R
Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)
Guest
I recieved some photocopies of old articles published in the Angling Times and Angling Telegraph yesturday. They were written by Geoff Bates, **** Clegg and yours truly.
Both Geoff Bates and **** Clegg were members of the Sheffield based Northern Specimen Group which I formed in 1962.
Reading a piece by Geoff Bates, it seems like the North/South divide was pretty strong then.
Geoff says in his article:
"If you value your Mk IV, never boast about the South when you "talk barbel" with a Northern angler. He's liable to adapt the test-curve to the shape of your head - and I don't blame him!"
Geoff goes on to say: "Fishing in all the rivers demands strong tackle - lines of 5 or 6 lbs breaking strain and large hooks!!"
I don't think there are many barbel anglers these days who would use such light tackle. I use 10 and 12lb stuff most of the time.
This particular picture feature shows many barbel in keepnets, yet Geoff says: "They should never be put in a keepnet after being played - they will sulk and turn turtle. Barbel ought to be netted with the minimum of delay and returned to the water, where it may be necessary to nurse them for a few minutes."
The next article shows **** Clegg dislaying a catch of nine barbel and 5 chub from a night on the Swale in June. **** tells how he was fed up with catching lots of small barbel from the Swale and that from henceforth he will be concentrating on the Yorkshire Ouse.
In the same vein is yours truly at the tender age of 24, decribing how he now prefers the Ouse and displaying a fish of 7lbs 1 oz, which was the biggest recorded in 1966 from Yorkshire.
Next piece is an Angling Times centre spread wrtten by yours truly and published on September 9th, 1966.
It describes the barbel tagging activities of the Northern Specimen Group.
We discovered how migratory barbel really are, and also how few were obviously in our rivers. The numbers of recaptures were significant.
There are pictures published then that would be howled at today. Like Barry Whitworth weighing a barbel in a rabbit or purse net. And the universal use of keepnets.
But that's the way we were I guess. And it was suggestions by groups like ours that eventually saw the availability of knotless keenets, unhooking mats and fish friendly weigh slings.
Both Geoff Bates and **** Clegg were members of the Sheffield based Northern Specimen Group which I formed in 1962.
Reading a piece by Geoff Bates, it seems like the North/South divide was pretty strong then.
Geoff says in his article:
"If you value your Mk IV, never boast about the South when you "talk barbel" with a Northern angler. He's liable to adapt the test-curve to the shape of your head - and I don't blame him!"
Geoff goes on to say: "Fishing in all the rivers demands strong tackle - lines of 5 or 6 lbs breaking strain and large hooks!!"
I don't think there are many barbel anglers these days who would use such light tackle. I use 10 and 12lb stuff most of the time.
This particular picture feature shows many barbel in keepnets, yet Geoff says: "They should never be put in a keepnet after being played - they will sulk and turn turtle. Barbel ought to be netted with the minimum of delay and returned to the water, where it may be necessary to nurse them for a few minutes."
The next article shows **** Clegg dislaying a catch of nine barbel and 5 chub from a night on the Swale in June. **** tells how he was fed up with catching lots of small barbel from the Swale and that from henceforth he will be concentrating on the Yorkshire Ouse.
In the same vein is yours truly at the tender age of 24, decribing how he now prefers the Ouse and displaying a fish of 7lbs 1 oz, which was the biggest recorded in 1966 from Yorkshire.
Next piece is an Angling Times centre spread wrtten by yours truly and published on September 9th, 1966.
It describes the barbel tagging activities of the Northern Specimen Group.
We discovered how migratory barbel really are, and also how few were obviously in our rivers. The numbers of recaptures were significant.
There are pictures published then that would be howled at today. Like Barry Whitworth weighing a barbel in a rabbit or purse net. And the universal use of keepnets.
But that's the way we were I guess. And it was suggestions by groups like ours that eventually saw the availability of knotless keenets, unhooking mats and fish friendly weigh slings.