BB's Reel

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Invicta

Re: BB's Reel

Post by Invicta »

Sorry QuinetteCane,

I do not have any information on the Grantham stalker and I think Barry is off the radar these days, he did have a web site at one time which may be worth looking for.

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QuinetteCane
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Re: BB's Reel

Post by QuinetteCane »

Thanks Invicta. I emailed him while the site was still active but never got a response. Heyho. another dead end.
Quite like the reel anyway.

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Dave Burr
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Re: BB's Reel

Post by Dave Burr »

A couple of great pictures there Len, the study of BB is perfect.

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Len Arbery
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Re: BB's Reel

Post by Len Arbery »

Hello TD,

Sorry for the delay in reply - been considering exactly what to say, and I'm still not sure, but here goes:

It is my opinion and experience, that it could truthfully be said, that there were no 'obsessive' anglers, carp or otherwise, much earlier than the late 1960's early 1970's. The early post-World War II era, right through the 1950's and certainly up to the early 1960's, were pretty austere times, and folks had much less leisure time than they enjoy today. Having visited the homes of many of the leading big-fish anglers from this period, I can honestly report not one of them had 'shed loads' of tackle, nor, indeed, a tackle room as such. Dick Walker, himself, reported that he only visited Redmire Pool on a handful of occasions, between 1952 and about 1960. Angling then had many millions of devotees, but only a very small proportion went fishing even once per week; at least, on what might be said was a regular basis. Times were just so very different then, and difficult for younger folks to appreciate just HOW different.

Nevertheless, these 'founding-fathers' of the big fish movement I met couldn't have been any keener or more enthusiastic, and so, so generous with their hard-won expertise.

As is pretty well known, 'BB' even went to the great lengths of creating his own carp (and tench!) fishery, as is told in his charming little book, "A Carp Water (Wood Pool)". For Chapter II, begins, ' I picked up my can of fish from Kettering station on 2 November 1951, a gloomy afternoon with fog. They had travelled from Haslemere, (Donald Leney's fish farm, LAA.) 100 mirror and common carp, mixed, and 50 tench.'

Later, in Chapter VII, 'BB' has this to say: I get into the most dreadful trouble with my fellow members of the Carp Catcher's Club whenever I fish in their company. My rods are examined minutely with many shakings of the head, and the state of my reels and lines cause sundry clicks of the tongue. You see, the truth is that if you are to be an expert fisherman you must be a very tidy, precise sort of person, who can fiddle with almost invisible flies and casts and keep every particle of tackle in its proper place. This is utterly beyond me. My reels get dirty, even rusty, I am guilty of using the same line season after season and I never, under any circumstances, take the trouble to dry it. So you can see why I do not consider myself a fit person to offer advice (on tackle, LAA.) to anyone. Yet strange as it may seem, I have caught large carp and have played and landed large trout, so I am not a complete duffer.'

I think these words from the great man himself, say more than anything I can recall.

On my, albeit occasional, visits to The Roundhouse, I have to confess, I was perhaps more interested in 'BB's' paintings. He was rightly and justifiably proud to show these, especially those of fairies he created especially for his daughter, Angela, when she was very, very young. I missed a trick here by never asking permission to photograph them, but I never thought of it at the time; yet another regret.

To me, 'BB' came across as the perfect Old English Gentleman: Polite, gentle, charming, helpful, but always with that reserved, even perhaps, distant air.

Hope, TD, the above answers your question.

Besties,

Len.

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Len Arbery
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Re: BB's Reel

Post by Len Arbery »

Hello Dave,

Thanks for the kind words about the picture. I'm fairly certain this was taken, and given me, by Gerry Berth-Jones. A fellow member with 'BB' of the Carp Catchers' Club, of course.

Gerry was undoubtedly a very good photographer, very kind and generous, besides everything else.

Thanks again,

Len.

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Len Arbery
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Re: BB's Reel

Post by Len Arbery »

Hello All,

Thought some of you may just be interested in seeing a couple of scans, pertaining to 'BB's' reel, that I consider jewels in my collection.

This one is the programme of events on the very day the deal was struck between 'BB' and myself for the reel and rod's sale, inscribed to me by the great man himself:

Image

The second is of the actual receipt, in 'BB's own hand of course:

Image

It reads:

"I have great pleasure in letting my friend Len Arbery have my Walker rod and reel which were made expressly for me. I hope it will enable him to deal with the monsters of Redmire." It is signed, "D. Watkins-Pitchford (BB)".

'BB' was undoubtedly a very sick man at the time, regularly having kidney dialysis, and died later that same year.

Regards,

Len.

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Richard C
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Re: BB's Reel

Post by Richard C »

Dave Burr wrote:I well remember the lesson about Archimedes from school - never understood a word of it :Confused:
Physics and Chemistry lessons were partly responsible for my mind wandering and staring out the window dreaming of big fish.
As for maths, I stopped paying attention when it decided to get the alphabet involved! :Hahaha:
"We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.".
T. S Eliot
http://richard-cleaver.blogspot.co.uk/

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Tench Dreamer
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Re: BB's Reel

Post by Tench Dreamer »

Len Arbery wrote:Hello TD,

Sorry for the delay in reply - been considering exactly what to say, and I'm still not sure, but here goes:

It is my opinion and experience, that it could truthfully be said, that there were no 'obsessive' anglers, carp or otherwise, much earlier than the late 1960's early 1970's. The early post-World War II era, right through the 1950's and certainly up to the early 1960's, were pretty austere times, and folks had much less leisure time than they enjoy today. Having visited the homes of many of the leading big-fish anglers from this period, I can honestly report not one of them had 'shed loads' of tackle, nor, indeed, a tackle room as such. Dick Walker, himself, reported that he only visited Redmire Pool on a handful of occasions, between 1952 and about 1960. Angling then had many millions of devotees, but only a very small proportion went fishing even once per week; at least, on what might be said was a regular basis. Times were just so very different then, and difficult for younger folks to appreciate just HOW different.

Nevertheless, these 'founding-fathers' of the big fish movement I met couldn't have been any keener or more enthusiastic, and so, so generous with their hard-won expertise.

As is pretty well known, 'BB' even went to the great lengths of creating his own carp (and tench!) fishery, as is told in his charming little book, "A Carp Water (Wood Pool)". For Chapter II, begins, ' I picked up my can of fish from Kettering station on 2 November 1951, a gloomy afternoon with fog. They had travelled from Haslemere, (Donald Leney's fish farm, LAA.) 100 mirror and common carp, mixed, and 50 tench.'

Later, in Chapter VII, 'BB' has this to say: I get into the most dreadful trouble with my fellow members of the Carp Catcher's Club whenever I fish in their company. My rods are examined minutely with many shakings of the head, and the state of my reels and lines cause sundry clicks of the tongue. You see, the truth is that if you are to be an expert fisherman you must be a very tidy, precise sort of person, who can fiddle with almost invisible flies and casts and keep every particle of tackle in its proper place. This is utterly beyond me. My reels get dirty, even rusty, I am guilty of using the same line season after season and I never, under any circumstances, take the trouble to dry it. So you can see why I do not consider myself a fit person to offer advice (on tackle, LAA.) to anyone. Yet strange as it may seem, I have caught large carp and have played and landed large trout, so I am not a complete duffer.'

I think these words from the great man himself, say more than anything I can recall.

On my, albeit occasional, visits to The Roundhouse, I have to confess, I was perhaps more interested in 'BB's' paintings. He was rightly and justifiably proud to show these, especially those of fairies he created especially for his daughter, Angela, when she was very, very young. I missed a trick here by never asking permission to photograph them, but I never thought of it at the time; yet another regret.

To me, 'BB' came across as the perfect Old English Gentleman: Polite, gentle, charming, helpful, but always with that reserved, even perhaps, distant air.

Hope, TD, the above answers your question.

Besties,

Len.
Completely and with many thanks ... I too love his artwork :Hat:

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Dave Burr
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Re: BB's Reel

Post by Dave Burr »

Oops. :Confused:
Last edited by Dave Burr on Thu Jul 09, 2015 10:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Paul D

Re: BB's Reel

Post by Paul D »

Language Timothy :Hat:

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