Here's what I think

[Keith Robinson 2]

Ron It wasn't really the Ghost we were referring to but to glass rods in general which were soft and having little backbone.
The term was in fact "Golden Wonder Pea Pole" and was conjured up by John McLelland who's favourite rod on the big waters was a made up version of a Hardy Wye. My first rod for fishing the lead proper, was an ABU Laplandia 541, single handed Salmon rod, I still have the rod but not the strength to use the beast. There were not the rods about in those days as today. It improved with the N.W. blanks being used.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)]

Keith,

I saw a fly rod knocked up in 1980 by a mate of mine who spent a lot of time on Grafham and Rutland and then emigrated to SA. It was a 10 foot Fibretube carp blank with a test curve of 2 lbs with a long fly rod handle.

It was horrible. Mind you he could chuck a lead core with it.

 

[Keith Robinson 2]

Ron, I'm quite sure that the type of blank used by your friend were being used a few years prior to 1980, and it was these animals which gave rise to bad press by those anglers who fished the more traditional style of FLY fishing and not the new trend of TROUT fishing with bigger than usual LURES. It was David Fleming-Jones who coined the phrase on his arrival at Grafham, that 1 fish caught in front of the boat was worth 20 from behind. That I think sums up the attitude of the old school of the mid 20th century.
Without doubt, in my mind, if it were not for the innovations of the early Grafham anglers most of the Browns would have died of old age.

 

[shep]

question..why did they take the carp from redmire ?

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)]

I don't know.

Maybe The Monk can answer that one.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Ron,
No Need To Lie p. 29 has Walker wondering what to do if ever he caught a record carp. The choice seemed to be either kill it which he was reluctant to do, or return it without claiming a record. As it was so significant, and much bigger than the then record, he solved the dilemma by contacting London Zoo. At that time you would have had to produce the body of the fish to claim a record. I believe this is what happened with Bob Richard's carp; i.e. it was killed.

 

[Grant Lever]

grafham opened in 1966,hardy's brought out the "jet" range in that era using phenolic resin fibreglass using the "new"spiggot ferrules,these were mostly designed by world casting champ tarantino, FIBATUBE was a spinoff selling blanks and part finished rods (cork handles fitted).

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)]

What I think Shep is referring to Mark was the infamous Redmire netting, done in the 70s I believe.

I am fully aware why Walker had his carp taken to the London Zoo.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)]

The Redmire netting took place in 1977.

Apparently the Redmire syndicate was composed of two factions who had a very big disagreement.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Apologies, Ron, didn't realise the thread had taken off on a tangent!

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)]

Well Mark, I'm now classified as an old fart. We all do occasionally.

 

[shep]

thanks for clearing that one for me i didn't relise that they killed the fish to verify a record

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)]

You had to produce the fish to a member of the British Rod Caught Record Fish Committee for it to be verified as a record.

Chris Yates 51lb 6oz Redmire carp was rejected because he released the fish after weighing, photographing and having it witnessed by several people. **** Walker created a hell of a stink because of this.

But the BRCRFC demanded that they see the fish.

There have been cases where a member has been called out in the middle of the night to go and see a big fish, but they have refused. Therefore rather than cause the fish stress by keeping it alive in a net, the fish has been released.