SCALES

I was cleaning some crap out at home yesterday and came accross a copy of the above monthly newsletter. Contibutions from none other than Phil (the Hair-rig) Hacket and a certain Mr Monk writing under his other (real name). Strange how you hang on to these things.

Anyone remember this group?

by the way if any former memberwants the newsletter then let me know and I'll post it on.

Oi Gary we are still going mate, still members of SAA and all that, "Scales" a much clearned up version of "Bivvynews" this was Les pLatts version of the mag, prior to that I was editor of Bivvynews, a highly sort after collectable, especially the earlier editions before the solicitors caught up with me

We are the Manchester Carp Group, not to be confused with Chris Tabbrons Manchester Specimen Group of the late 60s, Phil is our our honoury scientific officer and political rep, Eric Hodson our hon President and Ron Clay our honoury vice president and South African specialist, we go back to 1976 when I formed the group, we have members World wide, well Our Paco in Spain and Gary Hibbert in New Zeland, nearly as rich an history as the St Helens group

who is the French correspondent ?

me when I`m in France

Didn't find any rod bags,did you Gary/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

who were the middleton lot then Monk, i thought that was you?

and what was the big day you organised when me and steve put on a display ?......

Fred - i do have them somewhere and WILL find them, you just have no idea what my garage looks like mate.../forum/smilies/confused_smiley.gif

and the St Helens Group didn't have history

we had infamy !!!!!

I was also involved with the MIddleton Angling society, the event you guys put the display on was for the Middleton Angling Society`s 150th event, you did however also speak for the Manchester Carp Group at one of our events, this is my own group, it started life as the Middleton Carp Study Group back in 1976, but some members of the then BCSG didnt like the idea of me using "study" in the name of my group (this was about the time I had the slanging match with Peter Mohan and a few others who chose to send me anominous letters, but never revealed themselves to me on the bank the muppets), anyway we changed the Groups name to the Middleton Carp Group in the 80s and the Manchester Carp Group in the 90s to reflect the growth in membership, we had 93 paid up members at our peak and the group has always had a strong open to all policy, now a days its more just a small group of friends and quite inactive these days. Interestingly Ronnie Pendleton was running the St Helens Freshwatewr Study Group around the time we started up, not sure weither he got any stick for using the word "Study" in his name, the BCSG appeard to have the publishing rights on ithe word "Study" in those days haha. You have to laff now at some of the crap that went on in the 70s,. so many non-existant universities, the one upmanship was unbeleivable, some things have changed fior the better olf course, but others I`m no so sure about, carp fishing has certainly changed, in some quarters beyond recognition.

Gary, when I first met you you were running the St HELENS PIONEER ANGLING GROUP, St helens as always be noted for some exceptional anglers, is the group still going?

Hmmm......."But never revealed themselves to me on the bank"

Well Nick, were you upset or relieved about that!

haha, Had they been females, upset kevin, very upset

he would have been suicidal if they had been females

Nick,

The St Helens Pioneer AnglingClub were a spin off of Region 31 of the Pike Anglers Club of GB. We all came out of the PAC at the same time as the Cheshire region and a few others (Yorkshire i belive) due to the appauling behaviour of the comittee at that time...but thats another story.

The attidute of those running the club at the time left not a single member wishing to be tarred with the same brush so we folded the region but wished to stay together as a group. This was how we formed. It was around that time I took on the running of the group and we not only had some excellent anglers already present but encouraged more to join and for a good few years went from strength to strength.

The group eventually folded a few years ago but a good few of us remain freinds and still occasionally fish together. Myself, Steve Plant, Eric Edwards and Kev Dunne still meet on the bank and at meeting of SPAG (Stafforshire Predator Group).

Coincidently Region 31 of the PAC has just reformed with Jon Neafcy being Regional Organiser. The current committe are nothing like the numpties who were in charge in our day and deserve this level of support.

I remember doing a few talks at the time to your groups but cannot remember which was which,I do remember you was involved in 2 or three at the time.I also remember you putting my stand next to the Eel club when i had loads of pictures of eel sections on my display board...co-incidence ;o)

You're talk with the sunburned ratfish and murmurings of Elvis Pete at one of our evenings will remain etched in my memory forever....I cant ever remember laughing as much before...or since.....

Its good to hear your group is still going strong though, very good...

great history Gary I didnt realise you came from a PAC branch, I always though you had evolved from Ronnies group, yeah some great lads over there, kevin Dunne rings a bell, was this the kevin who did his degree at Aberdeen uni back in the seventies and ran the CAA branch over at Heatley, if it is, I last met him at a BCSG meeting over there in the 70s before my fall out with Pete Mohan, nice lad Kevin, give him my regards

Barney I really can't remember what it was I wrote about in MCG mag. So what was it?

Ronnie Pendleton eh! The only man to instil fear into Terry Knight! And believe me that takes some doing, but he did, as Terry admitted to me in a conversation we had.

Don`t know whats happened to Ron these days, last spoke to him over ten years ago, he was catching some big carp then, anybody hear of him these days

Here's another one from the past, Stevie Redman, what happend to him anyone know?

Then there's Derik Quirck?

I remember doing a few talks at the time to your groups but cannot remember which was which,I do remember you was involved in 2 or three at the time.I also remember you putting my stand next to the Eel club when i had loads of pictures of eel sections on my display board...co-incidence ;o)

thats wasnt planned Gary, I put you next to the Eel Conservation Group, forgetting that Pike Anglers like eel sections, it was bludi funny to see the espressions on the eel anglers faces haha/forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

Oh yeah, Steve Redman, an excellent angler, had the privillage of watching a few of Steves slide shows, his mate too Big Steve!