Richard Walker meeting

[Chris Ball 3]

Tothe many who are interested in Richard Walker and his extraordinary angling life, especially to do with carp fishing might be interested in an evening being hosted by myself on Sunday 30th November 2008. I will have some of Walker’s tackle with me, so it’s a chance to feel and touch unique items of carp fishing history*
Details:-
Willow Tree Bar,
Billing Aquadrome,
Crow Lane,
Little Billing,
NORTHAMPTON,NN3 9DA
From 6pm onwards
For more details contact Chris Berry on 07974611752

Naturally there will be plenty to do with Redmire Pool and **** with no doubt a ‘monsters’ debatelikely to take place. I have plenty of info and comment on both sides of this fascinating argument.

* **** Walker’s items not mine!

Chris B

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

Chris I would love to be there, but hell the distance I'd have to travel, and I would have to stay somewhere for the night. This is beyond the means of a pensioner.

If I don't make it, please give my best regards to all present.

 

[Neneman Nick]

I only live down the road in corby,it`s marked on my calendar......i`ll be there.

 

[Chris Ball 3]

Ron, thanks for that. The announcement of this meeting on a number of websites has been heartening. There is still an underlying feeling, even with some modern day anglers, that here was a man that was far and away a super special individual. As you know only too well, forget about a record carp, his shoulders were the ones we all stood on... and still do today.

Chris B

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

I hope you don't dwell too much on carp. Old **** never really valued his capture of Clarissa all that much; he certainly didn't think it was a particularly skillful angling feat.

Personally I always thought that he contributed far more to the art of fly fishing than he did to all the other disciplines of angling combined. He certainly spent most of his fishing life with a flyrod in his hand.

 

[Chris Ball 3]

Ron, can’t argue with that... ****’s input in to fly fishing with particular reference to fly patterns is renown. I’m lucky in the fact that two of his classic patterns, the Polystickle and Sweeny Todd, I sawpersonally tied by **** on a visit to Water Lane, Biggleswade 1970. Later on and another visit we went into the garden and I watched him cast, I did too, **** claimed I was okay... many years later (mid 1990’s) top fly man Gary Coxon also viewed my casting at the Chatsworth Angling Fair. His comments of ‘you’ve picked up a lot of bad habits’, brought me down to earth.

Back to carp for a moment, it is the one common denominator that anyone with more than ten or so years in carp fishing can get a grip on. It’s only the ‘tried and trusted’ who know of ****’s consummate angling prowess.

Chris B

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

Actually Chris, I have a feeling that the Sweeny Todd was created by Pete Thomas, ****'s lifelong angling friend, who is still with us I believe. And would you believe it, I never caught very much on the two patterns you mention.

However Walker's Sedge is one of the most succesful dry flies I have ever used in both still and running water.

Once, whilst staying at ****'s fishing hut on the Upper Ouse, **** gave me a quick lesson in casting. He spotted a number of faults which I quickly put right.

 

[Chris Ball 3]

Ron,

Can’ comment much further on Walker and his influence on fly fishing, simply because I don’t know.

Pete Thomas is very much in the world of the living, one of the last survivors of a magical time when thepursuit of big fish by design was in its infancy.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

You obviously know old **** through his carp exploits, which compared with what other anglers had done at the time, were considerable. However he always gave me the impression in later life that he never did like the way that carp fishing had developed.

I think it was true to say that hehardly ever fished for carp once the Carp Catcher's Club packed up ca 1957. Between 1957 and 1964, he fished intensively for roach, chub and barbel.

When Grafham opened in the mid 60s, **** took to still water fly fishing as a duck takes to water. He took out a season ticket on Grafham each year and also fished a number of other reservoirs in the English Midlands. He also enjoyed fishing a number of the smaller waters as they opened up, especially Avington.When Rutland opened in 1971, that's where he mostly fished. He also surrounded himself with the top reservoir fly fishermen of the time, especially Arthur Cove, John Goddard, Bob Church and Steve Parton.

Steve Parton by the way, who knew and fished with **** lots in his later life, is certainly one of the authorities on Walker. He was often shocked to hear old ****'sribald language, even in front of ladies, and that says a lot knowing Steve Parton.

 

[Chris Ball 3]

Good Stuff Ron, and it’s nothing I can really comment on other than **** transcended many disciplines in fishing.

Howeverbefore the last war and directly after he was at his most perceptive as far as carp were concerned.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

That is very true Chris. It was because carp were least understood and very few anglers fished for them that **** was able to apply his very fertile mind to solve the problems of catching them.

Hemade friends with people who could help him catch those big carp and could get him into the going waters of the time. But once he had landed a few big ones and proved that they were by no means uncatchable as many other writers thought they were, he lost interest in carp fishing.

The opening up of the big reservoirswas the perfectwriting topic for ****. New ideas, new opportunities, the design of new tackle made from new materials, Such a scenario was heaven sent for men like Walker.

Make no mistake it was partially through Walker's writings that made still water trout fishing so popular, not only in this country but throughout the world.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

Oh by the way, ****'s three address were:

11, Bearton Avenue, Hitchin Herts.

1A, Water Lane, Flitwick, Beds

37, Ivel Gardens, Biggleswade, SG 18 0AN