Partnered by Dave Short, my carp fishing career began in the 1960’s. We were soon sufficiently fortunate to meet and fish with Bill Quinlan, Bob Buteux, Jack Hilton and Roger Smith. At that time Jack Hilton and Bill Quinlan were using the best available landing nets: those made by B.James & Son based on Dick Walker’s original design, but these were as rare as the proverbial rocking horse poo; even back then! Therefore, Roger Smith got his dad to make him a ‘Walker copy’ but employing solid fibreglass arms and a brass block.
Roger’s version was impressive, but I thought a significant weight-saving could be achieved by employing hollow glass arms, alloy block and a tufnol spreader. Discussions with Bill and Dave culminated in me building three large landing nets, one for each of us. Bill suggested suitable arms be cut from (Oliver’s of Knebworth) green salmon rod blanks, at 45inches long.
My original three nets (Picture courtesy of Chris Ball).
These, then, were my first three landing nets, made almost certainly early in 1969. In use they proved ‘bombproof’, and mine is still going strong. Bill’s returned to me after his tragic premature demise, and Dave’s is currently owned by Chris Ball.
As news spread other carpers showed interest and I went on to make about 30 similar nets. Some of the owners becoming well known anglers: Bob Buteux, Ritchie McDonald, Bruce Ashby, Mike Harris, Pete Cranstoun, Martin James, Mike Wilson, Kevin Clifford, John Carver, etc. (As an aside, John Carver’s was the actual item used in the landing of Chris Yates’ ex-record carp, his Redmire 51lb 8oz: I’m particularly proud of that.
John Carver’s net.
Besides making landing nets from scratch I worked on others, owned by the likes of Tom Mintram and Jack Hilton.
When Ritchie McDonald gave-up carp fishing in the early 1990’s, all his gear, including the landing net was sold. Recently it turned-up for sale and consequently purchased by long-time carper, and landing net enthusiast and collector, Greg Fletcher. Through Chris Ball, Greg contacted me to verify this indeed was the ex-Ritchie net, which I happily did. But the net was now in poor condition, with one arm broken: In the event its restoration was entrusted to me and the result proved eminently satisfying.
Ritchie’s net before restoration.
Ritchie’s net post restoration.
Coincidentally, at the time of the work’s completion, Ritchie phoned to ask if Greg would be interested in selling the net back to him. I told him, he had two chances – slim and none! Then offered to make Ritchie one of my modern carbon-fibre versions as a replacement and part recompense: An offer Ritchie happily accepted.
Ritchie’s new net.
Incidentally, these current carbon-fibre based nets came about when Jack Hilton’s son, Keith, and Tom Mintram’s son, Mike, asked me, actually at Redmire, to make them nets similar to the ones I worked on for their dads, all those years ago, leading on to around twenty more.
A few extra pictures.
Len in his workshop.
Len with Dave Short, June 2014.
Len with Kevin Clifford and Bob Buteux, November 2013.
Roger Smith's landing net, the first his father made.
Roger Smith at Redmire, 1969. Again the landing net is the first his father made.
Bill Quinlan's biggest carp, his Redmire 38lb 2oz, landed in the net Len made him.
