This and that

 Bill and Sonny Warren

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I've had a letter from Bob Buteux asking me to put the following in the Barbel Society members magazine.
I spoke to him today and said it wasn't my job anymore and that the next issue is not until March next year, so I asked him if I could have his permission to put the detail on the internet.
This he gave and the following is his request:

I am writing with the hope of contacting any old acquaintances of the Warren brothers who maybe fished with or stayed with them at their boarding house in Southbourne.
I have many photographs and some ephemera about them, and my plan is to put a book together to tell of their exploits and fish they caught. What I need is additional written information to add to that of my own, from others who knew them, any stories of interest, snippets, in fact anything whatsoever about the lives of these two remarkable anglers. 


Please message me if you have any thing for Bob and I'll give you his contact details.

Health

Had my 3 month check over for diabetes on Tuesday with the specialist nurse, still OK, so I continue to control the problem with diet,not drugs.

There was a show of a typically related protein in  a urine sample given a few days before, so I now have one 5 mg tablet a day to take to ensure my kidneys are being looked after.

Next check up in 6 months

Holiday

We've booked our 40th wedding anniversary trip this week. 

We shall be off to Helsinki for 3 nights, followed by a 12 night river cruise from St Petersburg to Moscow and all stops in between.

Looking forward to that already, a trip to these cities is something The Boss has wanted to do for some time.

Floods

I didn't make my usual trip down to Sutton on Trent this week because as reported on the Environment Agency site, levels were above the most recent highest level of January 2008. As it turned out they weren't that far off the highest level recorded.Photographs from the fishery head baliff.

The river is about 400 yards from the end of this entrance road

This is to the left of the entrance gate at the last floodbank, the content of the old river course is the green stuff!

Looks like a trip down to the ponds in the valley, or maybe a fish rescue?

In my mail today

Historic Legal Victory

Fish Legal has won one of the biggest cases in its 64 year history by securing an injunction to stop a hydropower development on the River Trent at Sawley Weir. We hope that this case will send a clear signal to hydropower developers that they cannot plan or build hydropower turbines without getting permission from anglers first.
The ruling by the Judge shows that the Environment Agency failed to give proper consideration to angling when it granted the developer an impoundment licence which is now subject to a court injunction. We hope that in future the regulator will pay greater attention to the rights of anglers before giving licences to companies seeking to profit from taxpayer subsidies.

What's more, the Canal and River Trust (previously British Waterways) - the new waterways charity established to promote recreational use of our nation's waterways - was an investor in this development, and tried to defend the damaging scheme at court.

Fish Legal was acting for its member club the Pride of Derby & Derbyshire Angling Association, which was involved in the first ever major case taken by Fish Legal (then known as the Anglers' Co-operative Association) against British Celanese Ltd in 1952. The club would never have been able to defend itself in court without the expertise and financial backing of Fish Legal, which has covered all the costs and risks of this very complex and expensive case. This in turn is only possible because of the subscriptions and donations of the generous members of Fish Legal and the Angling Trust. Many thanks for your support, which enables us to fight to protect fish, and fishing. Read more about this story HERE.

Politicians speak out in The Angle
Your membership magazine, The Angle, will be landing on your doormat in the next week. Keep an eye out for exclusive political interviews in the magazine with the new Secretary State for the Environment Owen Paterson as well as the Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon and his opposition counterpart Tom Harris. They express their clear and forthright views about hydropower and also about cormorants, universal canoe access and bass minimum landing sizes, among other issues. Read quotes from their interviews HERE.

IMPORTANT: If you aren't a member of the Angling Trust and Fish Legal, please join today. It only takes a few minutes to join online at www.anglingtrust.net or over the phone and costs less than 50p a week - please call 01568 620447 during office hours.

If you are a member and know someone who hasn't joined the Angling Trust and Fish Legal yet, please forward them this e-mail by clicking here and urge them to join today.

Just another day.

Fishing

I've been waiting in all morning watching it raining heavily and it still is, so I thought and have just decided to venture out to the car. I still had all my soaking wet gear in the car from yesterday's session at Sutton on Trent.
It wasn't a very nice day generally with strong downstream winds, gusting at times and as darkness approached the fine drizzle, that had been about on the wind on and off all day, became something more.
Rob and I sat it out into darkness for a couple of hours before the dash to put everything in our respective vehicles before we got even wetter.
The Barbel Society stretch at Sutton, for those who don't know, is situated beside a marsh and vehicle access over that marsh in  very wet conditions can lead to vehicles trapped, at times up to their axles. Poor driving being the main problem!!
I tend not to venture on there on those occasions and fish a more accessible part of the fishery, or just walk the bank.
So, on arrival after unlocking the gate, I could see that Rob had parked on the marsh side of the flood bank.
 I 'phoned him and asked for his verdict on the marsh's suitability to drive over. "It's ok, just be a bit careful", so I drove over, slipped and slid a little bit as I manoeuvred away from the obvious swampy looking bits and arrived ok. About half way along the mile and a half of bank that forms the fishery.
Anyway back to the fishing, I decided not to go for the zander, this location on the fishery needs a bit of a chuck, to get into the boat channel and after a couple of attempts with my limited zander gear and a few free gifts of sprat to the river gods, I decided to stick to a two rod approach to what may be feeding.

The only boat all day

The result one chub a bit over two pounds on lobworm.
Rob faired better a few yards downstream of me,  four or five chub, a bream and a barbel of about 8lb, mostly on his home made boilies, and a few of the earlier fish on maggot.

Still bright 23 hours later!

I gave him a bit of a start on my last cast of the day, when one of the clip on starlights came off and floated off downstream, bobbing "on and off" in the waves, he thought it was an eye he saw,  not of  the otter though!
After packing up we were both very wary of the trip back across the marsh in the pitch black, dodging the dips in the dark is not as easy, anyway we got off ok with Rob having just a little loss of traction and a re-manoeuvre to get over the rise onto the track.
We decided to go in the Lord Nelson, not that we needed an excuse, but traffic isn't light on the A1 at 6pm. So we had a couple of pints each of Grafter's fine ale, wished each other safe journeys, and headed off in different directions.

The Car

On the way home, I noticed a rubbing noise coming from the drivers side particularly as I took the roundabouts, so needing a pee, I found a quiet country lane and headed down there.
On my three point turn to get out of the lane there was a crunch on my bumper and something fell into  the dark road I hoped it wasn't the bumper, it wasn't but it had come away, just a little bit!
To my untrained eye,laying on the road was the sump protector, the same one that didn't protect my sump over a year ago when I holed it crossing an unseen rocky ridge on a Scunthorpe Pisces water and which was cobbled together to attach it to the frame. I must have hit one of those dips on the marsh on the way back a bit hard.
Methinks a new one is needed.

More fishing related stuff

Having already three centrepin reels in my ownership, a Ray Walton Rolling Pin, a Purist II and a Heritage, I succumbed for some unknown reason to this a Rapidex. 
Ah well, I wonder what I should do with it!!

Talking of ebay

I have offered to sell for an old friend all of his fishing tackle, he is unable to continue fishing because of severe arthritis in his hands.
The gear covers all aspects of angling, some good rods I'm told, including a cane fly rod and some Hardy's, At the moment I've started with a few of his reels as a tester for him, keep an eye out if interested.
Here's just one, you can find the rest easily enough     Item number       181027187162

Disease, farming, food and fishing

George

You will recall I mentioned the farmer who owns the ponds I fish had contracted Weils Disease.
The latest news is that after being moved from Louth and Grimsby hospitals where they were unable to give him the required care, he was taken to Leeds, he is now in recovery.
In fact he was given 24 hours to live at one stage and his family had said their goodbyes. There was a potential need for a liver transplant, but he has pulled through and is on life support systems.
So be careful out there fishing with your cuts and grazes and when eating, it's rare and it caught George unaware, but they are reporting more rats around us.


Next years lamb chops!

They are in production, the Tup is currently in the field next door doing his job!
Having tried half a shoulder, a couple of cutlets and the kidneys from this years lamb,I have to say the flavour brings back memories of our annual buy from Noggin the milkman/smallholder in Castlethorpe. It's taste far out does the supermarket stuff.
We used to get half a pig, some good beef and ducks from him too. We've found a good butcher for beef and the poulterer in Louth has some good ducks, pork has been variable, so we've not been tempted to top up the freezer...yet.


Tomorrow

I shall be going down to the ponds tomorrow for some more "deadbait" as I shall be on the Trent most of Tuesday doing a bit of everything.

Fillet less!!

Zander

Well, as I said I would I had my first attempt at the zander this afternoon on the tidal Trent at Sutton, a Barbel Society water.

From and too where? I've not worked out!!

Must check my line capacity..... before using the c/p

The only tree!!

Arrived just in time to see the tide turn, which was more by luck than judgement, and set myself up just downstream of the big right angled bend, in the hope that the smaller (bait) fish would congregate just off the current.
Two rods, one for the zander with a deadbait roach and mashed sprats in the open end feeder. The other I used for a variation of baits fished downstream, for whatever may come along.
So I sat back, and for the first time again, tuned into the radio, there's one on my "emergency" mobile. I say emergency, because mobiles are something I have steered clear of since they became the in thing to have.
I thought back then they were an intrusion even in my job, and have had no change of mind being proved right.
With mine I tell the boss indoors when I've arrived and when I'm on my way home.
So the cheap pay and go is for emergency only, the FM radio is a bonus.
It's no good at home, the signal up on the Wolds is ..........intermittent!
I tuned into Radio 4, not my usual choice, and found that time goes that much faster when your blanking. Listened to Paul Weller talking about the Jam's last  and 6th LP, some interesting information about Flag Fen near Peterborough and chat about the final series of Time Team. Far more interesting than that prat SteveWright on 2!
There were hardly any birds to watch, just the call of the rooks and the gulls, the occasional view of a cormorant, and a whistling flock of duck,too far away to identify by sight.
Anyway, I fished from just before 2pm until about 6pm, with not a touch on either rod, well I did have one big pull on the second rod, just into the dark maybe a chub or possibly a bat!!
There were, and it surprised me, some big bats about in the dusk.
No signs of fish at all, no dimpling at dusk no big splashes or rolls....nothing!
Prior to that the only disturbance, apart from the constant drone of the A1 over my shoulder, was from three dogs.
One that appeared beside me and wanted to have it's belly rubbed, no sign or sound of the owner, another one that looked at me and wandered off, the last one, for which the owner apologised for disturbing me, stood just out of range and barked at me, went away and came back for another bark. I think I surprised it, by just being there!!
The lack of any movement fish wise, persuaded me to pack up early, I had one of those feelings you sometimes get that nothing was going to happen. Fell arse over tit going to the car on the slippery slope from the gravel shore, fortunately I had left the rods for a return, so no harm done, and nobody saw me so no embarrassed blushes.
I do like it down there, even though it's wilderness of a place, so if it's not too Arctic like over the next few months I can see myself going down there pretty regularly.

Farmer George

I didn't get my usual glimpse of the owner of the ponds in the valley, when I collected my deadbait last week, and over the weekend I found out why! The local White Hart grapevine told me that he was in hospital " with that disease you can get from rats" Weil's  disease I say, "err is that from rats" Weil's-Disease
I tell you what, I made sure I had and used the hand cleaner today!

After thought

One day, in line at the works cafeteria, Jack says to Mike behind him, 'My elbow hurts like hell. I suppose I'd better see a doctor!'
Listen mate ; don't waste your time down at the surgery, Mike replies.
There's a diagnostic computer at Tesco. Just give it a urine sample
and the computer will tell you what's wrong, and what to do about it.
It takes ten seconds and only costs five quid....a lot quicker and
better than a doctor and you get Clubcard points'.
So Jack collects a urine sample in a small jar and takes it to Tesco.
He deposits five pounds and the computer lights up and asks for the urine sample. He pours the sample into the slot and waits.

Ten seconds later, the computer ejects a printout:

'You have tennis elbow. Soak your arm in warm water and avoid heavy activity. It will improve in two weeks'.

That evening while thinking how amazing this new technology was, Jack began wondering if the computer could be fooled.He mixed some tap water, a stool sample from his dog, urine samples from his wifeand daughter, and 'pleasured himself' into the mixture for good measure. Jack hurried back to Tesco, eager to check what would happen.

He deposits five pounds, pours in his concoction, and awaits the results with a grin. The computer prints the following:

1) Your tap water is too hard. Get a water softener.

2) Your dog has ringworm. Bathe him with anti -fungal shampoo.

3) Your daughter has a cocaine habit. Get her into rehab.

4) Your wife is pregnant. Twins. They aren't yours. Get a lawyer.

5) And if you don't stop playing with yourself, your elbow will never get better....

Thank you for shopping at Tesco

The Barbel Society's Research and Conservation Auction 2012

MONDAY 19TH NOVEMBER 

That time of year again and we are gearing ourselves ready for the Barbel Society Research and Conservation Auction. 
Below is a list of confirmed items up for auction so far, with more to follow over the coming week.

All fisheries permit and membership for the Barbel Society for the 2013/14 season

Skies of Fire Rivers of Gold book, Fred Crouch, limited edition of 250
Day on the River Kennet with Pete Reading

Day on the Dorset Frome with Pete Reading

Day on the Hampshire Avon with Pete Reading

Day on the Severn with Steve Pope

Day on the Wye with Steve Pope

Day on the Trent with Rob Hilton

Day on the Kennet with Dave Brown

Day on the Middle Severn with Rich Frampton

Day on a private stretch of the Teme, with guidance from Rob Swindells

Book; Hampshire Avon Salmon by Colonel Crow 1960s classic, very rare fine copy
Day for two on Dave Steuarts stretch of the River Test

Two tickets for Man Utd game in the Knights Lounge

Ancient reel once owned by Chris Yates with a framed certificate of authenticity from Chris

Book by Len Arbery Barbel for life

Book by Phil Smith Targets Set and Achieved

Leather and hardback combination of new Barbel Society book, Barbel Tales

Bait package from Three Rivers Baits 10kilos of fresh frozen boilies and paste and flavours

Shakespeare Eagle centrepin reel

Set of floats from Chris Lythe

Box of cork on quill and other handmade floats

British Freshwater Fishes Players cigarette cards complete album with 50 cards

Fishermans Bedside Book by BB First Edition 1945

Day on the River Kennet with John Found

Ringwood and District Angling Club membership

Christchurch Angling Club membership

Observers Book of Fishes, First Edition 1941

Observers Book of Coarse Fishing, by Peter Wheat, First Edition 1976

Abu 7000i Multiplier reel as new

Shimano 5000RE Baitrunner reel

Handmade wooden rod rests

Set of whipped and varnished goose quill floats

Set of four numbered prints by Bernard Venables 54/5000

Day on the Medway with John Kemp

Book Specimen Fishing by Design Martin Hooper

Book Favourite Swims; Fishing here and there, Fred J Taylor

Classic Waterlog magazine numbers 1-61, with 1-50 in binders

Crucian carp underwater print from Seeking Shadows, signed by Martin Bowler

Kevin Nash collapsible roving seat

Available to members only

If you would like me to bid on your behalf just send me a message and we'll go into the detail, alternatively the half year membership offer is still available.

http://www.thebarbelsociety.co.uk/join.asp

Just another week

In the valley

Out again this afternoon until dark to get some deadbaits, succeeded this time, so next week I'll be down the Trent for my first  ever attempt at the zander.
I am still of a view that something larger lingers in the pond, today I landed a perch of about a 1lb and a half and a bit bigger roach than the usual stamp of fish.
I may need to fish into dark and drop the waggler tactics for some different sessions during this autumn/winter.
Anyway back to my zander trip, I plan to use my normal barbel gear including an open end feeder which I will fill with mashed sprats and put a  4/5 inch rudd on the trace
I have some Drennan 15lb Green Pike Wire, a seven strand stainless steel braid with a nylon coat traces already made up, each armed with a pair of Sakuma size 8 trebles with the barb snipped off two on each hook.Wish me luck.

Other stuff

The lamb is outstanding one of the best flavoured beasts I've tasted for many a year, probably not since we used to buy one every year of our local smallholder come milkman in Castlethorpe.
We've had the kidneys in our big breakfast on Saturday morning, a half of shoulder for Sunday lunch and last night a couple of cutlets. Must slow down and not eat it all at once.

We've ordered a goose for Christmas dinner, Pauline's made the rich fruit cake and recovered last years pud for a brandy top up.We have plenty of wine and champagne in store, mainly from Laithwaites, but our years supply of Tesco Clubcard vouchers have been doubled up to £210, just to make sure we have some left!!



I haven't told you I've been dabbling on the Stock Exchange for a short while during this year, have I ?
All invested in four    companies I had been studying and so far looking good, showing 27% plus growth.Nothing substantial at risk at the moment, but dabbling so far, looks better than leaving it under the mattress at present.
It's good fun and I'm a bit obsessed at the moment but at the same time being careful
With a two for one share offer going to an AGM for a flooring company, and some very good signs of substantial growth before the end of the calender year, from a company dealing with cancer cures, and another in oil exploration.
Learnt a thing or two about AiM's differences to the Footsie, when I had 50% wiped off one company share price that was showing well, and still is promising good, the Directors decided put out a few million more shares,at two thirds of the day price, somewhat diluting the value, at least for a few weeks!

I'll report back on the zander trip soon.

...and finally

An Air Canada plane leaves Pearson Airport under the control of a Jewish captain; his co-pilot is Chinese.
It's the first time they've flown together and an awkward silence between the two seems to indicate a mutual dislike.
Once they reach cruising altitude, the Jewish captain activates the auto-pilot, leans back in his seat, and mutters,
'I don't like Chinese..'
'No rike Chinese?' asks the co-pilot, 'why not?'
'You people bombed Pearl Harbour , that's why!'
'No, no', the co-pilot protests, 'Chinese not bomb Peahl Hahbah!
That Japanese, not Chinese.'
'Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese....doesn't matter, you're all alike!'
There's a few minutes of silence.
'I no rike Jews!' the co-pilot suddenly announces.
'Oh yeah, why not?' asks the captain.
'Jews sink Titanic!' says the co-pilot.
'What? You're insane! Jews didn't sink the Titanic!' exclaims the captain,
'It was an iceberg!'

Iceberg, Goldberg, Greenberg, Rosenberg , ..no mattah...all same.

Barbel Society 2013 Calender

Rob Hilton Request

I’m making plans to issue a Barbel Society calendar for 2013.
I’d like to issue an appeal for your photographs that may be suitable for either a month page, or indeed the front cover!

Can you send any contributions, preferably by email as soon as possible please:

to
barbelnews@ntlworld.com

Please note, they must be hi-resolution images.

All contributors will receive credit for their work on the calendar itself, and there will be a free copy for the person who contributes the photograph selected for the front cover.
They will be on sale in the Barbel Society online store in time for Christmas.

Rob

Peace!

A bit of time

Having had quite a busy last few days with my sister in law and my great niece over from Australia, showing them, particularly my niece, what they are missing with our pubs and fish and chips and of course a little snow last Friday, I felt the need for a few hours to myself down in the valley.
There was an ulterior motive too, in that I'm planning my very first zander trip soon, to the Trent, and thought I would pick up some small rudd/roach to be used as deadbait.

No dead maggots in the freezer, so I thought I would have a dabble with flake. It was soon apparent that for the moment at least the small fish aren't having it on flake and plastics!
My first bite and fish was this carp at 10lb4ozs, which lead me a merry dance for a while on my float gear.
A couple more smaller carp followed, a few roach and a gudgeon,all of which I put back. 
The roach  bigger than I wanted, and I felt sorry for the gudgeon! 

The last sunshine

With darkness coming in quick and a cold wind blowing straight towards me I decided to call it a day and go back in the week with some maggots.


Freezer stocked

Yesterday we received the lamb I put our name to a few months ago when they were put in our next door field.
Having had first choice we picked one of the twins so it was the smallest of the group with a butchered weight of 16 kilos, less t'ead.
 She, only cost us £110, so very good value in my view at just over £3 a pound, plenty of dinners in her.
We will start the tasting tomorrow with a kidney each with our sausage egg and bacon in the morning, and a half shoulder roast for Sunday.
I put our name down for another next year!


      CHRISTMAS IDEAS     

CRAFTERS BARN