Winter Leagues

#1

When I first fished the West Mids WL in the 60s these were the venues:-
R Avon, Eckington
R Avon, Hampton Ferry
R Thames, Lechlade (usually twice)
North Bank of the River Nene
Oxford Canal, Kirtlington
Occasionally there was a leg at Rowington on the GU Canal.

It was 12 a side and there were around 15 teams in the League.
Cofton Hackett was the team of the day (I can remember most of their early team).
This was years before Starlets entered.

The Thames were generally the best matches; Eckington was the hardest.
The winning weight on the Oxford was generally around the 3 lb mark.

Believe it or not the matches on the North Bank were really good. In those days there were plenty of roach caught. Bream generally won.
I can remember one of our guys weighing in 8 lb or so fishing for bleak. He had lots of bleak plus a 3 lb odd tench caught about 2.5 feet deep. The North Bank match was always in December and it was much colder those days.
I can't remember ever a match being cancelled because of floods; the yardstick then was if it is in the banks it was on.

#2

Was there much dog sh!t in thems days Bill

#3

Here we go...

This is the thread when Bill tells us about how him and his mate Isaac would cycle 12 miles with their tackle to catch the train for an hour then walk 5 miles to the draw

#4

Crappity smackers

Did they have Crappity smackers back then

Crappity smack me even i weren`t born then

#5

crappity smack Hell Dodge,
I thought you were in the original Cofton Hackett side.
I must be thinking of someone else.

There no 'designer' walkways up the cut in those days, no dogs, bikers or crap like that. Fishing weren't much good though, 2 lb and you got in!

Clive Smith was Cofton Hackett captain. England was robbed of potentially one of the very best there. He was strict but as fair could be. He left one of his top men out of a WL round because he was spotted eating a sandwich the round before. True, that is, I could tell you who it was.

#6

He left one of his top men out of a WL round because he was spotted eating a sandwich the round before. True, that is, I could tell you who it was.

Come on then Bill spill the beans

ropa · #7

Clive Smith and Ken Giles, absolute legends. Dodge if you get a chance read Clive`s book "Ten of the Best", it`s my bed side bible. Best book I`ve read by far.

It gives you an insight into Clive`s 10 favourite matches he`s fished. It includes w/leagues with the Cofton Hackett side, nationals etc. Gives you details on how he approached these matches with practicing and tactics.

joffmiester · #8

:othats a bit deep for bedtime ropas ::) ::) ::)or do you mean your afternoon snoooz

#9

Clive Smith was without doubt the future England manager, he was that good. No disrespect to Dick Clegg or Stan Smith.
He was a brilliant captain and there were none better at man management. He encouraged every team in the West Mids League, not just Cofton.
If I remember right Barry Brookes, a brilliant river angler, was caught eating sandwiches and left out of the next round.

Ropa, that book should mention guys like Tony Rees, Lloyd Davies, Max Winters (legend), Ken Giles, Bill Stroud, Ken Smith, Ron Lees, John Ryder, Gordon Priddy, Barry Brookes. There were one or two others I forgot too.

The best TEAM (by a mile) I ever fished against; top guys and very friendy too, all of them.

endpeg · #10

Bill, you dropped these at the weigh in on Sunday:

#11

Its a Crappity Smacking laff a minute on here

Luv it

#12

I used to think Shakespeare were a friendly lot.

Now I don't

#13

Does anybody remember Arthur Askey.

He definitely looks like one of the Shakespeare mob.

About as funny as well.

endpeg · #14

Where's me washboard?

#15

Just trying to think how Bill Yards would look like wearing thems glasses

Ossie Osbourne gone wrong maybe ???

endpeg · #16

Nah, Kelly Osbourne more like!

#17

There will be tears.

#18

sharon wheres my crapity smacking poopa scoopa