave up fishing for carp for some years after that and have yet to find another water that rivals the magic of stoneham in it's first incarnation. I have taken up carping again with a different club and all the latest gear, but it just aint the same.

From what I see in the angling press carping is far easier today than it was in the 50s.
 
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petsrod

Guest
Monk,
Keep your daughters locked in their rooms and ang on to your trousers. I was still in the navy in those days, you know what sailors are.








Dont tell er indoors for gawd sake.
 
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petsrod

Guest
Monk,
By 1957 I was married and had three nippers, so financially I was compelled to be parochial and therefore never met '**** Walker, or the carp catchers club.

I now wish I had made the effort.
 
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The Monk

Guest
yes Petsrod, they really were the golden days. I am fortunate in that I have a few friends who fished for carp in these periods. We have more carp now in UK waters than we had in those days and methods have improved significantly, which enables everyone to catch carp with much less skill and effort. Thing certainly are a lot more easier, mainly since the advent of the bolt/hair and manufactured boilie, mass unemployment has also played its part of course, along with the growth of carp fisheries and the trade.
 
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The Monk

Guest
My first carp were caught in the 60s, these were essentially koi variants which inhabited the Rochdale canal in Lancashire (as it was then)we would stalk these through holes in the reeds and lower crusts over their heads. We would use built cane rods and tin plate centre pin reels. fortunately the carp were not too large. I didnt actually see a Mirror carp until the late sixties, althopugh we had p[lenty of local farm pits locally that contained Wildies, indeed I even used to fish a Monastry pool in those days
 
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Ron Troversial Clay

Guest
The last member of the Carp Catchers Club was probably Bob Reynolds who caught all those big ones from Billing Aquadrome in the late 50s.

The CCC died a natural death in the late 50s, although Walker tried to resurrect it during the early 60s when some of the first specimen groups were being formed.

The Medlar Press have done a book on the rotary letter of the CCC.
 
B

Big Rik

Guest
I was actually talking to somebody the other day who was off to fish Stoneham and I was telling him the little bit of history that I knew about the water.

I don't think many people in the area know any of the history of Stoneham, especially in those very early days.

Great shots of a bygone era of a lake that I know.

Thanks.
 
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The Monk

Guest
I though the Billing Aquadome fish which Bob caught was in the sixties?, I know Jack Hilton memtions these in Quest for Carp, I think the CCC ended in 1958, Eric told me Fred J was the last member to be invited in, although the group apparently lived on a little longer in peoples minds?

Are the rotory letters dated Ron?
 
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petsrod

Guest
Monk,
If you look in the back of 'quest for carp'1st. edition and maybe later printings, you will see me mentioned,'Peter Rodaway' Shirley,Southampton. Also 'Bob Atkinson'and 'Ken Bartlett' Bob was mentioned in 'Still Water Angling'

All three of us caught our bigguns at Stoneham. I often fished with either Bob or ken. I made their bite alarms,they were not commercially available then.

The alarms/buzzers were made from a design by **** Walker published in the 'Angling times'Friday, January 11th. 1957. I enclosed the contacts in neat little box of my own design containing backward facing torch bulbs, colour coded for identification in the dark of night.I would happily use them today.

Prior to that we used the time honoured crinkly silver foil. The whole set up, tackle and all, was simple to an extreme and primitive by todays standards.

Stoneham back in the 50s was two overgrown old estate lakes rich in atmospere and character, Large areas of lilies, bankside sedges, the occasional fallen tree and areas of open water, part surrounded by old overgrown Rhodedendrons. We cut our own swims in the lilies during the closed season. Also we built rickety platforms over deep quaking bogs in the sedges to fish from, all great fun. The buzzers and platforms can be seen in use in my album 'Carping in Hampshire'
 
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The Monk

Guest
Got it mate, my hero

This might be inpertinant Pete, but how old are you? I was 7 in 1957 and its the first year I can really remember, in fact it was the year my grandad first took me fishing, I must have been a real pain in the arse in those days, I can remember him giving me a bollocking for throwing his drilled bullets at a duck in the canal?

And when I got home, I told my granny and she gave him a right bollocking

hahahahaha (no sense of humour my grandad, god rest his soul
 
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petsrod

Guest
Monk,
I was born in May 1933, so I am now 71 and still carp fishing.My better half is 50!!!!!

Me and the missus fished Horseshoe (boat point]last february for three days and nights. It was blowing a gale from the east and bitterly cold for all 3 days.We both blanked. Am I the oldest old codger to fish horseshoe like that I wonder?

I still catch smaller carp in my local club waters,but ignore the two big fish waters we have, 30s 40s and a rumoured 50, because you have to fight your way through the bivvies and put up with yobbish behaviour.

My last outing with my son-in-law, saw me landing 7 carp, mirrors and commons on the method. Biggest only 7lbs. 9ozs. But I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Only three other anglers,peace and quiet,beautiful little lake, for me thats what fishing's all about!!!! Thank God for my angling Trolley.

Thanks to all for the kind words,much appreciated. Regards Pete.
 
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The Monk

Guest
you are doing alright mate, my bitter half is 53 same age as me, you must be doing something right mate. The way I`m going, I`ll be lucky if I see 71, mind you 71 is not old these days. Thanks for the post, you really must dig some more photos out Pete, quite a large number of posters are interested in the golden years of carp angling. It is indeed a great pleasure to talk to you mate
 
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petsrod

Guest
Monk,

If you were my grandson I would have chucked you in, pockets full of split shot.

Little sod!!!!!

Am I joking? Maybe!!!!
 
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petsrod

Guest
If anyone is interested in the old days and would like a personal chat I am

petstan@tiscali.co.uk

No smart alecs or time wasters please.

Monk, I dont have too many snaps of the old days left, anyway how many photo's can I put on this site, that could be a problem
 
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The Monk

Guest
haha, cheers mate, I think our fearless leader, Graham would welcome as many of the old photographs as you could post.
 
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petsrod

Guest
Cheers monk,will do my best!
Going for a weeks fishing holiday to the lake district tomorrow. Please Pray for good weather!!!!

Will sort the photos when we get back.
 
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Ron Troversial Clay

Guest
The best two books on the History of Carp fishing are "A History of Carp Fishing" by Kevin Clifford, which is a remarkable read. I have loaned out mine but Monk you may be right about Bob Reynolds captures being in the 60s.

And then there is "100 years of Carp Fishing" which covers the time from the start of the 20th cebtury to almost the present day.

The rotary letters are certainly dated.

Jim Gibbinson was the pioneer in long distance carp fishing. He designed the famous "Clooper" range of fast taper carp rods in the 70s along with Going Brothers. I had a couple of these rods I used with great effect in South Africa, not only for carp fishing but also for estuary salt water species.

They were once described as "Straight Trumpets", such was the fastness of the taper. Yet with practice you could chuck a 2 oz lead close to 100 metres with these rods.
 
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