I can't remember my first fish but there must have been one. Some kept diaries, and now most keep blogs. Some had photos, most now have Google Photos or the I-Cloud.
The header? Some reprobates back in the day (1982 or1983). Winter (mostly) carp fishing in
Somme like mud. The Match Pit, Wivenhoe which must have been good to draw the Alresford boys along away from their Pit.
This is the oldest picture I have found but there must be some older somewhere. So it's not my first fish. it's a dace, from the River Colne off Sheepen Road in Colchester. A CAPS water . They don't see a need to hold any river stretches anymore. Very sad
Some of the far bank cover swims were proper aquariums. Accessed over a large sewer or gas main that you had to inch over. Worth it though.
Would have been somewhere about 1975 or 76. Back from the borstal type school I had been sent to for 2 years. Flares, big, Doc Martins, big. Hair biggish. Must have been a stalwart U's fan by then , loving the night games with 14,000 packed into Layer Road, changing ends at half-time.
Was fishing with my father and pictures were by my grandad on his trusty Zenit which he passed to me as my first camera. Grandad was an allotment holder, a skilled tool maker and could have been something big in the Union.
What are my jumbled photoless early memories?
Sticklebacks in jars from the Common in Kenilworth and much later down the road on the Leam, perch and a proper crayfish. Stopping for flask tea and banana bread by the famous Arsley Lake. Being marooned on Blicklng and catching 23 tiny, perfect rudd from the green warm water. I can still smell them today. Fishing for frogs over the Back. Eels and flounder from the Eel ponds. Sticklebacks (again) and big rudd from Alresford Church. Gudgeon and later bigger things from Dedham, that 8 mile bike ride. First time on the Sandbank, wind down before striking.
More, much much more to come.
Surprised you can't remember you first fish. I remember my first fishing trip in minute detail. I'll bore you with it some day. In short, I had the proverbial garden cane, perch bobber and no 10 Sundridge Specimen hooks. I caught five roach and perch and was hooked forever.
ReplyDeleteClassic. Probably was a roach from Dedham with the old man. Do remember my first carp, on a canal, every time the boats came the swing tip went one way. Went the other way once and was a common about 12 oz that pulled my string proper
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