Things you remember ?

Back in the 50s I was mad keen to go fishing when ever I could, but unfortunately no one in my family fished.
Saturday morning would arrive and with my mate Paul Pasco, we would set of at the crack of dawn to catch the first bus.
The 121 from Chingford, left about 05:10 am and after a few stops the top of the Bus would fill up with Blokes getting to work for the 06:00 am start of shift.
That's in the day's when everybody did a 45 hr week, still I digress, soon the old men were asking us where we were going fishing.
Kings Wier " Mister ", would be the usual reply.
By now the top of the Bus had a very Blue smoke haze hovering just above our heads.
I can still remember that smell of a mixture of Old Holbon and Southern Virginia.
And the incessant coughing and wheezing, that accompanied our journey to Brimsdown Station.
Funny how how thing stick in your memory, from nearly 50 years ago.
The return journey was just as much fun, because by then we were covered in mud, and the top of the Bus was filling up with young ladies, with those great big Frilly dresses.
They certainly did not take to kindly to a couple of 12 year olds with very muddy boots.
Bob

Golden Virginia Bob, Golden Virginia. Our bus also had a pipe smoker or two with Condor Sliced. We always stayed on the bus 'til Hoddesdon and walked to Dobbs Weir.

I used to do much the same with my mate Colin Adams,probably early 60's,we'd get on the crack of dawn 174 from Harold Hill, which filled up with Ford workers for Dagenham and of course choking smoke.From Romford,some how we got to the Wake Arms at Epping, then on another bus to Waltham Abbey and fished the Lea around there,almost canal like with summer homes/shacks, on the other bank.Caught my first Chub there about a pound!
Funny thing is I can't remember the journey's home!!

Sorry Gerry,
You are quite right, Golden Virginia, and we could have stayed on the bus, but reckoned that if you timed it right, you could catch the train at Brimsdown get off at Cheshunt.
Go in the Cafe just over the railway line, have a breakfast, and still get to Kings Weir or the North Met next to the Lea in good time to catch a Monster?
And if we got it right on the way home, we could make it in time to watch the Riffleman or Rawhide ?
Bob

Fred,
Did you ever fish under the road at Waltham Abbey for Barbel and Chub.
You use to have to climb down into the water just past the Abbey.
Blimey how times have changed, my grandkids don't even want to walk to the sweet shop.
Bob

We used to get the train up from Liverpool Street to either Frog spawn (Broxbourne) or St. Margerets. I seem to remember all the Tesco workers getting off somewhere along that line. I caught my first chub from Broxbourne, under the first boat you came to. Don't remember catching anything memorable from St. Maggies. But I did like it there for some reason. (Don't know why!) I used to have this whacking great big creel. It was huge! And I'd fill it up with loads of food, spare jumpers and socks, flask of hot drink and a big bottle of cold drink, tons of groundbait and tackle for all eventualities. One day at Broxbourne I was enjoying the usual catching small stuff and the odd tench from the cabbages, I also had my shirt off and caught the sun on my shoulders. How I got that bloody creel and my rod holdall home I'll never know! I think I must have dragged it the last 1/4 mile.

Ah, happy days.

fred did you ever come across a bloke called alf curtis,he had a tackle shop round that area.in the early sixties.i have a book about his life,called a poachers tale.it was written by fred speakman.it was set around waltham abbey and the sorounding
area.its a good read they had some hard times back then.

Bob,didn't know anything about Barbel in those days.The area I fished didn't come across as a Barbel stretch,based on my current knowledge getting on for 40 years later.
Keith, no sorry,but the book sounds interesting,I'll track a copy down.

Buses and trains? Luxury!!!
I used to cycle or walk to most of my fishing haunts in the late 60's.

I can remember cycling from my parents house to fish the Itchen at Twyford near Winchester with a mate. Journey took about 2 hours I think.
Rod and landing net handle strapped to the crossbar, keepnet held onto the handlebars, everything else in a small shoulder bag - the sort we used to use at school with a drawstring at the top.

Only baits we ever seemed to use was bread and worms.

Cycling back home through Eastleigh after one trip, we were stopped by a copper for cycling on the pavement.

I must have been about 10 or 11 years old, my mate a couple of years older.

Ah, those were the days (sigh)...

Memories of youth certainly keep coming back. I can remember fishing park ponds and canals in the West Bromwich area when I was very young, sometimes with my grandfather. We always walked. The fish we caught were gudgeaon, roach and perch. I caught my first chub on a day out to The Wye with my Uncle and Aunt at a vey early age. A few years later my parents moved as my father wa in the RAF. We lived in Bransgore in The New Forest for a few years. I had a paper round and used the money earned from this to buy day tickets. I can remember catching many decent chub from Winkton in those days, 1960's. I have lived in many places since then. I moved to Ringwood about 20 years ago. Catching big chub in some of my old haunts on The Avon and The Stour seems like going full circle. Also we now have the Chub Study Group AGM weekends on The Wye, the venue my first ever chub came from. Perhaps I should try and catch some perch from the West Bromwich park ponds and canals to complete the circle.

I clearly rmeember fishing the Royal Parks waters, particularly Longwater at Hampton Court when I was 11,12 and 13 years old.
The trip from Tooting Junction to Hampton Court (change at Wimbledon)on "real" trains, you know the ones that spat forth steam and soot, and made "real" train noises?

The walk from the station to the Palace grounds through to the water at the back of the Palace, and being looked at strangely by the overseas visitors, was all part of the day for me.

Fishing alone on the bank other than for the sheep who more often than not got to my sandwiches before I did.

I learned most of my stillwater tactics on that venue fishing for the Roach and Tench that seemed to be unbothered by most of the anglers who went there just for the Pike fishing.

If I didn't fancy the walk to the Palace then I'd settle on the Thames where the River Mole exits. Fun days Bleak "bashing" and late in the afternoons trying a new method that I'd read about which was dapping for Dace.
My early attempts at legering were in the Thames by Hampton Court bridge where the ever-hungry Pope would snatch at any bait you offered. Althuogh late one autumn day I caught and landed a Chub of about two and a half pounds which became my PB for many years to come.

As I believe The Monk has mentioned, these were happier, safer and far less complicated days than that which we experience in this modern era of fishing.

The "good old days" really were just that I suppose.