any boggarts online

sign the visitors book guys

Hi Mr monk.
I tried replying to your Emails but they were sent back, there appears to be a problem with your Email address.
Nice to see you online.
Are Boggarts veterans of the Clough? If so I can sign my name, I have spent many days and indeed nights on the clough. What about the nutters I hear you cry, contrary to reports Mike K is quite harmless. )

I hope life is treating you fine, in the darkest caverns of the Oldham peat bogs. Life on the Oldham hills, is wet and windy but otherwise fine.
All the best from a fellow of the shire.
Andrew Jackson.

How dare you call Mike K very harmless!
He'll be most upset when I tell him!
He has a reputation to uphold don’t you know?

P.s I've told Mike what you've said about him, and he says “if he sees you Manchester again he’ll flag you into the pavement he’s working on.”

Hi andrew, how are you doing mate, where are the rest of the clough time bandits? used to be 70 of us you know. Boggart Mikes still knocking them out, saw him on haunting brow a few years back, Phils one of our leading Boggarts of course. Not seen much of the Hippy for a while, Mings hung his rods up, The Darts Team are still kicking about though and last I heard from Fat Gary, he was down in Flecters (its doing thirties now), the six johns are still carping although one of them died a few years ago, Fordys living in Bournemouth, Jacy's up in the Northeast (are you on line mate) he met some bloody woman, ruined his life, not seen Gayboy or the Ace for a while, but one of the lads made a sighting of ernest wormtongue last year, fished with South African Barry down at Horseshoe a few years ago, I really must get the fellowship back together, The Ancient Knights of the Shire will rise again

The boggarts Clough used to be a great place, The Clough Bivvy Butler could get you anything from a new car to a woman, some rum turkeys down there, bit sad after two tone died and we all sort of went our separate ways, an whole carping community, it used to be great having the crack with the lads, few beers, few women,plenty of blow, sat behind the island watching the sun gently kiss the roof of the social security building, on giro boilie day, all the bivvies would empty for a few hours, but as the evening drew in, the sounds of drunken laughter would soon return to her banks, it was a mans life on the Clough, happy daze, a very innovative lot, time bandits to the last man, I think it was Frog John who first introduced me to the use of a hilti gun for bivvy erection over the tarmaced bank, a camo hilti gun was a must for the Clough.

But beware ye boggarts of the Dark Lord who watches eternally. (

quite right Ron, Ron is an honarary Boggart by the way.

Sorry about the email address lads, you see I spend a lot of time these days writing my book deep in the secret caverns of the Oldham Peat Bogs, I keep changing email address's because of the death threat I recieved from the Dark Lord in the 70s, hence, the need for secrecy. It all goes back to the days when I first formed the Northern Armies, long story really, but watch out for the book, "Confessions of a Manchester Carp Fisher", exceps of which are currently appearing in the New Specialist Angler.

In Post Boggart days Andrew, I took 16 troopers (Droogs) down to Fletchers, we invaded the place and did about two years in the Valley. talking of Boggart Mike, I can remember one funny session, when The Boggart was fishing on the overflow side with The Ace, The Ace had pulled a dog walker, a big slapper of about 18 stone, Mike made the mistake of lending Ace his new bedchair, anyway, Ace was into some Ruffe action all night and this huge slapper broke Mikes new bedchair, all hell broke loose the following morning, we all fell about laughing as The boggart chased The Ace around the lake, Bivvy mallets at fifty paces.

An Honorary Boggert? That takes the biscuit, especially to one whose mother came from Nottinghamshire, Father from Derbyshire, was born in Yorkshire and raised in South Africa.

What an honour indeed. )

I think Ron's a bit overwelmed by his Honorary Boggarthood, arise Sir Ron.

Actually all this electronic wizardry is a bit new to me, I'm used to writing by candle light with a quill nib, and what is it with this internet thing, everytime I have something else to do, it tells me I've been idle for a while? cheeky sod!

Phil I am one of the rare breed who have spent a week fishing with Mike, and lived to tell the tale, in fact I have done it a couple of times. Mike will always have a special place in my memory because he was the guy holding the net when I caught my first 30. In fact I have got some great video footage that is realy funny because Mike is, well, he is just being Mike. Top bloke who is known all over the country yet he has never owned his own car??? Definatly one of the character of the North west.
Monk I was never a time bandit on the clough, more of an occasional visitor, you have jogged my memory with some of those names though. I would love to buy a copy of your book when it is published, please keep me informed of its progress, I am sure Ivan would love a copy too.

Hi Andrew are you talking of "Ivan the Terrible of Rhodes", Former Manchester Group member of significant standing, first met him at a Manchester Bash with Gutbucket, spent a few weeks with him on a water in Gloucester and fished the Grove with him, nice lad.

Yes didnt regonise you are a Boggart Time Bandit, although we all had nick names so I wouldnt have recognised anyone using their real name, my books 60,000 words at present over 40 chapters, must get round to publishing it, it mentions many of the Manchester Waters like Queens Wood, Badlands, The Mersey Valley, The Monks pool, Haunting Brow, The Pils, Jakes Pool, Hilda's, Fletchers Valley, Boarhunt Cleft and many of my European and USA trips with three special chapters on Lancashire Boggarts and The Boggarts Clough, its a bit esoteric at times, but anyone who has fished the Shire will know of which waters I refer and the charactors I refer to.

Mike is an exceptional angler, I've spend many years fishing in his company and seen him catch some amazing fish, the only method I could every think he was using was witchcraft, he's a bit like Ron Clay, just one of those guys who has that certain magic and never appears to blank, the late Benny Ashurst was another, I had the privillage of fishing with Benny on the Pils a few times in the 70s, we were the first time bandits on there, Benny was an amazing guy and will be much missed.

I'm going over to see Gary Knowles at the Radcliff PAC in October, why dont you come over and I'll take some of the lads along (i'll give Boggart Mike a call), Gary Knowles is another exceptional angler who puts on a great slide show, we had the privillage of Barny over at our gaff a few years ago, mind you he does come from an exceptional gene pool, The St Helens, one of our best and longest standing Spezzis in the Northwest, even older that the Manchester Group.

Are you on for that Mr Clay, you've not met the Salford Mafia yet!

Few of the other Boggarts are back in prison unfortunately and many have moved away, although a small contingent went fishing the Mersey Valley after rumours that Badlands Chestnut was nicked, they were trying to bring him home, but we never heard of them since, this was about the time when that carp angler got dragged out of his bivvy in the middle of the night and had his hand hacket off (and you think the Clough was bad!

Tight Slappers

The Monk

Oh I'm also taking Elvis Pete along, my new secret weapon, Elvis is the Hon President of the Ruffe Slappers Group and a Boggart look a like

But what of tales of deepest Pie Country? Verily I hath a mate who was banished to that far fifedom, who surely gave up our noble sport.

Stephen of Crow shire wast his name of the hamlet Eckington in norther most Shire of Derby forsooth.

Not met him Ron, but if he's in Orwells Pie Eating Capital of Western Europe, then its unlikely he will ever be seen again?

Great Lads the Pie Folk, but the lingo takes a bit of mastering!

Yes I was refering to Ivan the terrible, it is through Ivan that I know you, I came to a few of the meetings with Ivan, in fact if you remember Ivan and I nearly got lynched because we cleared up in the raffle at the Boarshaw meeting. Ivan is an occasional visitor to the Net I will tell him you are posting on here. In fact we are out next week for a couple of nights, I will tell him then. Whatever happened to gut bucket? It is years since I have seen him, he was tucked away in the trees on Clifton last time I met him. Postie Pete used to be in contact with him, and he kept us up to speed on his escapades, but all that stoped a long while back.
Not sure about Garrys doo, I have a Fish-in to attend one weekend in October so I will have to see how I am fixed.
I am a little lost with some of the names you are using for waters. Tell me Fletchers valley is this refering to a small Dam in the hills. If so and we are talking about the same water my house overlooks it.

oh yes andrew, I know who you are now, not seen gutbucket for over a year, he also met a woman and it ruined his life,

Fletchers is the water which the old fletchers canal used to bypass an industrial arm of the bury bolton and salford junction canal, which was fed from the Irwell, cant give the name out, but its residents are angry and perfect (Peter to his friends), some 17 acre with Dibners island towards death valley (should be a clue in there?)

Yep the fish in my profile photo is Shiner, I am well aquainted with the delights of Fletchers. I was thinking along the lines of Fletchers Paper mill the place where there are lots of green fields and the locals may enquire how much is a saddle worth. It is a while since we have met, it was at a Warrington doo You were with JJ. And I told the tale of how he used to pinch Ivans and my sandwiches and drink the contents of our flasks, when we were about 9 year old, fishing the water just up the hill from Ivans on the left if you were heading for pils. JJ was a couple of years older than us and was a bit of a bully. )

You talk of Haunting Brow, home of Lumpy and Bent Tail, caught them as dilinquent mirrors back in the secret seventies, JJ's actually older than me I think? and been around nearly as long, another great lad despite coming from Bury

I see you talk of moorish carps, read The Necromancer Rides Again in an olde carp world, or was it Queens Wood to Haunting brow? cant remeber, but there's a picture of some saddled carpies in it!