The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I'm planning to do something of a fishing tour down the Bain this year both as a revisit to stretches I fished many years ago and as an exploration of unfished, out of the way sections.

Now, this river was one of the venues used in the Walker V Sails contest of 1953 and I'm keen to find out which stretch they fished if anyone knows. The contest was covered by the Angling Times I believe, anbody got these from that year?

Anyone know?

Walker wrote about the match in No need to Lie and the story plus drawings filled three pages. Unfortunately he didn't state where on the Bain the match was fished. However, if my memory serves me well, I am 99% certain that it was fairly near Horncastle.

One of my friends and first boss lives on the Bain near Horncastle. About 20 or so years ago we'd take the rowing boat to the pub, I remember it as a beautiful clear river with some inviting deep glides. I could see the bottom in 5 or more feet of water.

Beresford wrote:One of my friends and first boss lives on the Bain near Horncastle. About 20 or so years ago we'd take the rowing boat to the pub, I remember it as a beautiful clear river with some inviting deep glides. I could see the bottom in 5 or more feet of water.

I have many fond memories fishing the Bain and my pursuit of carp has kept me away from it's banks for long enough. Not always crystal clear but most stretches are quiet and suitably overgrown. Ideal for roving with the minimum of tackle. The Bain gave me my first 2lb roach and 3lb chub.

I think I've got the location of the Walker/Sails match from a friend of mine who tells me that it was close to Thimbleby Mill. Most of the river there would only be as wide as the 10ft rod I'll be using as I remember.

This friend is at Conningsby. I seem to remember rowing up to the conflux of the Bain and a tributary. That's where the deepest water was. It was very lush and as you say ideal for roving fishing.

Dontknowmuch wrote:I'm planning to do something of a fishing tour down the Bain this year both as a revisit to stretches I fished many years ago and as an exploration of unfished, out of the way sections.

Now, this river was one of the venues used in the Walker V Sails contest of 1953 and I'm keen to find out which stretch they fished if anyone knows. The contest was covered by the Angling Times I believe, anbody got these from that year?

Anyone know?

I was out near Wragby in Lincolnshire last year and was talking to a very old gamekeeper (now retired) who used to fish--he told me-- with Tom Sails when a member of the Lincoln AA squad back in the fifties.
I think he told me that Tom was a stand in for someone else, how true this is I dont know. If I ever bump into him again I will ask him of his memories of that memorable day on the Bain-- a river by the way-- that I fished many times back in the early sixties for chub with floating bread in the late evenings.

It's quite true as the winner of the All England that year was a flight Sgt in the Royal Airforce, so was unable to take park, Tom Sails captain of the Lincoln club was nominated. I have fish the Bain for many years, accounts from some of my trips in At The Water's Edge.

I think the person supposed to fish was Neville Hazelwood of Cambridge Albion AS who won in 1953 on the Nene.

The match series conception IIRC was set up by Walker in conjunction with the A Times. Not a disgruntled reader throwing down a gauntlet.