North South Divide No Level Playing Field

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john ledger

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In an article I wrote for Angling Star some time ago and much to the annoyance of some of our Southern friends i wrote Northern Anglers never played on a level playing field I backed this up by asking the question which southern expert had ever ventioned to the Yorkshire rivers and succeeded Indeed how many had actually ever crossed the Watford gap and why where most of the top matchmen from the North ie Pickering Clegg White Scotthorne Porter plus the best of the lot Dave Thomas. All these anglers made there names on hard matches on canals and spate rivers where temp and level alter dramatically as anyone who has fished the Ure Nidd Swale etc will know The latest big name to fail was Martin Bowler but at least he came up and gave it ago unlike some of his counterparts.I wrote a letter to the Angling Times asking for a Northern and Southern Drennan cup and even enquired if Traveller should have a silicon chip inserted to make him easier to find.After saying all this I do not blame the Southern angler because if I lived down there I would be fishing the same rivers I am asking the question are they as good as they make themselves out.Graham Marsden over the last thirty years to my knowledge has taken specimen fish of all kinds to the equal of the Lampards Wilsons of this world but never received the same recognition Cast your minds back to the huge bream he cnstantly caught from the Cheshire meres and this was all done before the high protein baits of today where around
 
GrahamM

GrahamM

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Keep it sensible and we'll let it go.

The truth is that a good angler, north or south, will catch from anywhere, whether it be north or south.
 
W

woody

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Same here. I was crap up there and I'm crap down here. Crap just seems to follow me around.
 
Mark Wintle

Mark Wintle

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John,
As a dedicated follower of match fishing back in the 70s and 80s, I seem to remember than most of the anglers you name made their name on the Trent, In Dave Thomas's case the Witham as well. I don't deny their apprenticeships on other harder (Yorkshire) waters, but a lot of the skill comes from competing against lots of other very good anglers. I have had the good fortune to watch all of those anglers fish many times, and even fished against them once or twice.

Still, if you want so easy fishing come down to Dorset. The river down the road has got two uncaught double figure chub in it allegedly, and the Avon has several 4lb roach waiting to be caught... Mind you, Matt Hayes failed miserably at Corfe Mullen. You would like the upper Dorset Stour, lots of roach like the Idle, no tides, lots of mud, nasty floods, and some big perch. (and no anglers it seems)

But isn't the crux of it that it's always much harder to catch big fish to order when you're 200 miles from home? Without local knowledge, and possibly not in ideal conditions? The local man can plug away, biding his time, knowing when certain swims are producing. I did just that 20 years ago fishing for big roach just a mile from home; easy to nip down for an hour or check the conditions, and catch a lot of big roach.
 
J

john ledger

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Like to think what you say is right Graham but in my years of angling its not happened and as Dave Thomas once told me Do you know John he is not that good
We had an angler down here called Tag Barnes never heard of him well thats not surprising
 
J

john ledger

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Mark the last time i fished the Stour was at Throop in 1962 We stayed at Holdenhurst and i was 18 at the time The fishing was not easy but i managed some chub to 5lb but what i did notice was how many big chub and barbel where in the swims. One shoal of chub at Canford Bridge had some of the largest chub to this day i have ever seen.
We just dont get as many big fish up here and when i see the likes of Dave Mason Duncan Mellors Mick Woods Jon Wolf not getting any coverage from the AT it makes my blood boil and that is why i would like our own paper I know a lot of brilliant anglers who work for poor money 7 days a week and are lucky to get 4 hours on their local fishery
A PAssion for Angling was spoilt for me by the two anglers taking part as they where like overgrown public schoolboys It was Hugh Miles filming that made it for me I found and i know a lot of fellow anglers found Yates and James a bit over the top.
After saying that Mark i think you are spot on in most of what you say
 
B

Big Rik

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Shall I'll leave this thread to the northerners then.

Certainly a lose-lose situation.
 
E

Ergo

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Just leave them to it Rik, as mention earlier, a good angler will catch anywhere.

Usual excuses, it's the rod, too windy, wrong water, wrong place.

Procrastination has never been a good bait as far as I am concerned.

If you read magazines like APF or any of the others, all of the names and contributors tend to be based up norf!

Southern Angler being the exception, but most of the editorial, and staff are still up in the midlands. Shout all you like Geepster, get down here fishing.
 
J

john ledger

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No Big Rik just keep out of my swim i have enough trouble showing Ron Clay where to fish on the Idle then he claims them for his own No Jason i am nowt like Ron I have a very short fuse Ron is a good mate of mine and we have fished together a lot Ron is eccentric I started this thing about the Idle long before Fishing Magic existed trying to get anglers back on the riverbank and to be honest i wish i had never bothered at times
 
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay

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Personally I don't care one little jot for competitions like The Drennan Cup.

Real anglers will know when a catch is creditable or not. It's got nothing to do with the size of the fish.

Specimen fish are relative to where they are caught. If it's just size you are concerned with, well, then Northern Anglers fishing Northern rivers will probably never win the trophy because editors want sensation and a 9 3/4 lbs barbel out of the Swale, whilst it may be a great fish for Yorkshire, is not even considered by The Editors of AT or AM.

Remember they have to sell newspapers and a different set of values come into play.

Real anglers will recognise truly meritorious catches, not editors; and that's what matters most of all.

And The Drennan Cup can take a Hike!!
 
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay

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And whilst on the subject of editors and before I go to bed.

There is one editor that will always recognise a meritorious fish, no matter where it is caught and that is our Graham.

And seeing that websites are the future on angling jornalism and that this website is the leader, we don't have anything to worry about.

Report your good catches to FM. They WILL receive a fair hearing
 
J

john ledger

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Wrong Ron that editor is Jim Baxter and long may he keep going. Jim has never ever edited any article i have written and i dont think he ever did on any of yours Its amazing just how many seem to know everything their is to know about the Idle and i am not talking about you There must be a large crack in the woodwork as they have all come out at once at least we kept it quiet and i am talking about Len Squires who is as good as any man that fished the river
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay

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Sorry John, I would also add Jim Baxter.

So John, why not write an article for Graham on YOUR way with the stick float, including how to rig it for different swims, rivers and species.

And personally I never profess to be an expert in any style of fishing. For a start I spent 27 years of my life living in another country fishing totally different styles of angling. Secondly, being an all rounder, I never spend all that much time with one species or one method of angling to ever call myself an expert.

Thirdly, I have only been fishing for about 57 years. You don't get to be an expert at anything in that time.

Mind you I think I am a pretty decent fly fisherman.
 
S

swordsy

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The Drennan cup.

Being in the age group where testosterone still plays a part in my fishing i would love to bag a weekly winners award but it is very unlikely, the closest i have come in my opinion is a trio of trent barbel of 13lb7oz 12lb6ozand 11lb1oz backed up with a pair of 16lb carp and a half dozen chub between 4-5lb.In one session of 9hrs in winter in flood conditions, if that doesnt do it then i am done for, i will not win one ever.even the pictures were better than some i have seen.

to my knowledge only ron and myself have had four doubles in a session off the trent, i have had three trio's as well

Although i did fish between steff horak and phil smith this year and they gave a virtuoso performance both landing three good barbel to my hand full of chub, beaten like a bitch off my own stretch......it matters not where you come from if you are good you are good, they were exellent!!!!
 
S

swordsy

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If you have not bought their book yet.........why? its f****** brilliant and there are lots of pictures in it for the long stay carp anglers as well ;o)
 
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Matt Brown

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There are loads of great match anglers from the North but I put this down to the fact that there are more match anglers up here. I think fishing is more ingrained in what we do up this way.

I lived in Basingstoke for 2 years and never knew anyone at work who fished. I worked in a building with 500 other people. Many people looked down on me if I ever brought it up.

When I moved to Warrington it was similar to my native Doncaster in that everyone had either tried fishing themselves or had a family member who fished.

The law of averages means that if the situation is bound to through up better match anglers.

Regarding specimen fish and the Drennan cup etc. The only way northern anglers are going to get anywhere is to travel down regularly - unless you bag a 16lb plus Barbel from the Trent.

That means more time off work and more petrol costs, so it's never going to be a level playing field.

It's a shame but we can't change things so we can either put up with it or move.

ps. You've missed loads of good anglers off your lists.
 
T

The Surgeon

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dear mr john ledger i find it impossible follow any of your posts you no use any form of recognisable punctuation and as for the grammar i not see none of that neither though not mean to diss famous northern fishmeister although i spect you only gets were you are today down to surname what you got that jim baxter great footballer no wonder he didnt edit your articles too busy
 
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