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Casters
Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 7:33 pm
by Bob Brookes
While watching a motionless float today, using both maggots and casters, something occurred to me which I seek the knowledge of TFF'ers to resolve. Let me explain!
As I have said before I was brought up as a child up to the age of 18 (1945-1961), above a rod builder in Leamington Spa, Bill (Knocker) Norris. Now Bill also had a maggot breeding farm, fortunately 5 miles away, deep in the country. I spent many hours in the workshop, shop and at the bait farm. In all that time I never heard the name 'casters' mentioned. I used them, but they were always referred to just as Chrysalis. We used them in dark form, when they floated, for catching dace off the surface. I cannot recall them ever being called Casters and I am not sure they were ever sold in that state.
Am I right and was the name only used later? I reckon it was the 70's before I heard the name mentioned.
Re: Casters
Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 7:48 pm
by Duckett
This may confuse rather than help but I’m almost certain that my Mum, who taught my brother and I to fish in the late 1960s, and learned from her Dad in the post war period, always called then Pupae! Mind you, he was a local authority head gardener and she had been trained to use maggots to clean wounds as a nurse. I’m certain I only ever called them Pupae or Casters.
Phil
Re: Casters
Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 8:12 pm
by Aitch
My old Mentor Norman called casters "Shells"....
Re: Casters
Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 10:34 pm
by Old Wulf
Bob Brookes wrote: ↑Fri Jan 28, 2022 7:33 pm
While watching a motionless float today, using both maggots and casters, something occurred to me which I seek the knowledge of TFF'ers to resolve. Let me explain!
As I have said before I was brought up as a child up to the age of 18 (1945-1961), above a rod builder in Leamington Spa, Bill (Knocker) Norris. Now Bill also had a maggot breeding farm, fortunately 5 miles away, deep in the country. I spent many hours in the workshop, shop and at the bait farm. In all that time I never heard the name 'casters' mentioned. I used them, but they were always referred to just as Chrysalis. We used them in dark form, when they floated, for catching dace off the surface. I cannot recall them ever being called Casters and I am not sure they were ever sold in that state.
Am I right and was the name only used later? I reckon it was the 70's before I heard the name mentioned.
Like you in the 60s I remember them being called chrysalis and in the early 70s I recall they were referred to as casters.
Lord knows when the change in name was for sure, or indeed why.
Re: Casters
Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 10:44 pm
by Olly
Called " Husks" by northern anglers according to Faddist in his book 'Baits and Groundbaits' published in 1950. He recommended a matchstick for the float and a yard of line to the hook with no shot when using husks.
Chrysalis - pupae - shells - were some of the names used.
I thought casters came about via Benny Ashurst and son?
Re: Casters
Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 12:02 am
by Mr B
We always called them casters.. 1970's
I never liked them much, always felt a bit hard done by when we got them in with our maggots.
I did find them good for big Dace one time at Walton on Thames..well I think it was there, I was fishing with my old Uncle.
Re: Casters
Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 7:11 am
by Moley
Dear Bob,
Funny how things take on an importance sometimes and you've got Fatty trying to remember when Casters became common parlance.
First heard this on the Trent in the late sixties emanating from the esteemed gob of Benny Ashurst. He also compounded the term in his book Match Fishing with Benny Ashurst printed in 1968.
So taking this as a starting point it would be fair to say that the name Caster started sometime before on the canals of Lancashire.
If anyone knows different Fatty for one will be pleased to hear their view point.
As ever,.....
Moley
Re: Casters
Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 8:00 am
by Fredline
I was always under the impression the name came about from the process of shedding or "casting" the shell to achieve the next stage of metamorphosis.
Re: Casters
Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 9:02 am
by BoltonBullfinch
I can only ever remember the name 'casters' being used and i go back to the late 60s around here in Lancashire.
Thanks
BB
Re: Casters
Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 9:03 am
by Dave Burr
Great nostalgia Bob, I hope you get a bite next time
I remember a mate crossing the green pipe over the river and using a black 'chrysalis' to catch a decent roach. Such pipe crossing was dissuaded by judicious use of railings and barbed wire and the opposite bank was definitely out of bounds, but we all gave it a go. Nobody else caught anything and the chrysalis was abandoned as a one-off. That was about 1965 or 66, their use reappeared as casters a few years later.