John's Trip Back in Time
- Thread starter GrahamM
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Bryan Baron 2
Well-known member
Good read John. I never fished the Calder as a lad. My dad always took me to the Ribble at the top farm at Balderstones. The Northern Anglers held the water back then. Occasionally we fished the bottom farm where you could drive to the river. This was always busy. People don't change the majority have always gone for the easy swims.
Like you John most of my fishing was with the float for the Dace, Chub or Roach. Occasionally ledgering a big lump of processed cheese. main line 3Ib hook link 1.5Ib and a size 12 was a enormous hook. The main size of chub back then was around 2Ib with a few getting up to 4Ib. This is the main difference i noticed when I rekindled my relationship with the river 3 seasons ago the lack of small fish.
Look forward to your next installment. As when i decided to get back into river fishing i started with the float on the Calder. Caught a few small trout and a chub of about a pound. But the thing that hooked me was being back amongst the wildlife. Sat watching a stoat going about its business no more than 10 foot away hooked me.
Like you John most of my fishing was with the float for the Dace, Chub or Roach. Occasionally ledgering a big lump of processed cheese. main line 3Ib hook link 1.5Ib and a size 12 was a enormous hook. The main size of chub back then was around 2Ib with a few getting up to 4Ib. This is the main difference i noticed when I rekindled my relationship with the river 3 seasons ago the lack of small fish.
Look forward to your next installment. As when i decided to get back into river fishing i started with the float on the Calder. Caught a few small trout and a chub of about a pound. But the thing that hooked me was being back amongst the wildlife. Sat watching a stoat going about its business no more than 10 foot away hooked me.
A nice article John, it is always intriging to learn how many anglers started out, using what tackle and where.
Thanks for sharing and I look forward to the next part.
Thanks for sharing and I look forward to the next part.
B
BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester
Guest
A good atmospheric read John. I could well imagine or remember times such as that. That's a cracking opening photo as well mate.
F
Fred Bonney
Guest
What a great read,I look forward to your revisit.
J
John McLaren
Guest
Good stuff John, thanks. I fished the Calder just once many years ago at the confluence - blanked! Must give it another try now I know a bit more - but as you say the lure of the Ribble is very great.
J
john conway
Guest
As a young kid I remember my dad taking my sister and me to a popular picnic place at the confluence of the Calder with the Ribble and there was a ferry running across the river. Anyone else remember this? I also remember the bigger kids swimming in the river but I hadn?t learnt to swim then, I was about 10 or 11 before I learnt.
By the time I was in my late teens I?d swapped my drab flat hat, we called such hats ?ratters? for a flashy dark blue and white corduroy one and my grey flannel trousers for blue jeans. The one piece of kit that took me form kid to manhood in the angling world was when I got hold of a wicker-fishing basket. Also by then I?d moved on from Woodbines to Senior Service or if I really wanted to show off a soft packet of ?Peter Styverson? you just flicked the bottom of the packet and up popped a fag, dead cool.
By the time I was in my late teens I?d swapped my drab flat hat, we called such hats ?ratters? for a flashy dark blue and white corduroy one and my grey flannel trousers for blue jeans. The one piece of kit that took me form kid to manhood in the angling world was when I got hold of a wicker-fishing basket. Also by then I?d moved on from Woodbines to Senior Service or if I really wanted to show off a soft packet of ?Peter Styverson? you just flicked the bottom of the packet and up popped a fag, dead cool.
K
Kevin Perkins * * * * * * *
Guest
John
Think they were called Peter Stuyvesant, you could probably start a whole new thread here on 'Fags I smoked when fishing'
Apart from the usual Embassy, Woodbines, No.6, No.10, Cadets, etc there where the slightly more upmarket brands we bought to show off, as you rightly say, names such as:
Piccadilly, Three Castles, Passing Clouds, Guards, Sobranie Black Russian, Dunhill, Pall Mall, Gauloises, and those bloody 'Cigarillo' things, with the plastic holders, what where they all about?
Slightly worried that I gave up 25 years ago, but obviously don't miss it at all.........!
Think they were called Peter Stuyvesant, you could probably start a whole new thread here on 'Fags I smoked when fishing'
Apart from the usual Embassy, Woodbines, No.6, No.10, Cadets, etc there where the slightly more upmarket brands we bought to show off, as you rightly say, names such as:
Piccadilly, Three Castles, Passing Clouds, Guards, Sobranie Black Russian, Dunhill, Pall Mall, Gauloises, and those bloody 'Cigarillo' things, with the plastic holders, what where they all about?
Slightly worried that I gave up 25 years ago, but obviously don't miss it at all.........!
J
john conway
Guest
Gauloises? Yes that was when I was into my continental phase. Showing off within the caving world, dropping a few hints then I could casually let it be known I?d done a bit of caving over in France. The thing was to get the other party to open up the subject then it didn?t seem like you were showing off.
BTW I still dream I smoke, but it?s always roll-ups with liquorice paper, another extension to my continental phase. I packed in 38 years ago!!!!!!
BTW I still dream I smoke, but it?s always roll-ups with liquorice paper, another extension to my continental phase. I packed in 38 years ago!!!!!!
Kevin Fullerton
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what lovely tale, thanks for sharing that with us, can't wait for part 2!
Graham Whatmore
Senior Member
Thats a lovely article John, very nostalgic and why is it that nostalgia moves us old buggers more than any other type of article? Is it a yearning for our lost youth or a form of armour for what is inevitably to come? Whatever, they are good to read and I look forward to another one in the near future.
J
john conway
Guest
I think it takes us back to a time when everything in life was an adventure, no bad experiences to put you off and everything was possible. It was a time when you had very few responsibilities. In those early days we used our imagination to the full and it was free.
I?m not sure what to expect when I go back and fish the river after 40 years. I was thinking of asking how it was fishing now, but I?ve decided I don?t want to know. So if there?s anyone reading this, don?t tell me how it?s fishing.
I?ve decided to more or less fish it as I did as a young lad but not going the whole hog with split cane, ancient reel and dressing the part. I?ll take my Avon rod a few stick floats, I?m quite happy to touch ledger for an hour or so if that?s what?s needed. My bait will be maggot, caster, worm and bread. I?m going to wait for a wee bit of rain or an overcast day. I?m fortunate with my job that I can generally take the odd day off at the drop of the hat and our lass has been primed and I?ve a few brownie points in the bag.
I?m not sure what to expect when I go back and fish the river after 40 years. I was thinking of asking how it was fishing now, but I?ve decided I don?t want to know. So if there?s anyone reading this, don?t tell me how it?s fishing.
I?ve decided to more or less fish it as I did as a young lad but not going the whole hog with split cane, ancient reel and dressing the part. I?ll take my Avon rod a few stick floats, I?m quite happy to touch ledger for an hour or so if that?s what?s needed. My bait will be maggot, caster, worm and bread. I?m going to wait for a wee bit of rain or an overcast day. I?m fortunate with my job that I can generally take the odd day off at the drop of the hat and our lass has been primed and I?ve a few brownie points in the bag.
Y
yoggy
Guest
A lovely read John,a bit before my time though!!!.Fishing seemed alot more simple in those days.Nice of you to share it.