A close season working party at Redmire

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Jardine
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A close season working party at Redmire

Post by Jardine »

I went to Redmire Pool just the once, it was Saturday May 1980 and I drove down for the weekend to attend a close season working party. Tom Mintram had said I could come along and help out. I’d met Tom a few times via Chris Yates and he had arranged for me to help out on the working party. I got on well with Tom and so that weekend I drove down to meet Chris and Tom at Redmire Pool.
I was 20 years old and a bit overwhelmed in in the company of some much older and experienced carp anglers. Chris Seeger, Ritchie McDonald, Tom Mintram, Barry Mills, John Carver, Roy Tuckey, and some of the Norfolk lads whose names I will remember eventually. I guess it would have been all of the 1980-syndicate members plus a few potentials like me. I remember the weekend hazily but it was also significant because it was FA Cup Final weekend, and my football team Arsenal was hosting West Ham at Wembley stadium. I listened to it on the car radio and we lost 1-0 to a Trevor Brooking goal. I was devastated.

There was a lot of activity on the banks of Redmire that Saturday afternoon, with swim clearing and cutting back of branches, Ritchie was very active and I still have this picture in my head of him swinging from the branch of a tree. I knew Ritchie from fishing Longfield in Staines; he was a very entertaining character. There was also a bit of rivalry between him and Chris Seager, who was even more of an extrovert than Ritchie.

With all the commotion on the Saturday it wasn’t surprising that we didn’t see any carp. In the evening we went into Hay or Ross on Wye for a pub or Indian dinner. I honestly can’t remember which on both counts!
But a lot of ale was drunk and I had some great conversations with Barry Mills, Roy Tuckey and John Carver.

We slept overnight in bivvies by the lake, I shared with Chris Yates, I think we were pitched in Keffords. Sunday morning saw a more subdued Redmire as I think there were a lot of people with hangovers.
By mid morning some of the anglers had started to leave and soon after the weather which had been cloudy, broke and the sun came out. A few dark shapes soon appeared but the carp were still aware of the anglers and they soon disappeared.

We were amongst the last to leave later that afternoon, and I drove back to London thinking it would be nice to fish Redmire one day.
The week following the working party Chris told me that Tom Mintram had said as a reward for helping on the working party that weekend I could have a few days fishing there that season.
But funnily enough I never took that offer up!

A few weeks later Chris would catch the Bishop and I learnt of the capture by postcard that he sent me. The fish was caught on a hook that I gave him, a Mustad 4826, so I had a small part in its capture.
Last edited by Jardine on Mon Feb 06, 2017 5:50 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Paul D

Re: A close season working party at Redmire

Post by Paul D »

What a lovely story, thanks for sharing. :Hat:

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Dave Burr
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Re: A close season working party at Redmire

Post by Dave Burr »

I enjoyed that. Your hook eh? What a claim to fame.

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RBTraditional
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Re: A close season working party at Redmire

Post by RBTraditional »

Lovely story Jardine thank you for sharing that with us. I know exactly where I was on that day, watching the FA cup final.....cheering on the Hammers with my grandad! Sorry for your loss but that was a superb goal by Brooking and as I'm led to believe the only one he ever scored off his head....
" Angling is not an escape from life, but often a deeper immersion into it..."

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Jardine
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Re: A close season working party at Redmire

Post by Jardine »

RBTraditional wrote: Mon Feb 06, 2017 5:50 pm Lovely story Jardine thank you for sharing that with us. I know exactly where I was on that day, watching the FA cup final.....cheering on the Hammers with my grandad! Sorry for your loss but that was a superb goal by Brooking and as I'm led to believe the only one he ever scored off his head....
Hi RBT, I have always had a soft spot for the hammers, my son in law is a hammers fan too as are many of my friends.
And after all these years I can just come to terms with that loss, its seared into my memory.
Great team and great tradition and great players.
I envy you....

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RBTraditional
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Re: A close season working party at Redmire

Post by RBTraditional »

Funnily enough my dad and life long best mate are both Gunners,
As a kid spending time with my grandad (on my mums side of the family) who was a mad keen Hammer, took me regularly to the Bolyen and I fell in love with the whole West Ham way. I must admit though I always hope for a good scoring draw when we play Arsenal they are my soft spot....keeps the old man and my mate happy too!
" Angling is not an escape from life, but often a deeper immersion into it..."

https://thepiscatorialraconteurs.co.uk/

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Mark_N
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Re: A close season working party at Redmire

Post by Mark_N »

what a great story Jardine.... imagine if you'd taken up the offer. It could have been you who caught the bishop.
There are 2 types of people in this world.... those that "get" fishing .... and those that don't

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Mark
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Re: A close season working party at Redmire

Post by Mark »

Lovely story Mem.
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Bobthefloat
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Re: A close season working party at Redmire

Post by Bobthefloat »

Great story did chris keep the hook you gave him I don't remember reading anywhere that it was kept.
I know Chris ball lent chris yates the ravioli rod for A.P.F.A
And Mr yates gave Mr Ball the hook he caught the surface caught carp on at Redmire.

Jardine
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Re: A close season working party at Redmire

Post by Jardine »

BobTheFloat wrote: Fri Feb 10, 2017 7:05 am Great story did chris keep the hook you gave him I don't remember reading anywhere that it was kept.
I know Chris ball lent chris yates the ravioli rod for A.P.F.A
And Mr yates gave Mr Ball the hook he caught the surface caught carp on at Redmire.
Knowing CY I think that it's probably stuck into his diary
page of that fateful day.
Best regards
Mem

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