The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

The only known recording of a tinnitus, by the way.

I’ve seen that film before. I thought it was a Harry Enfield sketch.

That looks like the worst peg I've ever seen. There must not and will not be any vegetation in my peg, or I'll be to sedate!

Not sure that the film advances the cause at all although I did like the Milesesque shot over the shoulder, zooming in on the float as it sailed away. But fishing over stocked puddles with traditional gear is, in my opinion, somehow missing the point.

It was though an excellent opportunity to describe what my tinnitus is like to the misses.

Firebird wrote:

JimmyBobkin wrote:Not sure I agree with this point. I knew a few characters, around the early and mid 70s, who chose to use old tackle in preference to modern stuff even before CY became a celebrity in the angling world. Prior to the record catch at Redmire I had never heard of him.

I must admit I often wonder whether we would ever have heard of him were it not for that carp. He writes well, yes, but the publication of fishing books is pretty much independent of the quality of the writing in my view.

In terms of living writers, I do think he is our best fishing writer by a steady mile. However, I don't believe he's written any book equal to the poetry and haunting power of Confessions, but that's just my personal view...
I knew vaguely of Chris Yates, before he caught the Bishop, because a picture of him -with the Pot of Gold - was featured in a re-print copy of Still Water Angling, - which, as a snotty-nosed youngster, I'd borrowed from the local library. I remember thinking, "Good God, what an amazing fish..." and "Good God, what a hippy!"

Chris was very well known and regarded before he landed the Bishop. He wrote in monthly magazines and his quirky methods and tackle seemed as unusual then as they do now. His fishing on Redmire was well documented especially if you were and ardent reader of Rod Hutchinson and when the Bishop came along I like many others, thought just how apt it was that he of all people should take the record.

Yes I recall as a young lad reading some great articles written by Rod (or maybe Chris or both) in the marvellous "Angling" magazine on their exploits at Redmire and in particular their experiments with particles and their success eventually with sweetcorn. I had no idea what tackle they were using, it wasn't important.

It seemed groundbreaking, to me, at the time and led to a campaign with chick peas and on to my first 20 !

Wish I'd kept those copies of "Angling"; I religiously cut out all the carp articles for safe keeping, which I have duly lost over the years , or are they up in the loft somewhere

He endorsed Grice and Young reels . . . .



...... but (from the same magazine) this is clearly a Mitchell !

Ah, but that's only a small carp (as in "anyfink under firty don't count").....he probably reserved the pin for the biggies as the advert suggests......

Thankyou Dave - I thought I was having a senior moment earlier ! Yes...Mr Yates and Mr Hutchinson were indeed writing and publishing prior to the "big carp"...and influencial they were then as well.....both in my opinion provided a fascinating insight and commentary on carp fishing in particular in the 70's and 80's.......