Home Features Diaries Blast from the Past – 2

Blast from the Past – 2

October 29, 2003

NOSTALGIA

I got the idea about running an occasional series like this when I had an email from a FISHINGmagic member who said he’d come across an old article of mine in a magazine published in 1971, and would I like it. Of course I would! It would be interesting to see what I’d written and how it compared to what I would write today about the same subject. And then I thought it would be interesting if we could publish more articles that were written more than, say, 20 years ago. If you did some angling writing that far back and you can let us have a copy without infringing copyright laws then please send them to me at graham@fishingmagic.com and we’ll publish them on an occasional basis.

‘Coarse Angler, December 1971, £ 1.40p

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: March 1991, cover price £ 1.40p. Editor: Colin Dyson.

OTHER AUTHORS IN SAME ISSUE: Martin Gay, Fred J Taylor, Jim McDonald, Ken Townley, Bill Rushmer, Alan Beat, Bob Roberts, Dave Stirzaker, Terry Charles, Rupert Bellinger, Jan Eggars.

ADVERT FROM THIS ISSUE: Shimano Baitrunner Aero GT4500, Price £ 98.90.

ORIGINAL TITLE OF ARTICLE: Irish Memories

Note from Graham: all pictures in this article were taken from photocopies, not the original magazine

Ron Clay, who now lives in South Africa, recalls a trip to Ireland with the legendary Ray Webb, and friends. It happened over 25 years ago, which puts it around 1966.

“CUM ON LAD”, said Ray, “gerrint’ back, there’s plenty o’ room. Let’s get smartly away.” Both Steve, John and myself sat hunched up in the back of Webby’s van as we crawled (Ray would never do more than 35 m.p.h.) our way from Sheffield to Holyhead, to catch a boat to Dun Laoghaire.

We sat amongst keepnets, landing nets, pike traces, three month old herrings and other assorted debris. “Heyup Ray, what’s in these cans under all this sacking?” asked Steve. “Petrol lad, petrol”, came the reply. Three fags were never put out so quickly. The legendary Ray Webb didn’t believe in run