Dr Rex Elgood

This forum belongs to Rex Elgood.
User avatar
Shaun Harrison
Zander
Posts: 3561
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2012 4:34 pm
11
Location: Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire Border
Contact:

Re: Dr Rex Elgood

Post by Shaun Harrison »

Image
Over 70 years since his first carp capture and Rex was still catching them. This one was 27 lb and came in his final season. Looks like his tie could have done with a bit of a straighten.

User avatar
CrayCane
Chub
Posts: 1017
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2012 2:43 pm
11
Location: Bexley, Kent

Re: Dr Rex Elgood

Post by CrayCane »

Great picture. I guess that is what we all wish for, to be able to carry on fishing as we get older.
Pete

User avatar
JPC
Bleak
Posts: 141
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2017 4:02 pm
7

Re: Dr Rex Elgood

Post by JPC »

Looking at those rods I believe they are the original Bruce Ashby Carp Rods, Bruce and Mike (Harris) based them on Jack Hilton's carp rod i.e. very soft actioned. Bruce and Mike had had a run of big fish coming adrift at various stages of the fight, Jack suggested that their rods were to stiff and gave them a couple of Goddess Blanks to play with. After making them up their getting the carp in the net rate improved greatly. At the time Bruce and Mike were in the process of setting up a specialist rod building service aimed at carp and speciman anglers and already had a tie up with Conoflex, they took the Goddess rods to the blank manufactures and had them copied in a yellow'ish glass, this later changed to a dark brown.
The tie up with Doctor Rex is down to the good doctor being based in Kent for a period of time, at some stage he found himself fishing the same water as Bruce. He actually caught a huge fish which would have at the time been a Kent record, sadly he caught it at night on a water where night fishing was not allowed.
My only dealing with the Doctor was when the mesh on my B James landing net started to rot, I was told Doctor Rex could actually "knit" landing net mesh's. I asked him if he would knit me a new mesh which he immediately offered to do, I also offered to pay but he refused point blank to accept any money, we compromised by me giving him a signed cheque with no "Pay to" which he could give to any charity of his choice. The claim that Doctor Rex made the meshes that B James put on their laminated cane landing net frames is total nonsense, only mine had one of his superb meshes. A lovely guy.

User avatar
Shaun Harrison
Zander
Posts: 3561
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2012 4:34 pm
11
Location: Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire Border
Contact:

Re: Dr Rex Elgood

Post by Shaun Harrison »

My friend who was close to Rex along with help from Rex's grandson (also an angler) to fill in a few gaps, have agreed to write a few words about Rex for me ,which I will forward onto here when I get them.

User avatar
Rutland Rod
Arctic Char
Posts: 1914
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 7:50 am
11
Location: Rutland

Re: Dr Rex Elgood

Post by Rutland Rod »

Very interesting piece Shaun about Rex Elgood, I never met him but on moving out near Oakham 30 years ago I was after some small river fishing and I can’t remember how got Rex’s details about the river Eye, I wrote enquiring about joining the syndicate and received a very long informative typed letter from his address in Lincoln inviting me to join and telling me about the river and with a good sense of humour about a particular farmer who was best avoided ! I wish I’d kept his letter, I must admit work/domestic pressures kept me from fishing that year ( tragic I know ! ) and I didn’t renew my membership as my limited time was spent on the upper Welland and Eyebrook stream.
Tight lines Dave

User avatar
BeechmereLake
Brown Trout
Posts: 1390
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 8:43 pm
10

Re: Dr Rex Elgood

Post by BeechmereLake »

Shaun Harrison wrote: Mon May 21, 2018 11:43 am Image
Over 70 years since his first carp capture and Rex was still catching them. This one was 27 lb and came in his final season. Looks like his tie could have done with a bit of a straighten.
Just a wonderful picture to share Shaun, have to say I have been busy the last week but Dick Gayner and me have been doing a lot of talking, I have kept his emails to me for a reference and seeked his permission to use his references, all very good stuff. :Hat:
" It is a sinister place yet powerfully fascinating"

"BB"

User avatar
Shaun Harrison
Zander
Posts: 3561
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2012 4:34 pm
11
Location: Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire Border
Contact:

Re: Dr Rex Elgood

Post by Shaun Harrison »

This was put together by Henry Elgood, grandson of Rex and who still follows in his grandfathers footsteps and continues to fish for carp.

Dr Rex Elgood – A Gentleman of Carp Fishing

Dr Rex Elgood was an extraordinary man in many respects, not just in carp fishing. He was highly intelligent, strong-minded and principled, yet especially kind and gentlemanly. Born in 1920, and having studied at Oxford University, Rex had a highly successful medical career as a doctor and paediatric consultant, saving the lives of many sick children. It started during the Second World War when he met his future wife Margaret with whom he had a very happy 61-year marriage, 2 children and 7 grandchildren.

Rex’s passion outside work and family was fishing, which he discovered in 1933 and lasted for 75 years. Catching fish was just a small part of this; he made a large collection of fishing tackle and bait for himself and others, wrote letters and articles, heavily contributed to angling groups and societies, managed his own fishery, and amongst the way made many friends and admirers.

Rex caught his first carp in 1935 in Wareham at a time when any carp caught was according to him, a ‘wonder and a surprise, to be shared and cherished’. As carp were much smaller then, when catching a 9lbs carp in 1937, he considered it one of his best angling moments. During the winters of the Second World War, Rex caught many pike at Blenheim Palace lake up to 17 ½ lbs, some of which were delivered to a local restaurant. As the country was short of food, it was considered reasonable to tap any supply.

With family life and work as priorities, Rex’s fishing time was often limited until he retired in 1985. Despite this, he managed to catch a 31 ½ lbs personal best carp in the mid 1960’s that was recorded as one of the largest carp caught in that period, and other large carp up to 30lbs. He felt highly honoured when invited to be one of the first members of the British Carp Study Group in 1969 and his involvement in the River Eye Fishing Group. He made friends and connections with many famous names in fishing, but did not seek publicity or fame.

Rex’s proudest moment came in 1977 when he obtained the lease to a small lake in Lincolnshire, and set about building a fantastic specimen carp fishery. The lake record eventually became 37lbs with an average weight in the upper 20’s. Anglers from all parts of the country would come to visit and admire the beautiful setting and stunning fish that inhabited the water.

Sadly, Rex’s health deteriorated in his late 70’s and 80’s, leading to him having both his legs amputated just below the knees and macular degenerative vision. Despite this, he carried on fishing day and night all year round with admirable determination and perseverance. Friends and family would happily help transport fishing tackle and land fish for him, but only when necessary as Rex valued his independence very highly. His willpower led to him catching a personal best 38lbs carp at the age of 79 and landing carp up to 34lbs at his own fishery.

Rex continued to fish with considerable success until he was 88, when he sadly contracted cancer and died in January 2009. He will always be remembered very fondly as one of the true gentlemen of carp fishing, and a hero to many anglers for his generosity and resolve to live and breathe fishing whatever the situation or condition.

User avatar
Gary Bills
Rainbow Trout
Posts: 3070
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2011 6:57 pm
12
Location: Herefordshire

Re: Dr Rex Elgood

Post by Gary Bills »

A marvellous tribute.

User avatar
BeechmereLake
Brown Trout
Posts: 1390
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 8:43 pm
10

Re: Dr Rex Elgood

Post by BeechmereLake »

Just had a wonderful weekend, a couple of miles along the road from me is the Carp Society's home water of Horseshoe Lake, a lake Im all to familiar with from my early days of carp fishing and being an ARC bailiff there, an open weekend was held there and with the anglers who were present on the day I thought I would take the rods with me and get maybe a little more info on them.

Great meeting up with old friends again, some I hadn't seen in decades, Bill Philips being one of them, seems odd but social media has a lot to answer for because we spoke about meeting up the day before and had spoke to each other weekly yet it has been 18 years since we stood in front of each other, felt quite strange but after a tin or two it was like no years had passed.

Anyway I had promised Chris Ball that I would take the rods down to show him and this I did, as soon as he took the rod half way out of the bag he mentioned the change of eyes on the rod and when you look closely at them you would think they were probably done by someone who owned them, whipping's are nowhere near perfect and the runs in the lacquer say it all, this though was probably one point I over looked on them and thanks go to Chris for pointing it out, Chris and a couple of others were of the opinion that Dr Rex would of done them himself as the Fuji eyes back then were so much better than the steel ones they were made with, should that be the case then all the merrier I am for having them :Hat:

Many anglers had a good look over them and the signature writing of Mike Harris on the blank was also given the heads up, the rods were also put together giving some of the countries finest anglers a feel of years gone by. :Hat:
" It is a sinister place yet powerfully fascinating"

"BB"

Post Reply

Return to “Rex Elgood”