Another good article from Kevin:

Neil Maidment · Jul 7, 2006

Thanks for some more entertaining words Kevin.

Back in the 60's and 70's, between the ages of around 7 to 15 my fishing was only restricted by how far my legs could take me, either on foot, by bike or bus. Quite a group of us would regularly meet up after much planning and even had a few all nighters. Innocence or ignorance? But no major mishaps (some minor!) but we all made it into adulthood reasonably OK.

Times change. I had a load of spare time a few years ago and got involved with the Scout Movement. Camping was fine but when I suggested a site near a river, because we had a few cubs & scouts showing interest in fishing, it was instantly rejected as far too risky and would require an inordinate number of adult supervisors. (We did go canoeing once... in the local swimming pool!). That cub/scout group is no longer in existence (lack of new members).

Having said that, I'm pleased to see a lot of young anglers at my local commercial fishery (see comments on Mark W's articles). The challenge could be to get them to experience something other than sitting behind matching rods and buzzers.

Keep up the good writing.

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · Jul 7, 2006

Strange isn't it that the little darlings are wrapped in coton wool from the great outdoors?
And yet the mothers of the little darlings send them off to join the cubs and scouts.

And just what are the cubs and scouts doing at the moment on the canal? Eskimo flaming rolls in their canoes that's what. So we can take it that the cubs and scouts are imune from rat pi$$ then? Dib dib dib.

Ooooh Kevin.
Bikes on canals? They shouldn't be there????
So it's okay for poles to cause an obstruction across the towpath then?? Which in many places is a public right of way.
Touchy, touchy, touchy subject for me mate.

Fred Bonney · Jul 7, 2006

All too right Kevin,memories the kids of today will never have,shame.
I had a mate though who looked up when one of our arrows was coming down.He was great for the pirate games after his op though...sorry.
Stop nit picking Baz ;o)

John Allen · Jul 8, 2006

I am now 72 years of age and have returned to fishing after many years, and Kevins article has brought back many memories of those halcyon times when I was a kid fishing the Grand Union canal at the back of my aunties house,getting a huge pleasure if I caught a bigger gudgeon than either of my cousins, or any of the other kids.What a world we have now, when such innocent pleasures are denied todays kids.

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · Jul 8, 2006

when I think of the miles we used to ride on our bikes made up entirely of parts from the scrapyard.
And we made them ourself.
How well I remember bo....k bangers when your chain slipped and you came crashing down on the crossbar. Ouch! Them were the good owld days.

Fred Bonney · Jul 8, 2006

What about the one, where your riding along without a care in the world and, one of those rare things, a car, had been parked in the kerb,they didn't do your nuts any good, either.

Kevin Perkins · Jul 8, 2006

A string bag (remember them?)full of groceries on the handlebars wasn't much fun when it caught in the spokes of your front wheel, first you went over the handlebars, then usually the saddle come over and whacked you on the back of the head for good measure!

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · Jul 8, 2006

And your first pair of long pants forever getting caught in your chain.

Also fixed cogs. Brilliant for throwing you over the top of the handlebars.
But we kept geting back on didn't we lads? Only snobs and mardar$es wore plasters.

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · Jul 8, 2006

And in the winter. How the wind used to blow the snot across your face.

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · Jul 8, 2006

Penny arrer bars, snake belts, and black gaberdine macks worn as a cape were the order of the day. And them little plastic catapults that you got in a 3d lucky bag were the business.

Neil Maidment · Jul 8, 2006

Baz, you're older than you look!

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · Jul 8, 2006

I haven't been feeling myself lately Neil mate. (o

Fred Bonney · Jul 8, 2006

Unlike some other people....Sorry again.

The experiences keep painfully coming back.
I think we had the same down sarf Baz,called jamborie bags and did you have luvly jubbly orange drink.

stikflote · Jul 8, 2006

lovely story ,and the best of our early teens mine started in 55 was, we were safe there was no one to bother us, i lived opposite the train staion ,the derwent was three minutes away and the canal open air swimming baths on the rec unused, the tallest swings you ever saw and its true we made our own bikes from bits from scrap yard mum and dad nver wanted to know where you were as long as you came home for dinner ,we had a railway bridge to sit on and watch the steam engines of witch i became a fireman and then a senior conductornow retired some of the best days of my life on railway ,and a bit of fishing to relax afterwards

Tony Stevens · Jul 9, 2006

Right on the nose Kevin. Your article brings it all back. halcyon days indeed!
I have just one question though for you Kevin, "Do you live just down the road from me in Christchurch, New Zealand?" Cause if you don't you might just as well.
Our kids get taken to each and every venue by Mum or Dad in a Effin great gas guzzling SUV. The only place the little horrors get to integrate with their peers is at school and there they are stifled and guided into their ticky tacky boxes. Sports are overseen by agro parents who belt and abuse each other on the side lines.
Mine were lucky, bought up in the country with plenty of fishing and shooting and I can proudly say that my 14 yr old used to keep us in meat with both shotgun and rifle during the school holidays.Now in his late twenties he is a balanced adult, unafraid of resposibility who bemoans the fact that there just is insuficient time for all his outdoor interests.
Lets hear it for the anti PC protesters!

David Craine · Jul 9, 2006

Nostalgia aint was it used to be.....
For myself, I agree totally with everything said...my own two lads were brought up in the Pennines, they used to go out with me rabbiting, fishing,shooting,and help with dresing the rabbits when we got home,or gutting trout, even at 4 or 5 years old,in spring we would all go out to help with lambing, or down to the local farms to borrow a tractor and trailer for whatever, they started to "take off " on their own at about 9 or 10 years,doing all the things that I have mentioned.. they are now 26 and 24, both well qualified, and both say consistently that their peers did not have the benefits of "risk" that they did.I think that a bit of risk and self reliance is what a lot of todays youth need....if the do -gooders around even at that time had known I am sure I would have been classed as a bad father, because I exposed the kids to "real Life" as opposed to nintendos,video and all the other shallow pastimes so enjoyed by the young of today.

Tony Stevens · Jul 10, 2006

I heartily agree with David's post. Real life experience is hard to beat as preparation for life. Perhaps country should come to town and show how life really is.
Computors are OK but should be kept on a short chain in a kennel and only let out once a day in charge of an adult not gullible minors. As for kids (young & old) with cell phones in public places -----------##**#@**

IVAN OWEN · Jul 10, 2006

Some fantastic stuff there lads that brought the memories fooding back. Great days indeed..... maggots let loose on the bus, jam butties wrapped in grease proof paper,split cane rods and wicker baskets with smelly roach nets. Oh what joy!

mark williams 4 · Jul 11, 2006

The sad thing is, the fear of kids drowning/being attacked is actually greater than the reality. There isn't a perve round every corner and, if anything, kids are safer away from town than they are going shopping.

I can even remember the smell of those pale green, knotted keepnets - kind of oily and fishy. We'd pedal down to the Dorset Stour and catch gudgeon, just wishing we could catch the huge, grey-finned chub that lurked in every pool between the rushes.

My brother caught one. He broke a stick the same length to bring home and show us how big it was, then kept the stick for weeks. Must have been about 3lb, that chub.

I've lost count of the number of times the angling press has announced another kids' angling scheme which seems to just slowly evaporate. Sainted people like Brian Crawford deserved to make a living from what they did, but it has never happened.

Wolfman Woody · Jul 11, 2006

Most frustrating thing was those old maggot tins, aluminium maybe, that the lid was pushed down on hard. You got to your spot and couldn't get it off because you hadn't got anything hard an pointed to prize it off with.

Another good article from Kevin:

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