Photos of Dick Walker

[TheDodger]

I found this thread really interesting. It never occurred to me to wonder what kind of house Dick Walker lived in! For those interested in minutiae (and I confess to these little things sometimes being irresistable) I suggest that he moved form Bearton Avenue to Water Lane in late April or early May of 1971. He wrote to me on 13th April from 11 Bearton Avenue, but his letter of 21st May of that year was sent from 1A Water Lane.

[Hovis]

I also found this thread really interesting and the pictures are wonderful, so full of atmosphere. The modern carp scene could learn something from this!

[Tengisgol]

In one of the shots of Dick's study is a framed photo of him in a chair with his bookcase behind him. There is a can of Long Life on the table. To me that photo is so evocative because it is in the 'Shell Book of Angling' that I had when I was a kid.

Does anyone else recognise it and if so, who else has tipped the book ninety degrees and looked to try and work out the titles on the shelves behind the glass?

[Gary Bills]

I'm being a bit of an anorak here...but am I right in thinking that Dick was the first angler known to have caught two twenty plus carp, when each carp came from a different water from the other? I'm thinking of his Dagenham common and Ravioli/Clarissa, of course...

[The Sweetcorn Kid]

I know Bob Richards was the first to catch two thirties and Jack Hilton the first to catch three thirties.

[Gary Bills]

I know Bob Richards was the first to catch two thirties and Jack Hilton the first to catch three thirties.

Certainly right about Hilton - but I believe Walker beat Bob when it came to being the first man to land two carp over 30lbs - 44lb (1952) and 34lb (1954). Bob caught his second thirty later, - 1956, I think - and it was foul-hooked in the chin, and sadly died in the sack.
If I'm right about the twenties, then Walker achieved two remarkable "firsts", as well as breaking the record, and he was also the only British angler in history to have caught the first and second biggest carp in the UK at any one point in time, although - of course - he "understated" the weight of the 34lb common, so as to keep on the right side of Bob, who saw it landed and said: "You've beaten me again, Dick..."

[AshbyCut]

This photograph accompanies the article entitled "Rod Making" by Richard Walker in Volume 1 of "The Art of Angling," edited by Kenneth Mansfield and published by The Caxton Publishing Company in 1957.

[Hugo Curgudgeon]

This photograph accompanies the article entitled "Rod Making" by Richard Walker in Volume 1 of "The Art of Angling," edited by Kenneth Mansfield and published by The Caxton Publishing Company in 1957.

Wonderful!

Regards,

Hugo

[Gurn]

This photograph accompanies the article entitled "Rod Making" by Richard Walker in Volume 1 of "The Art of Angling," edited by Kenneth Mansfield and published by The Caxton Publishing Company in 1957.

What a great photograph, it appears to have been taken in or near the Willow Pitch at Redmire. You can make out the old boathouse on the far bank which once stood near to where the spooky Evening Pitch now is.

[Chris Ball]

This photograph accompanies the article entitled "Rod Making" by Richard Walker in Volume 1 of "The Art of Angling," edited by Kenneth Mansfield and published by The Caxton Publishing Company in 1957.

What a great photograph, it appears to have been taken in or near the Willow Pitch at Redmire. You can make out the old boathouse on the far bank which once stood near to where the spooky Evening Pitch now is.

It is a great picture, taken by Pete Thomas on 20th June 1954. On the other end is a 31lb 4oz (34lb) common. You will remember the story about Walker spotting a big fish feeding on the groundbait he placed on a sunken shelf (close to where the current boathouse is) adjacent to the dam wall.

Yet if he or anyone else sat fishing this spot from the dam in the morning both the groundbait and hookbait were left alone. So he came up with a plan and before dusk cast from the Willow Pitch across to the dam, then walked round and baited the hook and deftly dropped it onto the shelf along with some free bait.

Around 5am the following morning his line streaked away and eventually the fish became weeded which necessitated the use of the punt - I am sure most of you will have seen pictures of Walker in the punt battling with this carp.

Former carp record holder Bob Richards was also present at the time, and Dick Walker always keen to record the moment, took this picture of Pete Thomas heaving the common over the dam rail to Bob Richards.

A number of interesting things about this capture. First: Dick was using his new invention, (created just a year before) the antenna bite alarm nicknamed the Bedlam. Second: the rod in use is his MkIII, the double-built one and the immediate predecessor of the famed MkIV. Third: another witness to the capture was young Eric Higgs the boy from one of the farm cottages who later became the the Redmire Bailiff in the Jack Hilton syndicate years. And finally: with this carp Richard Walker became the first (and possibly) the only person to hold both the top and second spot in the list of big carp caught.