Simple Match Fishing Forum

but for one reason and another are unable to do so now.

One of mine is The Sunken Gardens stretch on the Trent at Drakelow Power Station. Was a member of the station club for years, fished many a match and pleasure session on there

Although there were ‘favoured’ areas on the 42 (I think) peg section, you never really knew which peg would throw up the winner

Remember it featuring in the old Matchfishing mag in the 80s, where it was described as the fairest match venue in the country.

coronation channel TK i used to drive into the sun going and into sun driving back what a great venue that used to be same with the Welland and parts of the Nene
Kettering and thrapston USED TO BE GOOD IN THE WINTER
clear view lakes in quorn you can't fish that anymore as they built 80 odd houses around it what a waste i bet no one has thought about the fish in there during this cold spell
trent lock another the viaduct's its a great same as they are all natural venues its not that you can't fish there's either no fish or no matches

River Trent, anywhere from Willington to Newark. Preferred Shardlow, best venue in the land (was).
River Severn, Shrewsbury
River Severn, Barbourne and Bevere
River Severn, Kempsey
Trentham Gardens Lake
River Sow north of Stafford, (years ago you couldn't get a peg, there were coach loads most weekends from Birmingham just to go pleasure fishing; times have changed a bit!) Brilliant roach fishing. The river is now crappity smack.
River Rother in Kent.

The Chesterfield canal at Retford, Basingstoke canal, river Torne, river Ancholme........

Anywhere in the NW ......

Its all w@nk now

TK,
I bumped into Alan Burton a few months ago ! had not seen him for years. If you remember he ran the Saturday open matches.
I am sorry to say that Bullivants have flattened it now (Don't know how as its part of the forest land !)
Anyway its going to get built on sooner than later !
No fishing on that side anymore which is a crying shame as it was one of my favorite venues too.
Used to be great in winter when the hot water used to pump out !!!
Happy Days

Yep, knew AB.

Didnt fish the opens on there, mainly club bookings, pleasure sessions, ESI midweek league matches and the Upper Trent Teams of 4 etc - so most of my dealings were with Pete (forgot his surname at the mo - he lived at Swadlincote I think....or was it Swarkestone )

Probably a good thing I daint fish the opens - there used to be some crack river anglers knocking about

Used to fish it throughout the year, both summer and winter......nice and warm through those waders in the winter as that froth sometimes came down

Heinzer and Cheslynboy from our part of the forums used to fish it too.

Wasnt half happy days

Remember a guy who fished for Drakelow in the nationals (Pete?) Bannister held the match record for a bag of gudgeon - 23lb of em ..........I tried emulating him over a couple of years, but only managed to get it up to 16lb


Did you ever fish the Pump House section as well CWH?

Just read that post back, and it's come to me - Pete Edwards was the booking sec and who I used to get all of our clubs (Walsall MESC) memberships through

Remember a guy who fished for Drakelow in the nationals (Pete?) Bannister held the match record for a bag of gudgeon - 23lb of em

and that was Paul Bannister.......not Pete.......the grey cells are on the wain these days

Thats correct TK, Pete does live in Swad same as myself and I still see him from time to time.
Yes I have fished the pump house many years ago ! Probably one of the best fishing venues at the time !
The upper Trent teams of 4 brings good memory's back to me !!
I was lucky enough to win it ind. and team wise.
My team consisted of Tony Scott, Bob Eaton and Joe Ellis who was a fine angler in his day.
At it's best was 180 sell out with 45 teams of four.
Not the biggest match in Burton as the annual Lifeboat Charity was 300 pegs !!!
I was so lucky in those days for the quality of fishing was second to none in the local area.
My regular matches were on Swadlincote's water at Bladon and Newton Solney, The River Dove at Tutbury, Swarkestone, Shardlow, Drakelow, Willington, The Derwent at Borrowash (When I could get a ticket !)
I read so much in the papers about how good Nottingham was in the 70's and 80's but the fishing was awsome on the upper Trent aswell.
My fav venues were the Derwent at Borrowash, Dove at Tutbury and the upper Trent throughout !
The walks were not great !!
My top 5 walks ;
Bladon - Cardiac Hill.
Tutbury - The weir.
Swarkestone - Barrow Bends.
Alvaston - Derwent.
Newton Solney - Pegs 80 to 100.

You had to been made of steel then to get to your peg !
Happy Days !!

Just read that post back, and it's come to me - Pete Edwards was the booking sec and who I used to get all of our clubs (Walsall MESC) memberships through

Yeah I remember him well

Wasn't that other chap ROGER Bannister, he was pretty quick?

Wasn't that other chap ROGER Bannister, he was pretty quick?

I was lucky enough to win it ind. and team wise

We were just fodder to you guys 

You had to been made of steel then to get to your peg 

It was a fair old treck to the far end of the golf course up by that school (opp the nature reserve at Drakelow) too  - done that more than once - lathered when you got there 

then when you got there you had to dodge the wayward golf balls

Heinzer and Cheslynboy from our part of the forums used to fish it too.

How remiss of me - forgetting about MrV too - he won a few bob on the Gardens in his time

Yes I remember the Sunken Gardens/Branston. Drew next to Boris there when Dean was a young lad; it were a great day, we dead heated with 13 lb odd each. We also won that four a side one year.
There was a three a side Bass pub match at Burton also, - won that twice.
Derby AA used to run a huge league with about 300 in some years; we never won that.
There used to be a huge Fish Aid match on the Trent and the cut. This used to have 500+ in it; we won that two years running, even with the England team in it.
Much preferred Shardlow though, roach fishing was ace. Trent Lock/Attenborough also had some really good matches.
I was also one of the relics that fished quite a few of the Burton Joyce opens.

Happy days; I ain't caught a crappity smack fish yet this year

River Severn at Leighton