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Birmingham Anglers' Association
- Thread starter davidfowler
- Start date
G G Jean
Brummy Wench.
Had a caravan for many years just above that stretch of the river and someone went down in a diving suit and didn't reach the bottom. We have been told it is an old mine shaft that collapsed but that may be a story too!. A lot of mining went on in that area for many years. Some other excellent pegs close by though.
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
The car park at Upper Arley is just above the buildings on this picture, is this near Cromwell's ?
Looking upstream along the River Severn from the footbridge at Upper Arley - Worcestershire Walks, Upper Arley
By Pedrocut. (3241 views on panoramio)
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Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
My favourite place on BAA waters, Ribbersford, on a frosty sunny morning, and another day with magnificent roach fishing.
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Frosty morning on the River Severn at Ribbersford (Scan from the 1970s) - Old Fishing Spots
By Pedrocut.
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Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
Another pitch on the Avon at Marcliff, some great chub on luncheon meat...
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The Warwickshire Avon below Marcliff Lock (Scan from the 1970s) - Old Fishing Spots
By Pedrocut.
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izzy eckerslike
master brummie
Me & my dad were members for years from the 1960's. one of our favourite places was on the Teme at Eardiston. We used to go after work in Summer and flyfish on the weir,
izzy eckerslike
master brummie
I think the BA were the biggest club in GB at one time and every water that came up for rent or purchase they went for and got. But they overspent and got into severe debt and had to let some fisheries go. It's now a shadow of it's former self.
We used to go fly fishing and the BA had just bought a short stretch of the river Clywedog in Wales. They listed it as a beautiful Gin clear stream with deep rock pools containing brown trout and occasional Grayling.
We set off early looking forward to some peaceful fly fishing and when we got there we had a shock, there were dozens of people fishing there already!
The local landowners were up in arms because 'Brummies' had turned up and started fishing in other parts of the river as the BA section was not clearly marked, we suspected the signs had been pulled off by locals annoyed at losing their club water.
My dad was just about to cast his fly when a man with a shotgun appeared on the other side, he said do not step or cast your fly 1 inch past the middle of the river as that is my land and you will be poaching and I can legally take action to prevent you. Taking into account that the shallow river was only 10-12ft wide we gave up and went to the river Wye instead.
We used to go fly fishing and the BA had just bought a short stretch of the river Clywedog in Wales. They listed it as a beautiful Gin clear stream with deep rock pools containing brown trout and occasional Grayling.
We set off early looking forward to some peaceful fly fishing and when we got there we had a shock, there were dozens of people fishing there already!
The local landowners were up in arms because 'Brummies' had turned up and started fishing in other parts of the river as the BA section was not clearly marked, we suspected the signs had been pulled off by locals annoyed at losing their club water.
My dad was just about to cast his fly when a man with a shotgun appeared on the other side, he said do not step or cast your fly 1 inch past the middle of the river as that is my land and you will be poaching and I can legally take action to prevent you. Taking into account that the shallow river was only 10-12ft wide we gave up and went to the river Wye instead.
izzy eckerslike
master brummie
Another great memory is setting of to another new BA water, Bretby Hall lakes near Burton on Trent. I went with a mate from work and we set off at 5AM, he had his younger brother in the car asleep on the back seat, still in his pyjama's!
Halfway there he started fiddling with the radio and getting all excited. It was 30 September 1967 and Tony Blackburn came on and said the first words:- 'good morning everyone. Welcome to the exciting new sound of Radio 1.
Halfway there he started fiddling with the radio and getting all excited. It was 30 September 1967 and Tony Blackburn came on and said the first words:- 'good morning everyone. Welcome to the exciting new sound of Radio 1.
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Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
We went to Bretby Pools on a few occasions, and passed in 2007 some 30 years later. We were not welcome...
Looking towards Bretby Mill from near Bretby Hall - Derbyshire Walks, Bretby
By Pedrocut. There used to be a footpath between Bretby Hall and Bretby Mill, indeed the last time we passed this way you could park your car along the drive and fish the pools. Now 30 years later it…
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Bretby Pools and the strangely named Philosopher's Wood on the left - Derbyshire Walks, Bretby
By Pedrocut. (2429
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izzy eckerslike
master brummie
I seem to remember a string of lakes but looking on google Earth I can only see one but the map shows six, they must be hidden by trees. My first visit mentioned above in 1967 was when they were first available to BA members. It was still run as a hospital then and probably a lease agreement rather than a purchase for use of the lakes
izzy eckerslike
master brummie
I would have taken my fly rods there along with my usual tackle, i can't recall if I did any good. I've even dry fly fished on local canals where there are no trees behind and caught lots of fish whilst nearby anglers looked on in amazement along with their empty keep nets.
Do any of you fly fish? I still have a big case in the loft packed full of tools, feathers and capes etc mostly from Veniards and I used to tie all my flies. A favourite that would catch fish absolutely anywhere was called the Coachman which had a Peacock herl body with white Goose wings and a brown hackle. I caught a big trout on the river Onny using one of those but you could catch Chub, dace, Rudd, Grayling etc, more or less any fish that didn't stay on the bottom
Richard Dye
master brummie
Izzy, just started to fly fish..............Not very good at it, come to think not very good at most fishing although I have caught a few speckled trout and some red fish.
izzy eckerslike
master brummie
I've not been for a number of years, we used to go to the Elan Valley and fly fish there on the small rivers and streams which were the best and you could walk for miles casting as you went. I bought an automatic fly fishing reel in the 1960's, it was made in the USA and very rarely seen over here, I still have it. The idea was you could rapidly run the line back on the reel as you pulled a fish in and it worked very well indeed. Normally fly fishers don't reel in a fish but pull the line in and let it float on the water while they net the fish but I never liked that idea.
Richard Dye
master brummie
Izzy, I have one of those reels, maybe one day I will learn to use it properly
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
as a kid i used to make my rods. from a bamboo cane from a garden center. a 2/- reel from woolies.and safety pins for the eyes. held on with the rubbers from pop bottles,cotton for line. i cought loads of fish with that set up.even won a prize in the angling times with it lol
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
is that a split cane rod?
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
Bet you didn‘t catch those pike on it !
It is Pete, but the posh people call then built cain rods. I too had a bamboo cane rod, used it on the canal at Witton not far from the lockkeepers cottages in the other thread. There use to be a water pipe that ran inot the canal and the fish would hang around that spot
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
ta mort.....dad and i would walk from fradley to alrewas spinnig the cut,after the pike with a rod like that.
na only minnows and roach pete.
i won a badge for a large roach when i was 6
izzy eckerslike
master brummie
I had an expensive Hardy fly rod given to me and it was superb, so what did I do? I drove away from the river and left it leaning against the hedge in the car park area. I also drove away from another place and left a pair of waders
Back in the 60's there was a mention in the Angling times about a man in Tregaron who ran a small fishing tackle shop and also made split cane fly rods. We drove into the wildest part of Wales and found his tiny little shop and he was flabbergasted as he had no idea he was mentioned in the paper. He had two rods for sale so dad & myself had one each, we used them for years but both are now up in the loft, I think one bears the mans name.
EDIT: just had a look, his name was A.N.Tyrell
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izzy eckerslike
master brummie
Here is my vintage fly reel bought over 50 years ago, imported from the USA I had to wait six weeks. it still works perfectly as I used to strip it down and grease the big spring etc. These are plentiful on US Ebay but probably not over here
I have my dads gear as well as he died 5 years ago aged 96, in his fishing bag was a 1970's Mitchell auto fly reel complete with original box etc.
I have my dads gear as well as he died 5 years ago aged 96, in his fishing bag was a 1970's Mitchell auto fly reel complete with original box etc.
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Richard Dye
master brummie
Pete, I used the same set up although never came close to winning a prize other than falling into the lake at Handsworth Park a few times!
izzy eckerslike
master brummie
Us kids used to fish down the end of Gregory Avenue at the Duckpond in Weoley Castle, back in the 50's there was still a park keeper and his hut, We all had bamboo canes and a bent pin for a hook and we only caught tiddlers such as sticklebacks. Older kids with proper gear caught Roach.
Here is me at the Elan Valley from around 1969. there is a tale to tell there .......................
Here is me at the Elan Valley from around 1969. there is a tale to tell there
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