Park fishing in London as it was.

tiinker · Feb 23, 2014

The other day a member of this forum put up a photo of the long water in Hampton Court. My grand parents bought me for Christmas 1954 the Bernard Venables Guide to Angling Waters South East England . This water and many others get a mention in the book. Long Water, Rick Pond Hampton Court, Middx.
Train from Waterloo to Hampton Court. Rick Pond is small and rarely fished. Long Water holds Tench Carp Pike Roach. Weedy in summer and fairly shallow. Good banks 1/- per season.
Diana pond, Bushy Park, Middx
Train from Waterloo to Hampton Court or bus from Kingstone.
Circular ornamental pond, holding some coarse fish and the occassional good Pike. Permits 1/- per season
Heron Pond, Leg of Mutton Pond Bushy park, Middx.
Small ponds holding coarse fish good banks. Permits 1/- per season.
I never fished these venues myself as I lived the other side of London in the east end. To be continued. For the younger generation 1/- was one shilling 5p in todays money.

Tee-Cee · Feb 23, 2014

I was born in Tottenham but moved to the Finsbury park area soon afterwards. We lived in Hornsey N4 and I schooled at Stroud Green Sec Modern.
My starting age was 7 years and my first water was Finsbury Park lake which held roach and carp which nobody fished for as the stayed out by the island. It was the place of my school holidays and although some good roach were caught I think my best was around
8" or so....Price 6d per day from memory...
I quickly moved on to the New River at Harringay (still within the Park), but this was poaching and it was patrolled by the water folk. Our only chance was to fish mid-way between bridges so we could see who was coming and then run like hell as they approached. All good fun!!
The shoals of roach in the new river had to be seen to be believed but we didn't have the know how to catch them. Fast flowing and weedy it was like a miniature Hants Avon!!

Soon moved onto the Regents Park canal near Camden Town (the nearest station!)and that is when my love affair with roach really started...............................A bus then tube with all the smelly fishing gear...well popular, or what !!!

tiinker · Feb 23, 2014

Tee-Cee said:
I was born in Tottenham but moved to the Finsbury park area soon afterwards. We lived in Hornsey N4 and I schooled at Stroud Green Sec Modern.
My starting age was 7 years and my first water was Finsbury Park lake which held roach and carp which nobody fished for as the stayed out by the island. It was the place of my school holidays and although some good roach were caught I think my best was around
8" or so....Price 6d per day from memory...
I quickly moved on to the New River at Harringay (still within the Park), but this was poaching and it was patrolled by the water folk. Our only chance was to fish mid-way between bridges so we could see who was coming and then run like hell as they approached. All good fun!!
The shoals of roach in the new river had to be seen to be believed but we didn't have the know how to catch them. Fast flowing and weedy it was like a miniature Hants Avon!!

Soon moved onto the Regents Park canal near Camden Town (the nearest station!)and that is when my love affair with roach really started...............................A bus then tube with all the smelly fishing gear...well popular, or what !!!

Finsbury park gets a mention.
Finsbury park lake . London E.4
Near open air theatre Gudgeon and Roach. Free Fishing.
The New river is also mentioned but in the Hertford are lower down it is listed as the lea. I guess Enfield lock would be nearest to Harringay.
The Serpentine, Hyde park, London, S.W.11
Fishing allowed in the part of the lake between the bathing area and the south east corner [Marked notice boards] Roach and Perch.
Free permits from Park Supt. Ministry of Works Hyde Park W.2 [Enclose sae]

john step · Feb 23, 2014

Raphaels Park Romford. Shoulder to shoulder kids fishing for gudgeon. Easy to dodge the Parky and his day tickets!! I think they were 6d.Just had a thought. Of course it was Essex then before Romford got swallowed up and became part of a London Borough.

tiinker · Feb 23, 2014

What about this one. River Test Stockbridge, Hants.
Seven miles of river between Stockbridge and Fullerton. Coarse fish limited. Permits 3 gns per day. From the Managing Director Lackford Estate Ltd. Leckford Stockbridge Hants.
3 guineas was £3 - 3/- three pounds fifteen pence in todays money a small fortune in 1954.

john step · Feb 23, 2014

tiinker said:
What about this one. River Test Stockbridge, Hants.
Seven miles of river between Stockbridge and Fullerton. Coarse fish limited. Permits 3 gns per day. From the Managing Director Lackford Estate Ltd. Leckford Stockbridge Hants.
3 guineas was £3 - 3/- three pounds fifteen pence in todays money a small fortune in 1954.

Your Dad must have won the pools at those prices.:wh

tiinker · Feb 23, 2014

john step said:
Your Dad must have won the pools at those prices.:wh

I never fished the Test till about eighty and got kicked off for returning a roach but that is another story.
Raphael park lake naturally feed lake of four and three quarter acres. Perch Tench Carp Roach and Pike.
Permits a 1/- a day
That can not be right no mention of the GUDGEON the place was alive with them.

tiinker · Feb 24, 2014

The first park lake I ever fished was . Victoria Park, London E.9
Boating lake near Grove road entrance. Pike, Bream, Roach, Eels, Perch. and Gudgeon Free fishing.
I would get a 277 trolley bus from Lebones corner Dalston to Victoria park.
Battersea park lake, London, s.w. 11.
Coarse fish, including carp. Free fishing in lake adjacent to carriage drive.

geoffmaynard · Feb 24, 2014

tiinker said:
The first park lake I ever fished was . Victoria Park, London E.9

Me too Tink. First fish there was a perch. Graduated to the nearby canal for the roach. Later Raphaels Park, The Manor Harold Hill, and South Weald at 2/6d day - a fortune!

tiinker · Feb 24, 2014

geoffmaynard said:
Me too Tink. First fish there was a perch. Graduated to the nearby canal for the roach. Later Raphaels Park, The Manor Harold Hill, and South Weald at 2/6d day - a fortune!

South Weald , Essex.
Bus from Romford . If I remember it was a 87 or a green line to Brentwood then a thirty minute walk.
One and a half acre lake. Shallow, weedy in summer. Tench Perch Rudd Pike.
Permits 2/6 per day.
The bottom lake was about that size but that was members only Elm park AS. From memory the top lake was bigger and was day ticket in the 60s.
Yes the canal was good LAA Hertford union. The lock by the park that joined the hackney cut was a good spot for the roach you could trot hemp though the narrow when they opened the lock. The warehouses are all apartments now.
I found the listing for South Weald park so there must have been another lake besides .
Weald park South weald Essex Brentwood.
Bus from Romford Station to Spittle or Vicarage lane Then walk to south weald Station? Odd. Two lakes one fourteen acres one ten acres. Fine tench fishing and roach rudd pike perch. Elm park- Hornchurch and district AS water Permits 2/6 and 1/3 evenings from the bailiff on lake or the secretary.
I do not remember a station unless they mean bus station and I wonder if the first lake was the one across the road from the bottom lake.

no-one in particular · Feb 25, 2014

A couple I remember from my youth which were not generally known. Osterly Park and Syon House Park in south west London. Both were little oasis's of country side in the hub bub near the city. I looked them up on the internet and you can still fish Osterly Park which is a lovely estate park not far from Osterly tube station on the Piccadilly Line.. Syon House Park which is in Brentford is now a day ticket trout fishery. Again it is a lovely estate park, I might try this myself some day. It is not far from Brentford station if I remember rightly and I know buses go past it. For more details look them up on Google.

tiinker · Feb 25, 2014

markg said:
A couple I remember from my youth which were not generally known. Osterly Park and Syon House Park in south west London. Both were little oasis's of country side in the hub bub near the city. I looked them up on the internet and you can still fish Osterly Park which is a lovely estate park not far from Osterly tube station on the Piccadilly Line.. Syon House Park which is in Brentford is now a day ticket trout fishery. Again it is a lovely estate park, I might try this myself some day. It is not far from Brentford station if I remember rightly and I know buses go past it. For more details look them up on Google.

Osterley park is in there MG.
Osterley Park Lake, Osterley Middx.
Middle lake only. Approx. quarter mile long deep in places. Perch , bream, tench, roach, rudd, gudgeon, pike. Free fishing. Permit from G. Perkins [keeper] Thornaby Road, Isleworth Middx.
No mention of Syon I have fished it for trout a few years ago.

Tee-Cee · Feb 25, 2014

The New River has, from what I recall in an old post (by A N Other) has slowed to a trickle now so I will rest on my memories of childhood rather than spoil them by going back...

I also had a spell of fishing Hampstead Ponds for roach, but like many spots an adult had to accompany you so it was usually down to a bit of poaching and run like hell!

Also, and this is late 50's or earlier, Walthamstow reservoirs had a big roach/bream/pike reputation but the adult thing stopped me fishing it alone.

The old 'LAA ticket' was always good for London spots but back in those days transport was the biggest problem, that and the 'Teddy Boys' who gave you a hard time, ALL the time.....swines!!

No, the best bet was join a club with regular coach outings. Now that's where you really learnt how to fish!!!

tiinker · Feb 25, 2014

Tee-Cee said:
The New River has, from what I recall in an old post (by A N Other) has slowed to a trickle now so I will rest on my memories of childhood rather than spoil them by going back...

I also had a spell of fishing Hampstead Ponds for roach, but like many spots an adult had to accompany you so it was usually down to a bit of poaching and run like hell!

Also, and this is late 50's or earlier, Walthamstow reservoirs had a big roach/bream/pike reputation but the adult thing stopped me fishing it alone.

The old 'LAA ticket' was always good for London spots but back in those days transport was the biggest problem, that and the 'Teddy Boys' who gave you a hard time, ALL the time.....swines!!

No, the best bet was join a club with regular coach outings. Now that's where you really learnt how to fish!!!

Yes your right there the Thames the Medway and the Beult Kentish and Suffolk Stour the Cam and Ouse to mention but a few . The world was your oyster Used to lay awake listening to the bloody alarm clock and willing the hour to fly by on a Saturday night. I used to go with Fords and May & Baker my father worked for Fords and my uncle for M & B. neither fished but they belonged to the social clubs so I would go as a junior guest for free. Fords had there own coaches and went on Saturdays and sundays.

no-one in particular · Feb 26, 2014

tiinker said:
Osterley park is in there MG.
Osterley Park Lake, Osterley Middx.
Middle lake only. Approx. quarter mile long deep in places. Perch , bream, tench, roach, rudd, gudgeon, pike. Free fishing. Permit from G. Perkins [keeper] Thornaby Road, Isleworth Middx.
No mention of Syon I have fished it for trout a few years ago.

I wasn't sure about Syon House, my dad used to do the books every other Sunday for a bloke who ran the Star and Garter Pub, a big pub right on the corner of Kew Bridge. It had two big Lion Statues outside and I used to sit on them stuffing myself with ice cream and crisps all afternoon. We used to pass Syon House on the bus and I think Dad used to say there was a coarse lake in there back then but, for some reason we never found out or got to fish it. However, I am not sure of the facts-Now its a trout fishery anyway but, from memory it was a nice place. However, we did fish Osterley Park quite a few times, we caught some decent perch and roach, it is a beautiful place to sit and spend a sunny afternoon. A lovely park and I have fond memories of it. I am not sure but I think back then it came under the general park permit that could be bought.

We used to go to Arundel on the River Arun and get a shilling day ticket from the post office. The river ran beneath the castle on the hill. A nice spot on a nice day. It was tidal if I remember rightly. That was good bream and roach with bass and mullet up river sometimes, Whether you can still do that I don't know but, it was a nice day out, nice country-side and not too far from London.

tiinker · Feb 26, 2014

markg said:
I wasn't sure about Syon House, my dad used to do the books every other Sunday for a bloke who ran the Star and Garter Pub, a big pub right on the corner of Kew Bridge. It had two big Lion Statues outside and I used to sit on them stuffing myself with ice cream and crisps all afternoon. We used to pass Syon House on the bus and I think Dad used to say there was a coarse lake in there back then but, for some reason we never found out or got to fish it. However, I am not sure of the facts-Now its a trout fishery anyway but, from memory it was a nice place. However, we did fish Osterley Park quite a few times, we caught some decent perch and roach, it is a beautiful place to sit and spend a sunny afternoon. A lovely park and I have fond memories of it. I am not sure but I think back then it came under the general park permit that could be bought.

We used to go to Arundel on the River Arun and get a shilling day ticket from the post office. The river ran beneath the castle on the hill. A nice spot on a nice day. It was tidal if I remember rightly. That was good bream and roach with bass and mullet up river sometimes, Whether you can still do that I don't know but, it was a nice day out, nice country-side and not too far from London.

I have fished Chalk Springs a few times that has a run off into the Arun estuary that is at Arundel.

geoffmaynard · Feb 26, 2014

tiinker said:
Yes your right there the Thames the Medway and the Beult Kentish and Suffolk Stour the Cam and Ouse to mention but a few . The world was your oyster Used to lay awake listening to the bloody alarm clock and willing the hour to fly by on a Saturday night. I used to go with Fords and May & Baker my father worked for Fords and my uncle for M & B. neither fished but they belonged to the social clubs so I would go as a junior guest for free. Fords had there own coaches and went on Saturdays and sundays.

My dad worked for M&B and yes there was no station at South Weald.

tiinker · Feb 26, 2014

geoffmaynard said:
My dad worked for M&B and yes there was no station at South Weald.

No M&B any more they are building a Sainsbury's on part of the site lots of plans for the rest of it. Did you ever go to a family day.

geoffmaynard · Feb 26, 2014

tiinker said:
No M&B any more they are building a Sainsbury's on part of the site lots of plans for the rest of it. Did you ever go to a family day.

Yes, many. Got some old family b/w photos of my sister and me on a slide, fancy-dress comps etc. I remember them as being really good fun. Our garage was full of M&B alloy embossed tins, full of nails and screws etc. But did that factory stink or what!

tiinker · Feb 26, 2014

geoffmaynard said:
Yes, many. Got some old family b/w photos of my sister and me on a slide, fancy-dress comps etc. I remember them as being really good fun. Our garage was full of M&B alloy embossed tins, full of nails and screws etc. But did that factory stink or what!

Tell me about it my fathers house was in Western Ave the other side of the railway from the factory. The sports field where they held the family day is now a lake. A few of my friends worked there one worked in the aromatics department he got smell money for smelling like a tart. Another got the sack for releasing all the mice and day old chicks that were destined for the labs he worked in the warehouses.

Park fishing in London as it was.

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