It must have been 81 or 82 when Sticky Bun Dave came around my house and said that his uncle had an old cane rod he was selling, it was said to carry the name of Richard Walker.  At the time my barbel fishing was done with a Hardy’s brown glass Avon and a fine rod it was, still is actually, I did though have a longing for a cane rod but was also skint. So I mentioned the possibility of acquiring this rod to my long time friend Bru who already owned a Wallis Wizard and appreciated a bit of stick. Bru hadn’t the time to go and look at it but said if it was a good James MKiv he would have it for the asking price of £50,……. I was to go and have a look at it for him,……. Mistake!

The rod was indeed a B. James MKiv Avon, as new and came in its original bag; it looked as if it had hardly been used. How could I let such a thing pass through my hands? Well, in short, I couldn’t so I bought it for myself with the mortgage money and suffered gladly the abuse from she who was never obeyed anyway.   Bru was a tad miffed it has to be said but having grown up with me should have expected nothing less. I owned my first ever cane rod and I loved it for the fine thing that it was.

For almost the next 20 years that rod caught me barbel from all over our land, all the Yorkshire rivers, the Hampshire Avon, the Kennet and the Stour, even the tidal Trent at Collingham. You won’t see many test curves under 2lb at that place these days!

Here is a young Tony one cane with the rod on Throop in the mid 80’s.

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Highbank on Throop.

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As I started to fish the Trent more and more in the late 90’s I made myself a pair of slightly heavier canes to fish with and I had of course acquired a few other cane rods by this time. My original MKiv didn’t get taken out very often, maybe just a couple of times a year, to the Wharfe for old times sake.

So we come to the year 2000 and us school mates are all turning 40. I met Bru at Clown Pond on the day of his 40th birthday and we fished floating crust, as ever, it was a favourite childhood haunt. Bru caught a two and a half pound goldfish, he always catches strange stuff, and I gave him the MKiv Avon as a birthday present..

I have only seen the rod once since that day. Bru came down to Hazelford with his son a couple of years ago and was using it. It still looked in good nick and I was pleased he seemed to be looking after it.

I then received the Christmas card below from Bru this last Christmas.

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Yes, Bru had lost the rod to a barbel in the River Nidd during a moment of absentmindedness, Bru has always been afflicted with lots of these. What’s more it later emerged that this event took place at the end of last summer and he had not been able to summon the courage to tell me,….. so he puts it in my Christmas card!

I was a touch upset upon realising the fate of my very first cane rod and I have no doubt Bru was too at the time, but I suppose if a valued rod has to die then the River Nidd is a fine river for it to rest in. It is where Bru and I spent many fine days chasing the barbel in our youth and the rod was ‘ours’ after all.

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When I lived in the home town we had large french doors in the lounge looking down the back garden and every winter I would see Goldcrests nipping aphids off the roses my Father grew, he still does actually but whether the Goldcrests still visit I know not. Anyway, its been a long time since I have seen Britains smallest bird,………. until this morning. As I made my first cuppa of the day I spied a pair of these lovely little birds through the kitchen window. As it happens Fayes camera was set up so I grabbed it and had a pop, I give you my best offerings out of about 20 goes.

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Gold.

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Crest

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Could be better but not bad through the kitchen window I don’t think and they were a fair way off.

Steve Pope latest.

Anyone read Popes latest offering on FM ? Half is about so called celebrity anglers and he introduces us to his criteria for bestowing celebrity status upon an angler. It tells the reader much about what Pope sees as important in the angling world and firmly confirms my opinion of this small minded and shallow individual. A souless man for sure. We are then offered his first ten celebrity anglers. If I had known Chris Holley was going to achieve such greatness I would have saved some of the sick he deposited next to me in that Christchurch nightclub all those years ago.

Celebrities my arse, you are in a strange world Pope.

Boney and the Frampoodle do their best to defend Popey in the comments following the article but the one called Longshaw has them bang to rights. Poor ol Fred cant even work out who it is, it aint even hard Boney. Maybe its about time I popped back on to FM, seems to be a bit more fun of late.

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Now where was I?

It’s ok this not working lark but you just don’t get time to do anything that you used to. I rarely get time to read the fishing forums let alone contribute and I don’t even turn on the (new) laptop some days. Work claimed back the old laptop, as they would and my phone……….. well one of them anyway. Do I miss work?………. Er, now let me have a think……….

So, I have been out fishing a couple of times. First time the river was out of sorts and 6 of us failed to register a bite between us before we all retired to the pub, but the second I had a lovely day trotting for the Grayling and had a dozen or so nice ladies and the same of out of season trout. One bloke on the river that day caught the same trout 3 times in a few hours, not too bright your trout sometimes.

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Grayling and stick.

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You may recall that I am turning some land behind my house into an orchard and it is this that I have mainly been on with. It’s been a while since I worked hard physically but I figured that after a few weeks the old muscles would get used to it and I would stop aching, Wrong! I ache in places that I didn’t know you could ache in and steaming hot baths have replaced the usual shower. However, I am enjoying it no end and it’s coming along.

I needed a new felling axe and as you would expect sought out one with a proper Hickory shaft, not easy as most axes these days come with some sort of composite carbon type shaft but I’m having none of it, as Clint said, “You can’t beat a good bit of Hickory”. It transpired that maybe old Clint was wrong as my Hickory shaft split in two when my newly acquired biceps tested it against a lump of hawthorn root. Maybe I should have taken into consideration that Clint was being a cowboy from the late 1800’s, Hickory was all he had…………………….. Don’t even think about drawing a comparison between cane and carbon rods dear reader.

I have also broken my chainsaw, twice! Oh, and one wheelbarrow. The latter doesn’t really matter as it wasn’t mine anyway! Did my back in last Saturday and am still struggling with it, hence the time to write this.

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Frosty back yard.

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Meanwhile in stupid internet fishing land I have been amused no end at the words from ol 2Bob’s, on the odd occasion I have logged on.  He has been spouting off about Otters and Cormorants again and drew up his own list of the 10 biggest threats to angling. His understanding of the predator prey relationships between species comes straight out of a junior school text book it seems and even when he lifts words from some research paper or other he gets it all wrong. Folks who obviously know so little about a subject should keep their  ill informed opinions to themselves instead of telling all those who don’t agree that they are “ostriches”. Fortunately one or two of the brighter folks on Fishing  Magic showed Bob for the idiot he is.

Time to throw another log on the burner so that’ll do for now. Will try not to leave it so long next time.

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Well I trust you had a good un, I did. Santa turned up as usual at mine as I have been a good boy this year, as always.

Had a run out yesterday to the Grey Seal colony at Donna Nook. Here are some pics Faye took of a fishes best friend………

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Spent my last day in the office today, no not before Christmas, before ever. I was presented with an opportunity to get out a couple of months back and put my hand up, negotiations were finalised last week. I have never minded going to work and I have been lucky to work with some great folks over the years but of late I have found the driving every day getting on my nerves. I spent 10 years commuting to Beverley and another 10 to Doncaster, its enough.  Will I go to work again? I may, and then again, I may not, don’t know really. I will have a think about it in the summer. I have things to do that will keep me busy for some time. One things for sure I wont be spending day after day on t’net making myself look a fool like one beardy fat bloke I can think of . If you were casting an occasional eye on the Stillwater barbel thread on Fishing Tragic last week, all 28 pages of it, you may have noticed that said beardy fellow usually posted first thing in the morning and often had his last say after midnight, sad I think and all I can say is…… get a life!

What about the Barbel Society joining the Anglers Trust? A bit of a turn around that one. Shame they didn’t bother to consult their members about it before jumping in! Actually they didn’t mention it at all. To be expected from Mr Pope I suppose after all they have not even told the members of the scandal surrounding the recent treasurer yet or even mentioned he’s gone come to that.  It isn’t Popes money that has been thrown at the Angling Trust it’s the members and as we all know the Society doesn’t know the meaning of democracy. Lets just hope they all wanted to join eh.

I mentioned last time that I had a couple of days arranged on 2 nice Southern chalk streams. Sadly my fellow piscator went all hickory dick on me so we had to cancel. Not to worry, we will do it soon I hope. I have not cast a line since I came back from Spain in November, chopped some wood and had some great bonfires though, I love a good bonfire don’t you?

What you doing for Crimbo then? I am staying at home, not going to Spain this time. Think I may go over there fishing in Feb or March, or, whenever I feel like it actually.

Have a good one whatever.

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I may be some time, I have a lot to do, Faye wants an orchard.

I bought some land behind my house the other month which was until recently woodland. Some of the trees were huge and getting to the end of their naturals, I have to clear it all and am getting through chainsaw chains like they are going out of fashion. Its been a while since I did some hard graft but I am enjoying it no end. A pic or three…

Hard work this

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Big lad this.

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The log burner is being fitted next week, be daft not to.

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I have received some more pics of our recent trip to Extremadura from the Eelfishers camera. Here are a couple or four.

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Nice fish Dan.

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Rio Almonte

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Me Hob and Dan

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Why do they have a sculpture of a naked Fred Boney riding a cow backwards at Madrid Airport?

Back home from Spain again. Myself, Danny Collins, Steve (Eelfisher) Richardson and Ian Hobkirk ventured forth this time.

A call from Hobby four days before we were to fly out revealed that he had chopped the end of his index finger off at work that day. Whilst such an occurrence would certainly have sent the Southern softy sorts akin to Fred Boney running to mummy our Hobby was born in Yorkshire where such things are hardly worth a mention in passing. Hobby would go and Hobby would fish with his mates as planned.

The forcast was for rain but we had only one day of the wet stuff. The river was low and thankfully the 33 degrees of October was replaced with a more comfortable 16 to 20. The barbel fed quite well at most of the four different locations we tried and amongst the small ones we had a lot of fish between 5lb and 9lb.

The Eelfisher was a Spanish virgin, having done his utmost to avoid the Costas for the last 40 years, but this was “real” Spain and he seemed to enjoy the place and the people, not to mention something a little special called Caramel Vodka.

The wild life was stunning as ever. Ever watched 15 or so Cormorants working as a team pushing silver fish up a shallow riffle whilst 40 Egrets and 8 Herons picked off the casualties and stranded around the margins? It was quite stunning. Or, had 8 Griffon Vultures circling very low above your head whist fishing a spectacular location Danny Collins named the Slate Quarry even though it wasn’t one at all. Other stuff seen included Short Toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Marsh Harrier, etc, etc, and over a hundred wagtails roosting together in the shrubs of a car park at a Harley Davidson motorcycle dealers,……bizare to say the least.

Here are some pictures of the trip and I must warn you that as Hobby needed his dressing changing by Dr Richardson during the trip there is a picture some viewers may find disturbing……. But first some fish.

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First cast of the trip..

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Two rods was a struggle sometimes.

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Hobby, see owt strange?

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Me and an Eelfisher

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Geezer Collins

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An Eelfisher and a Comizo.

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An Eelfisher dreaming of large eels.

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Me again

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Well it is my camera.

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An oven glove shows of a barbels profile well I feel..Look away Fred.

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Ouch!

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Well done to Hobby for fishing with this, I know it was hurting him all the time..... as it would!

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On a lighter note it was friend Fatima’s birthday yesterday (21 again) and she and Antonio invited us around to their house where huge steaks were cooked on the open fire in the living room. Very good they were too. Here we all are.

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A happy crew.

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It was a great trip and I thank the boys for their good company as always.

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As boys, Rich Priestly, Chris Pearson and myself used to fish for small brown trout together on the river Sheaf on the edge of Sheffield. We would also chase the wild carp on the ancient ponds by Beauchief Abbey. That was all a very long time ago and we three wont have fished together for something like 35 years. Good then that we were to “ride again” for a week in Extremadura.

It was hot, too hot, and the river Guadiana was the lowest I have ever seen it. I had expected some cooling of the temperature by now and at least rain but nope, it was hotter than when I was last there at the end of August. Not so good for the fishing then. I asked in the bar when it last rained and after a 5 minute discussion the locals declared that they couldn’t remember. One seemed to recall a shower sometime in July but the others said he imagined it.

We got about a bit and fished every day but rarely cast a line before mid day. Chris had taken the fly gear and wanted to catch a barbel “con mosca” but it wasn’t to be though he did try hard.

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There was a deep hole behind those rocks,... make note Hobby.

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We did manage to catch some barbel every day but they were mostly small and Chris did manage some fish on the fly,….. they were not barbel though. Rich had never caught a barbel let alone a Spanish one so I was pleased when he managed a few, I don’t think he expected them to fight like that. Chris put in his usual effort when sat behind a rod as the picture below shows….. He did manage some barbel though and was top rod on the final day. I lost count but we had around 30 or so between us. 

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Sadly that chair gave up the ghost shortly after, as did the next one. I think the chair gods are trying to tell Chris summut.

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I, as you would expect, put in a little more effort and caught just a few more than Chris, modesty forbids me to mention that they were a tad bigger too, whoops .

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Comizo

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One evening we had a couple of hours on the carp puddle at the edge of the village, by way of a bit of a change you understand. There were quite a lot of locals fishing seemingly catching not a lot. We all caught and I had 14 little mirrors in just over two hours. For any Spaniards looking in its called Method feeder pellet chaps. Those Spanish carp don’t half fight mind.

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Rich carp bashing.

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So, we caught a few, drank some very nice red, not to mention the Cruz Campo and caught up on some very old times. Three slightly aging old friends wandering around a nice place, good I think.

Here are some more pics.

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A first.

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Chris will never be as tall as "long un" whatever he does.

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Try and keep your shadow out of the shot Chris, beginners error.

Bar Rio with Fatima y Antonio.

Carpa

Dusk from the castle. They still stubble burn in Spain, look, in the distance.

First day out on the shoot today and what a grand day it was. I shot well after the lay off and a good number of pheasants and partridge fell to my pop.

We have a sweep stake before the off where you have to guess the total number of birds shot and the total number of shots fired. I won both and went home with a bottle of whiskey and a bottle of sloe gin, my fellow guns were not amused. I made sure to buy a lottery ticket on the way home.

Spain in the morning with Seepee and Doggy, its still a bit warm out there for the fishing, 33, and there has been no rain for months but I suppose I will have to make the effort. A couple of fly rods are going with us for the first time, might be interesting.

Back when I’m back.

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Well I survived another “Wye do” relatively unscathed and I caught a few nice chub to boot. Some nice barbel were caught but they didn’t trouble me this year, or more accurately, I didn’t trouble them. Best fish of the trip a 3lb 5oz perch to a Jolly boys weekend virgin, and a Southerner at that. Well done JB. 

I do admit to needing a sleep on the bank on the Saturday even though I only stayed up until 2am the night before. It was left  to Conrad and Mike Joyce to hold the end up for the Northern boys and they retired just before 5am, and they still made it up for breakfast at 8:30. An impressive performance lads. With hindsight it was a mistake to go on the red wine once the Guinness ran out and I did crash a few times on my way to bed……. I couldn’t have managed another 10 mins even if I had wanted too if the truth be known. Sadly one of the Northern contingent let the side down badly with an excellent display of how not to hold ones ale. Never before have the North had to suffer the indignity of one of their number losing the ability to speak and then falling to sleep on a bar stool. We will have to review his invite next year. 

Here is a photo of Mark Scott having a trot, he needn’t have bothered with the chesties as the gusset had split and they filled with water.

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Damp Scottie

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It was a grand weekend as always and I suppose we will have to do it all over again next year.

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Meanwhile in t’internet fishing land. 

I was just reading 2Bobs latest outburst at someone who had the gall to say on Fishing Tragic that they found his presentation skills a bit patronising on his DVDs. Not having seen any of them I can’t offer an opinion on that score but if I had would I not be entitled to my own opinion? Bob responds in typical manner on his blog coming out with all guns blazing dishing out personal insult after personal insult. Now I may poke fun and laugh at those in fishing with far too high an opinion of themselves, and of the fishing thing for that matter, but I never dish out streams of crude personal insults. I got to thinking about this and concluded that those who do are the insecure ones who are not at all happy in their own skins. It must be so for those I know who have been on the end of such Bobby type tripe really couldn’t give two figs, me included. Not complicated is it.

Anyway, I would suggest Bob calm down or someone will have the Old Bill knocking on his door again and we really will laugh then. 

Good for the hits though, they must be down a bit as he hasn’t had a rant for a while.

Looks like I wont be fishing again until my next trip to Spain in a couple of weeks. Loads to do and the shootings just around the corner, not cleaned my guns from the end of last season yet.

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