My Dad, his Dad and brothers were all BAA members and as kids they and my Grandad used to fish at the 'Pool' in fox Hollies Park which was just a few minutes walk from home.
When I was younger we were always off somewhere fishing, aunts and cousins in tow, regardless of the weather. In my early teens the most frequently fished place was on the Avon near Alcester town - knew it well as I used to get bored and go on long walkabouts! (still have some old cine film of him fishing too). Dad was also a member of the Birmingham Co-op fishing club and also recall that he was in a works fishing Club with HDA/Alcan.
I thought I'd escaped it all but when I met my wife I learned that her Dad was Secretary of the BAA, always out fishing and also made /repaired rods in his spare time for a tackle shop near where the Post Office is on Shirley Road - was it called Roys? I think he also got quick fixes from the Pool too. My wife and I both have childhood memories of hemp seed boiling on the stove, prepared secret bait concoctions of bread, spam and maggots - each mix uniquely prepared for canal or river fishing.
My last day fishing was in the late 70s at Earlswood lakes - cold and raining - I packed up and left my mate fishing while I sat in the car with a flask of hot soup!
I guess I was a great disappointment to my Dad as I never really took to fishing - I just couldn't bear to eat anything after touching maggots ;-(
Below is a picture of my Dad and Grandad ( the two shortest back center , Dad wearing beret, grandad on his right) on a Co-op fishing club trip ( early 60s I think).