Eric Hodson

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The Monk

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I feel very privileged to be able to count Eric Hodson as one of my closest friends in angling for many years, to those who knew Eric, he was by many considered to be the father of the organised specialist angling. Eric founded the National Association of Specialist Anglers (NASG, now SAA) on 24th April 1965, he co-founded the British Carp Study Group (BCSG) in 1969 and he then went on to form the Pike Society in 1972, which later went on to become the Pike Anglers Club (PAC). Eric has been suffering from a disabilitating illness for the last few years, and sadly I have just received news from his wife, Irene that Eric has been admitted to hospital, probably for the rest of his life. This news has brought about a great feeling of loss to Eric’s friends and myself and I’m sure angling is a much poorer place without Eric’s activities. It seems like only yesterday that we fished together in France, a man in his seventies, still able to land 30lb Carp and spend weeks living on the bank in a bivvy. Memories that will stay with me forever.
 
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Ron Troversial Clay

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In the 60s and 70s, Eric worked like a Trojan to create the National Association of Specimen Groups and other offshoots of this organisation.

Never one to seek the ultimate limelight he was the guy that did all the hard work, often travelling hundreds of miles a week on behalf of these organisations.

Eric was a member of my own group - The Northern Specimen Group. At one of the meetings he announced that he was to organise all the other groups into a national organisation. And he did just that.

Eric Founded The Pike Society - later to be known as the PAC and co-founded the British Carp Study Group with Peter Mohan.
 
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Baz

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I would just like to wish him all the very best.
With the sad news of the loss of other well known anglers recently, I can't help but think who have we got to replace them.
I don't think we can.
 
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Ron Troversial Clay

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People like Eric and Ivan and lots more I can name, who are not with us any more, were part of that golden age of angling that took place in the 50s and 60s.

I feel privilaged to have experienced that age.

I wouldn't want to have lived my life at any other time.
 
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Baz

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These people have given us the best start in angling, I only hope and prey we do not let them down in the comeing years.
 
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Ron Troversial Clay

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I was sitting with Graham on the Ribble the other day.

Graham said:

"I'm glad I lived when I did. We had the best of it you know."
 
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Baz

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I'm glad I lived when I did. We had the best of it you know.

These are my fears Ron, we can only live in hope.
 
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Baz

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This is why at times that I may seem a bit ratty over certain issues.
I think in my own way, I feel we are burning ourselves out, and I am trying to slow things up a bit.
That's not quite what I mean, but I am sure you will understand what I am trying to say.
I too have seen better days in our sport, and I would like them back.
 
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Ron Troversial Clay

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I have a copy in front of me of "The Second Angling Times Book", published 1962

I'll run through the list of contributors. Some will be well known to you, others will not. Let's see how many you can remember.

Bernard Venables
Fred J. Taylor
C.R. Gamble
Hugh Stoker
**** Walker
John Barratt
Dennis Pye
Frank Murgett
B.A. Pearson
Steve Crawshaw
Bernard Donovan
Ken Seaman
A. Oldfield
F.W. Holiday
C.H. White
Derek Fletcher
Clive Gammon
Leslie Moncrieff
Peter Stone
D.L. Wray
Eric Taylor
Jim Wheat
Tag Barnes
Ray Robson
Julian Venables
R.J. Loader
Peter Tombleson
Les Baverstock
A. Dean Leach
George Goldsmith Carter

A few well known, others not so, that may bring the memories flooding back.
 
T

The Monk

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quite an amazing list, and I just caught the back end of those year, being only a kiddy at 53. Peter Tombleson died a few years ago and lived in the Nottingham area, he was founder of the British Rod Caught Fish Committee and visited my home town of Middleton to record Roy Pole (The Chairman of the Middleton Angling Society), 27 lb Carp caught locally in 1955. Such has the size of carp of this size become far less significant as the years have rolled by. I also have a two books written by Peter in the How to Catch Them Series, (Bream and Fixed Spool Reels respectively)lovely little books which marks the era for me, In fact as a child I spent all my newspaper round money collecting them, authors like:

L Vernon Bates
S Donald Stone
Alan Young
L Beaverstock
Dave L Steuart (Carp)
Michael Sheppard
JG Roberts
Frank Oates
Winston Hall
William J Howes
Raymond Perret
Oliver Kite
David Marlborough (Founding memeber of the National Anguilla Club)
Sea Angler (any relation Carp Angler)
Alan Mitchell
G C Claypole
A E B Johnson
R C Bridgett
Ken Smith
L Beaverstock
John Fethney
Ken Smith
A L Ward
Kenneth Nicholas
W T Sargeaunt
L A Parker
J B Walker
Bruce McMillen
J G Roberts
F W Holiday
Kenneth Mansfield (Author of the Art Of Angling, amongst others)
Harry Brotherton
W A Adamson, C F Walker
Coombe Richards
and Peter Stone
 
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Ron Troversial Clay

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Captain LA Parker ran The Bull Hotel in Downton near Salisbury on the Hants/Wilts Avon. He wrote about roach fishing on this river and caught vast numbers of 2 pounders from it.

He was nicknamed: "The Skipper"

Ken Mansfield published some of my own early articles in the magazine "Angling".

I remember David Marlborough. He had a friend called James Mac M Ure who founded the British Icthylogical Society.

JB Walker from Hythe in Kent made and supplied fishing rod kits. I had a few kits from him, including blans to build a Mk IV Avon.

Winston Hall was a sea angler who fished a great deal off the Yorkshire coast.

Major Oliver Kite was an expert chalk stream and nymph angler who fished a great deal on the Upper Avon in Wiltshire.

Raymond Perret lived in Somerset and was ATs correspondant for the fishing in the area.

FW Holiday lived in South Wales an was well known as a sea trout angler. He crossed pens often with **** Walker and Tag Barnes on this subject.

Bill Howes - a Londoner and excellent photographer. He loved barbel fishing.

Eric Taylor - the first chairman of the NASG. Lived in Eckington near Sheffield, a dental mechanic by trade.

Albert Oldfield - supreme canal angler.

Dennis Pye - master broads pike angler, arguably the most successful pike angler ever.

Frank Murgett - Londoner. Held the Thames bream record. Prolific writer - did lots of humerous stuff.

Les Moncrieff. Huge man. Pioneer of long distance beach casting.
 
T

The Monk

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Thanks for that Ron, the early member of the National Anguilla Club (1962) were interestingly all British Icthylogical Society, as this organisation ceased to exist,
 
T

The Monk

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Its actually spelled British Ichthyological Society and apparently no longer exists?
 
R

Ron Troversial Clay

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There were so many names from that era.

Steve Crawshaw was my biggest fishing mate, then he gave up the sport ca 1975. Has never picked up a fishing rod since.
 
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Ron Troversial Clay

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Some time ago, Eric virtually charged me with the job of keeping the history of the "Golden Era" alive.

I think I should get this book of mine finished.
 
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Baz

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There should be a plaque somewhere for these pioneers of our sport. On the lines of -:

Never Before Have So Many, Owed So Much, To So Few.
 
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Ron Troversial Clay

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When I look back to the anglers I brought together in the Northern Specimen Group and what they achieved, somehow I feel quite proud about it.

A few were:

Tag Barnes, Ray Webb, Barrie Rickards (associate member) John Neville, **** Clegg, Eric Hodson, Eric Taylor, John Weston and Steve Crawshaw.
 
T

The Monk

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I have Erics full history of the NASG of course and it is lined up for publication, I think SAA are to publish it in stages. The history of course will start with your NSHG History Ron, which appears to be the start of the continuality.
 
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