Fishing with Mr Cherry and Jim....and Tim

Happy Birthday Crabtree!

As is the norm on the 14th of February - we raise a glass and say many happy returns to our dear and much missed friend Bernard Venables. Here are some examples of his work from my collection which I hope you will enjoy on this special day.

Ace Dace

Old Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway Company gate 

A sneaky late afternoon visit for last knockings. I had a feeling where I would like to be, but Prof's favourite swim is taken by a poacher! He deserves it after a longer drive than me, but I am rewarded again in freezing temperatures. The glide I end up in is one I have not fished for a few years and was possibly designed by Mr Crabtree. I often fish a swim and think how much BV would have liked it and talked so enthusiastically about all of its nooks and crannies. This is such a swim.

The river has been up after the snow and sleet of late and is just coming down, but slightly coloured. The maggots soon lose all feeling and hardly move in my tin, but just enough to land a lovely small bag of dace and a couple of solitary roach from the glide.

My fingers too lose all feeling and I pack up a little earlier than usual as three Little Egrets fly overhead in the clearest of skies. The light disappears very quickly at this time of year, so I am grateful to fellow brother of the angle Hedge who leads the way back up the embankment, along the cinder path and back to civilization. I am so cold I do stop off for a swift libation and a toast to me old mate Prof in what was our regular "stopping off" pub on our way home, The Green Man. Cheers my friend!  

The Golden Age of Angling

I love looking at some of the delightful old films and footage of yesteryear from British Pathe and the BFI.......with only a week or so of the traditional coarse fishing season left here are some films to get you in the mood. The Kentish Stour film looks like a Golden Scale Club excursion. I especially like the film of Ray Mumford fishing and making floats with his brother Vernon (suitably attired for a fishing trip I must say, splendid jacket Vernon). Watch out for Bernard Venables in the very last film. Settle down and enjoy, pass the port Gramps!

Happy Birthday BV!

Bernard Venables would have been 109 today - raise a glass of something special on this most special day. Happy birthday Bernard!

FA Book For Boys (1950) - Bernard Venables

Orient Line Cruises - Bernard Venables (1933) 

Orient Line Cruises - Bernard Venables (1930's)

Shell Guide to Freshwater Fish in Ireland Poster - Bernard Venables 

Zambia in the Sun - Bernard Venables (date unknown)

The anglers Christmas Eve

I always think as an angler I am lucky. I must add, not in what I catch, but the amount of expectation and excitement throughout the year. It's like I have a number of Christmas Days to look forward too. The trout season has started and now it is the turn of the traditional coarse fishing season. Tomorrow is the "glorious sixteenth" as Mr Crabtree says to Peter above. For some reason the 16th June, for me, is the most exciting of the lot - this is how I felt as a child on Christmas Eve and still do now. Long may it continue.

Best fishes, tight lines, creaking cane, dipping floats, wet nets and all that to you all!   

Blockheads?

It's no use going to the river with a plan in your head as it invariably doesn't work out - my plan was to cosy up in the woods and look down on huge carp hoovering up my bait and all being well my first river carp of the season would be in the net. I can hear the trad amongst you wince at these tactics - carp on a river, an iconic river like the Avon too - how dare he!

The omens were good too - on my drive over I spied a Red Kite whirling over the eastern edge of Cranborne Chase so I couldn't possibly fail.

A first outing in about ten years for the old B.James MKIV Avon too, a treasured family heirloom that I had actually forgotten was lurking at the back of the rod rack. It once looked like a chimney sweeps brush until some magic was done by the mighty Edward Barder in the 1990's and now it is as good as, if not better, than new.

You can rest easy, the carp didn't happen. I got side tracked by some enormous chub and whoever said chub were stupid and the first fish to eat anything thrown at them needs to think again. In fact the Germans call them blockheads, but I don't think they meant it in a derisory way and there was nothing dim witted about these bullish fellows. I found a delightful pot hole in the river bed where chub to over 6lbs were ghosting around. My feed of hemp certainly got them going along with a nice barbel or two and it was just a case of casting out my hemp juice steeped spam and they would be mine!

This part of the plan didn't work out either. Although I did catch six chub to about 4lbs or so, the big 'uns were as wily as foxes. The pot hole was like looking into an aquarium of gin, so clear that polaroid glasses were not required. They spat out my spam and generally viewed everything with the utmost suspicion.

It does add to the mystique that you don't get everything you wish for first time round, so let's wait until the next time and possibly a few times after that, but even so, what a lovely way to spend an evening! 

Happy Birthday Bernard!

My friend, Bernard Venables, would have been 107 years old today - it is hard to believe that thirteen years have passed since he sadly passed away in 2001. He was an inspiration to many - to me he epitomised good angling, good values, ideals, friendship, traditionalism and kindness. Bernard is everything that I hold dear with angling and I know that I am not alone.

Bernard Venables, self portrait - Memorial Service 2001

I am re-reading some of his wonderful books - A Rise To The Fly (Robert Hale Ltd) came out in 2000 and as I read it now I can hear Bernard's lovely dulcet tones as I turn each page. When I first met him he told me "first and foremost I am artist, an artist who just happens to go fishing". 

1948 FA Book for Boys

1949 FA Book for Boys

I surprised and excited him on subsequent meetings by showing him various other books and bits of ephemera he had illustrated and were long forgotten. Since his passing I have amassed quite a collection and on this special day I share a small selection with you.

Deerskin Island Mystery - 1945

The Hunting of Zakaroff - 1946

The picture below brings a smile to my face - just after it was taken, the assembled members of the Golden Scale Club let off a superb rocket from the pub garden (I won't name the hostelry!). We all whooped with joy, no-one more so than Bernard. The landlord ran out of the pub and banned us all instantly - he looked at BV and said "..and you are old enough to know better" - a magical memory.

Gerry Berth-Jones, Maurice Ingham, Ferneyhough Yates and BV - GSC AGM Hampshire, 1996

I am sure I will not be alone when I raise a glass of ale and give thanks to Bernard this evening.   
 

Tanks - Country Life, 1942

Market Finds No 6

Some veritable gems found on the market this last week - two copies no less of The Shell Book of Roads (Ebury 1969) with some lovely artwork by David Gentleman along with Bernard Venables classic Coming Down the Zambezi (Constable 1974). All for the price of a pint of ale.

From track to motorway - The Dover Road - The Bath Road - The Great North Road - The Roman Steps - The Holyhead Road - The Antrim Coast Road - The Berkshire Ridgeway - Ermine Street - Fosse Way - Sewstern Lane - The Corrieyairack Pass.

 I already have a copy of BV's Zambezi book, so the joy will be in the giving of this book to a friend who does not have a copy. 

Bernard Venables - Tiger Fish, Lukulu

Christmas Cards Part 4

Peaceful and Prosperous - Bernard Venables

Happy and Abundant - Bernard Venables

Christmas Cards Part 3

Christmas Greetings - DJ Watkins-Pitchford

The First Snow, Lochiel's Country - DJ Watkins-Pitchford

Christmas Gathering - DJ Watkins-Pitchford

Christmas Cards Part 2

Happy and Beneficent - Bernard Venables

Festival of Christmas - Bernard Venables

Comfort and Contentment - Bernard Venables

Christmas Cards Part 1

Midwinter in Appin - DJ Watkins-Pitchford

The Rival - DJ Watkins-Pitchford

The Lonely Road - DJ Watkins-Pitchford

 

One of the joys of knowing such lovely people as BB (DJ Watkins-Pitchford) and Bernard Venables was the eager anticipation at Christmas time awaiting the arrival of their card in the post - all kept as most treasured items and a splendid Christmas present in themselves.

 

Over the next few days I will do my best to share a few of them with you and hope you too enjoy them just as much.