Angling Characters

  • Thread starter Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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In recent years there has been a distinct dearth of what can only be called genuine angling characters in our sport. All the modern angling writers and other personalities seem to my mind to have an "over washed or sanitised" appearance with their baseball caps, mobile phones, clean real tree jackets, latest state of the art tackle and cameras etc.

Now in my day your genuine angling characters could be detected many miles away by the smell. The vehicles they used were often a wonder to themselves. Open the boot or the door of a genuine angling character's car or van (mainly vans in those days) and a black cloud of enormous bluebottles would greet you. The next thing to hit youwas the stench ofrotting mackerel deadbaits, salmon spawn,or even the odd bucket of ox blood that was a few weeks over it's sell-by date!

Look at the average angler's car these days and you are struck by the fact that he actually washes it; to say nothing of the plastic sheets that are laid out in the boot to prevent the smell of hempor wet keepnets contaminating his vehicle!!

The modern angler seems like a wimp to me.

But I suppose we do have the odd exception - Chris Yates for example.

At least old Chris seems to wear proper hats.

But how many real angling characters do you know of?
 
Mithrandir

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Well Ron, I think my tackle wagon is getting a character of its own.

I noticed a distinct lip curl from one of the girls at work when I gave her a lift in it the other day, and the way the Customs man suddenly did not seem interested in searching my vehicle when I opened the window and he got a wiff of the wet nets in the back.

Sorry the hat is not upto scratch though, I wear the baseball cap ( does leaving the headlight attachment on at all times give me a bit more kudos? )
 
Graham Whatmore

Graham Whatmore

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So dirt and dirty habits are a sign of character eh! I much prefer an angler that talks a lot of sense, keeps himself clean and presents a decent image, if I want to smell crap I can go to a farm and sniff all I like.

Chris Yates might present an old fashioned image, some might say eccentric, but he is far from dirty in appearance and though I have never been close to him I bet he doesn't smell either.

Being dirty, surrounding yourself with dirt and smelling like a badgers rear end may appeal to you Ron but it certainly doesn't to me regardless of how good an angler that person may be, neither is it an indicator of character.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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Here we are, another one who get's the wrong end of the stick.

You really don't inderstand what I am trying to say do you Graham?
 
Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)

Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)

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Think I get your drift Ron - no,no, not Rorke's Drift.

Isn't it a comment on a vast range of factors in modern life. We suffer from corporate, sanitised, regulated, tick boxed, safe, confirms to government diktat (whatever colour of party -stop right there Ron) , confirms to expected norms.

So we lack, and fail to praise - the questioning, the individual, the idiosyncratic, those that don't think outside the box because they've never,ever been in the box .

So if you don't teach according the "ideal lesson format" you may be regarded as odd, even poor

So if you don't ask a customer if there is anything else I can do, or have considered products x,y,z (when all they wanted was product a)..then you're sacked!

If you don't have your mobile phone welded to your hand and ear and permanenetly left on - you're a Luddite who will eventually be eradicated by natural selection

Is this more your drift?

Poshers

(I've had a shower this morning!!)
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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You have hit it on the head there Posh!

But because I do not suffer fools, I just didn't feel like bothering toexplain myself, to one who doesn't really understand.
 
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STEVE POPE

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In the barbel world you need look no further than Fred Crouch!

He truly is the real deal, tackle and clothes that would not look out of place in the fifties, but boy can he catch fish!

I won't even mention the flask which has developed a legendary status all of it's own.

A true icon and one of the last of a kind.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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I forgot old Fred Crouch Steve.

Has never fished the Trent or the Yorkshire rivers I believe. If that is true, he has missed out on a few rivers where the barbel isindigenous and not an interloper.

Does he still use an ancient split cane rod made at the turn of the last century?

(1899/1900)
 
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Wolfman Woody

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<blockquote class=quoteheader>Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA) wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>

Here we are, another one who get's the wrong end of the stick.

You really don't inderstand what I am trying to say do you Graham?</blockquote>

Because you don't express it right, Ron. I thought the very same as Graham.
 
Peter Jacobs

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Now then Ron, I think you are being a little harsh maybe because you didn't read what Graham wrote.

"So dirt and dirty habits are a sign of character eh!"

From your opening lines: "Now in my day your genuine angling characters could be detected many miles away by the smell." GW's conclusion was very apt, also: "over washed or sanitised" appearance of modern anglers?

We all have our own views Ron, yours are just disimilar to mine, or apparently GW's.

For instance; "with their baseball caps, mobile phones, clean real tree jackets, latest state of the art tackle and cameras etc." a baseball cap (like the FM ones(?) are very good to shield the eyes from direct sun, a mobile phone is more of a safety feature these days, a clean jacket, camo or otherwise, simply portrays one's sense of personal pride, and state of the art tackle is purely a function of disposable income rather than being 'characteristic' and finally a state of the art camera these days is obtainable for not too much money, hells bells you see children with them.

The theme of the thread is a good one, so why spoil it with unnecessary comments?
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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Oh and by the way, I had a bath this morning too.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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Cause I'm naughty, that's why!

/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif
 
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Wolfman Woody

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You nailed it there Peter - <u>PRIDE!</u>

I'll fish with anyone at all, rich or poor (prefereably rich and with plenty of tackle I can cadge), but if my invited guest turns up dressed in rags in a car that resembles a dumpster and he (or she) stinks like a midden the I'd prefer that person to fish at the opposite end of the fishery to me.

Or preferably, remain 5 counties away.

That's not character you describe, that's slovenliness.
 
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STEVE POPE

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Hi Ron,

Took Fred to the Trent for his very first visit a couple of years ago, we were invited up to a lovely stretch by Steve the Eelfisher and Cahal who has now emigrated to that place where we will be very soon!

Many years ago we visited the Nidd and Swale again for the first time on a Barbel Catchers fish-in, will never forget it, we picked a spot well away from the popular area and proceeded to watch a huge barbel move in and eat all of the hemp. We told the local lads and I believe Jon Wolfe fished the swim and eventually landed a good double which for that time was a big fish.

When I first met up with Fred his car was similar to your description but over the years he has improved in that respect! But he still has a very old Barbour and still uses the old split cane rod, although he does give others an airing as he has a decent collection. It's the look and image when you see him on the bank, the hair, the rodbag, the holdall, the rodrest, etc and the flask!

You would think you'd bumped into Wurzel Gummidge but if you stayed and watched and took it all in your fishing would improve one hundred percent.

I was hoping to go on a barbel fishing journey with Fred this season, inspired by the film The Bucket List, not because either of us is about to leave this mortal coil I hasten to add but it seemed like a good thing to do!

Visit old, new and special places for old times sake.

Events have conspired against us at the moment but I'm hoping to get it together because I just love spending time in his company.
 
Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)

Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)

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Jeff!!!

That must rule out most of us!!! /forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif Except Marsbar - who employs a personal groomer and his own perfumiere!! And who is allegedly as rich as Croesus - and a very nice man/forum/smilies/angel_smiley.gif
 
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STEVE POPE

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Picking up on the other points raised I have to admit that I have to wear Realtree head to toe, and yes it is an image thing!

Would not wear a baseball cap unless I was folically challenged, just not happy with the image it portrays, probably an Essex Chav thing! But I accept to being in the minority here as so many seem to like this attire.

Going back to Fred, he could easily change if he wanted but he prefers the way he is and long may that be so, over the years his daughters and friends have bought him many modern items of tackle and clothing and those items are packed neatly away never likely to see the light of day.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif

Neither am I happy with the image a baseball cap portrays.

The only thing I have in realtree is the cover for my rifle.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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If you can find a picture me wearing a red baseball cap with a suit I'll give you £1k
 
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