Len Arbery bio?

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Tench Dreamer
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Re: Len Arbery bio?

Post by Tench Dreamer »

Len Arbery wrote:Hello Hovis,

The events of 13th September 1952, at about 4 o/clock in the morning, first set my feet along the big-fish path, when I was just 13 years old. Not that I knew it at the time, of course. It was almost certainly in the following week, though, for then I witnessed a conversation in Cooper's little tackle shop, in Hammersmith, West London. The proprietor and two of his 'grown-up' customers were discussing the almost unbelievable capture of a 44lb new record carp from Bernithan Pool, by a certain Richard Walker. From that very moment, I didn't just want to catch fish, I wanted carp. And, I wanted one so, so badly!

That was one ambition that took a long time in fulfilling...15 years to be precise!

I have never actually thought about, 'catching the biggest fish in the lake'. Invariably, and even from the very beginning, my aim has been to catch fish bigger than the norm; not necessarily the biggest in that particular water, nor the biggest in the land. At heart I'm not really competitive, save with myself, hence I'm always striving to do my best, and that's in everything, not solely fishing. I realise, and only too well, these aims of mine, do not make me a true 'specimen hunter'; but I do consistently try hard to increase my own PB's. Not all the time, though; for there are occasions when plainly big fish are secondary. Family and friends always, always come first with me.

I totally disagree with the sentiment, "All's fair in Love, War...and big-fish angling"!

Hope this answers your questions; if not, try me again?

Besties,

Len.
Sorry to come in on a minor point. I knew that tacke shop quite well... About 25 years later . Me dad bought shotgun cartridges from there. And I think it's where he bought my first rod.....long gone!

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Len Arbery
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Re: Len Arbery bio?

Post by Len Arbery »

Hello T D,

As a boy and young man, being my local tackle shops, I 'haunted' both Cooper's in Hammersmith, and Edgar Thurston's in Richmond-upon-Thames. I was still frequenting Cooper's in the early 1960's, for my girlfriend, June, later my wife, lived in that area.

If I recall correctly, Cooper's was one shop divided into two, the left hand side being run as a pet shop by a woman I took to be Cooper's wife.

Many years later, unfortunately long after it closed, Fred J. Taylor, (who was at one time a fishing tackle representative for Efgeeco), informed me the proprietor of Cooper's was a member of the famous taxidermy family, John Cooper & Sons, of St Lukes, London.

This is very likely fact, for I remember some stunning fish cases adorning the walls of that little shop.

Wonder where they all ended up?

Besties,

Len.

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Len Arbery
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Re: Len Arbery bio?

Post by Len Arbery »

http://i40.tinypic.com/1b69y.jpg

Hello Tengisgol,

You may very well be correct, but today when I look at Redmire I see:

Fred J. Taylor down on his knees under the old oak tree, checking on the contents of one of his Dutch Ovens.

Kevin Clifford throwing his cap so high, after one of his many successes, it stuck in the boughs of an overhanging tree.

My son, Tony, with that magnificent 27lb common caught on his first-ever Redmire cast.

Bob Buteux's expression of true delight when glimpsing Redmire for the first time.

Jack Hilton's beaming smile when congratulating me on my brace of 20lb leathers.

And, finally, Bill Quinlan, showing me around the Pool on my very first visit.

Only memories? But what memories! And there's hundreds more! I truly can't believe anybody, anybody at all in the whole wide world, has enjoyed their fishing life more than me.

Seasonal Greetings to you and yours,

Len.
Last edited by Len Arbery on Fri Dec 20, 2013 9:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Dave Burr
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Re: Len Arbery bio?

Post by Dave Burr »

I wish I had a bottle of the old tackle shop smell. Nowadays its an overwhelming amalgam of pellets and boilie flavours with a hint of ammonia from the maggots but back then it was much gentler on the nose although doubtless clouded in a fug of pipe smoke. Hooks a penny each, cane rods being overlooked to drool at the new fibreglass range and when the hollow glass rod was introduced it was so exciting to feel its lightness yet painful to look at the price tag when you only had a small amount of pocket money each week.

How about you Len, what new tackle set your pulse racing?

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Len Arbery
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Re: Len Arbery bio?

Post by Len Arbery »

Hello Dave,

Gotta be careful on this Forum with my answer to your question, less chance being burnt at the stake as a heretic! Oh! What the hell - here goes:

Plainly, throughout my early angling years centrepin reels were my only choice, because I simply couldn't afford to contemplate a Hardy Altex, even a second-hand one.

I never could get on with centrepins, with tangles an ever present hazard. Therefore, when affordable fixed-spool reels began to appear I couldn't wait to get my hands on one. My first brand-new FSR was a revelation; tangles mainly in the past, plus my bait could be placed almost anywhere at will. I loved it, and have never looked back. Furthermore, although there are a collection of centrepins in my office, some of far better quality than I ever used as a youngster, they rarely get an outing.

Then, much later, the introduction of the Optonic bite alarm: I can clearly recall being with Roger Smith in Dons of Edmonton, when he used a single hair plucked from his head to set an Optonic singing, and in both directions! I just had to have them as soon as sufficient cash could be saved.

That smell of old tackle shops, as I remember, was largely an amalgam of 'fermenting' linseed oil, all nets then being liberally soaked in the stuff; sausage rusk and breadcrumb, for ground bait, and that of drying copal varnish. Plus, as you say, tobacco smoke. Lovely!

Seasonal Greetings,

Len.

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