10 STARS BACK IN THE DAY
Every picture tells a story – here are some truly iconic images
THE latest internet craze has seen anglers share thousands of their most treasured pictures with the world on social media.
The ‘ten in ten days’ feature has seen some of the sport’s biggest names display images from moments in their career that still live strong in the memory.
Angling Times this week looks at 10 iconic images from 10 stars and finds out more about the story behind their favourite snapshots.
1 DAVE HARRELL
One of the river legend’s most memorable moments was in 1986 – his first-ever 100lb catch of roach.
“It won me the title of ‘King of The Colebrook’ in Northern Ireland. There wasn’t much pace in the river where I was so I tackled up with 7m and 8m poles, fished with long lines to hand, 3g and 4g floats, 6lb line and a size 12 hook!” said Dave.
“Another thing I remember about the day was the number of little skin rips on my left hand from swinging in so many fish. The hook point often goes into your catching hand!”
2 BOB NUDD
Even a four-times World Champ has to work his way up from the bottom.
One early victory stands out for the Browning-backed star.
In the Motor Company Open on the River Wensum in Norwich, he put together 11lb 13oz of small roach for the win. Three fellow Essex lads followed, leaving the Norfolk faithful aggrieved at the hit-and-run raid from the South.
3 DAI GRIBBLE
The 2015-16 Drennan Cup winner has caught fish that most anglers can only dream of. But it was an 11lb barbel from the late 1990s that he rates as one of his best moments.
“I’d heard that the tiny River Sow, three minutes from my house, was producing a few big barbel. When I got it sussed, in one memorable fortnight I had five doubles plus a couple of nines,” he said.
“The best two both weighed a pb 11lb 8oz, and it was great having such quality fishing so close. In fact when they were having it I had a fish in a short session during my lunch break.”
4 IAN HEAPS
When Ian won gold in the 1976 World Champs everybody wanted a shot at beating the man of the moment.
But Ian told former Angling Times correspondent Ray Bazeley in no uncertain terms: “Use what pole you want and I’ll still be able to beat you with a piece of line tied to a branch.”
The challenge was on, and on the Oxford Canal Ian’s trusty stick saw off his opponent with a net of gudgeon.
5 DARREN COX
This fresh-faced bagger is none other than England international Darren Cox when he was just 14 years old.
The Garbolino UK boss showed huge promise, banking a winning net of roach that gave him the Angling Times Rodbenders British Junior
Championship title.
“Eighty of us went over to Denmark to compete on the Skjern Canal,” he said. “I weighed 24lb 15oz and won a Sundridge Kevin Ashurst 12ft waggler rod and some floats. I entered a groundbait throwing competition and I won that too!”
6 PAUL GARNER
The Bait Doctor’s first-ever feature for Angling Times will be one he and former photographer Mick Rouse will always remember, as Paul explains:
“Back in the 1990s I was fishing a lake in Cambridgeshire for its huge rudd. For me it was a five-hour drive every Friday night and the same again on Sunday afternoon.
“I think Mick was a bit dubious when I promised him a threepounder for the cameras, but the fishing gods smiled on me with not one, but two giants. I’m proud to have been writing for Angling Times on and off since that fateful day.”
7 KEITH ARTHUR
Angling’s outspoken commentator has travelled the globe, but one of his top sessions was a lot closer to home.
“I’d gone for a week’s holiday to The Royalty with my mate Brian. We had two gallons of maggots delivered by train every day and stayed in a guest house yards from the fishery,” he said.
“During the best session I had three barbel and six chub caught wading the shallows and trotting the deeper water against the far bank. We fed via bait droppers. My rod was a tubular steel Apollo Taperflash with a Match Aerial reel and a new ‘fluted float’ designed by Dick Walker.
“The year was 1966, when England triumphed in the World Cup.”
8 ALI HAMIDI
One of the Korda star’s finest memories is the day he banked his first double-figure fish.
He was only 12 at the time, and writing in his hit book ‘The Carpers’ High’ he said: “I can barely remember the fight, because the adrenaline was at an all-time high. What I do recall was that when the fish broke the surface it was huge.
“I was thinking of all the glory, all the adulation that would come with this. I was clearly a massive deal on the carp scene now!”
9 DES TAYLOR
Still sporting the same haircut, Angling Times’ very own Des Taylor recalls how much carp fishing has
changed since the capture of his first ever 20-pounder: “I caught the 20lb 14oz fish from Llandrindod Wells on June 17, 1977. It took liver paste in a swim at the bottom of the famous ‘Avenue’.
“In those days a 20lb carp was quite a rare fish but that season I also caught 17 more doubles. Nowadays carpers catch that many in a day!”
10 BOB ROBERTS
River specialist Bob Roberts was still in the pomp of his match fishing career 25 years ago. “I was in my ‘hybrid’ period back then, still match fishing but desperate to try all the sweeties in the shop,” he said. “At 12lb 7oz this was the thirdbiggest barbel ever from the Great Ouse at the time. I had it from Haversham, and it pre-dates all those circus animals from Adam’s Mill. It went 12lb 7oz and I had it on floatfished bread. “When I arrived there was only one other angler fishing, in the very swim I’d fancied. He told me he was packing up shortly so I could move in. “Let’s see what an ‘expert’ can do!” he sneered as he packed away his gear. “I often wonder what he must have thought when he saw me beaming out from the cover of Angling Times a week later.”