“HE WAS MR DRENNAN CUP”

Martin Bowler shares some special memories

“I only ever saw Terry lose his temper once”

IHAVE countless treasured memories of Terry, both from a fishing and a personal perspective. Quite unassuming in nature, behind that shy exterior was a wonderful fun-loving character who epitomised all that is good about angling.

His single-minded passion for the sport had a big influence on me, and trying to pick highlights from the times we spent together is no easy task, as we always had so much fun.

One time we were filming Catching The Impossible and needed to catch a 3lb river roach – more than a task for one man, so I called on Terry and his best friend Tim Norman.

Typically, Terry achieved the impossible by banking a miracle roach of 3lb 5oz for the cameras. As always, the angling gods smiled on Mr Lampard!

From then on Tim, Terry and I enjoyed many angling adventures although I felt what Terry enjoyed most about my company was the angling gossip I could supply. He was a private man but he loved putting the angling world to rights, all done with a cheeky grin and a mischievous glint in his eye.

I only ever saw him lose his temper once. It was in 2009, and we had talked Terry into going to Scotland to fish for giant skate.

He eventually agreed but, being green to the world of sea fishing in deep water with monster fish, he struggled terribly during his first battle with a big common skate. The skipper of the boat, Ronnie Campbell, tried to talk him through it and then set up a cradle called the Sissy Strap for poor Lamps to use to help him gain control of the fish. It’s a device designed for women and children, so we did what friends do and took the mickey out of him. Realising that this was my chance to break Terry, I pinched a can of his beloved Red Bull, and climbed on top of the boat’s roof. With Tim pulling faces behind him and me hollering abuse I’m sure that if he could have, Terry would have wrapped a rod around my neck. He finally forgave us after we bought him a lobster supper that evening.

Terry was undoubtedly the greatest specimen angler of his generation. He had an immense amount of knowledge, and his relentless pursuit of big fish meant no monster was safe from him. He can still rightfully be called Mister Drennan Cup.