The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Only Tom? Tom is a legend!!!

I met Peter Thomas when he was working as a rep for Hardys. It would be about 1967.

What struck me about this very pleasant man was how shy and unassuming he was, the archetypal introvert and the opposite of Walker.

They say that opposites attract!

Ron Clay wrote:I met Peter Thomas when he was working as a rep for Hardys. It would be about 1967.

What struck me about this very pleasant man was how shy and unassuming he was, the archetypal introvert and the opposite of Walker.

They say that opposites attract!

....and therefore, Ron, what do you think would have happened had Thomas caught the 44 instead of Walker?

I have copy 252.

That takes some answering.

If Pete had caught Clarissa, I still think that Walker would have had the fish put into the London Zoo. He was particularly keen to debunk the theories of some eminent ichthyologists who had stated that carp couldn't grow to 40 lbs in England.

Would Walker have become as famous? Yes I think he would, but not so much with non-anglers.

It’s something we’ll never know,................two anglers fishing identical baits not more that 4’ apart, possibly fate as DW was awake at the time his alarm went off whereas PT was getting his head down in the tent. Also, would DW have been as keen to leap into the brambles, undressed, to free the fish

In 1952 is was probably just a fluke that the 44lber picked up Walker's balanced crust rather than Pete's.

Walker said as much himself in an interview I listened to recently, from a link on a thread here I think.

Remember one aspect of Walker.

He never did rate the capture of Clarissa as a great angling feat on his behalf. For a start, the fish could have picked up Pete's bait. Secondly if it wasn't for Pete, that fish would never have been landed.

Personally I think of it as a joint effort between two anglers, that's why there are so many pictures of Pete holding Clarissa. As Walker once told me the record belonged every bit as much to Peter Thomas as it did to himself.

Agreed Ron.
Dick said that the greatest angling feat in 1952 was John Norman's fish of 18.08 from Mapperley shallows. A water that had only yielded five carp in seventeen years [1930 - 1947] since Buckley's record. 2 for Buckley 19.08 1932, 13.00 1947 and 3 fish for his friends L Brown 23.12 1937 and A Innocent.
Praise indeed from Dick who knew of John's efforts to achieve his fish.

Mike

AS regards Mapperley in those days.....

I don't think there were very many carp in the lake. When Buckley caught his record, and others, it is very likely that those fish were killed. His record was stuffed of course.

By the time John Norman caught his 18 pounder, there were likely to be very few carp left.

Two members of the Northern Specimen Group - Derek Bridges and Garth Harrison spent a great deal of time on Mapperley and other than big bream, which they caught in fair quantity, they never saw a carp.

Another successful Mapperley angler was Archie Braddock. He caught a 16 pounder on "surfaced fished lobworm" ca 1960.

Think your right Ron.
Just found Alan Otter had one of 20 pounds June 1966

Mike