First Tackle Shop You Ever Used...

Do you know of a good traditional fishing tackle shop, past and present.
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Barbulus
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Re: First Tackle Shop You Ever Used...

Post by Barbulus »

I M Crudgingtons in the centre of Bath from when I was a teenager through to old age. It was primarily a Gun Shop set up by Ian Crudgington as one of the country's innovative and skilled gunmakers and with a professional association and patronage (?) with the Duke of Beaufort locally ? At one time it was situated next to the Saracen's Head in Bath which was the only pub allowed to stay open on a Wednesday afternoon (in the days of licensing laws restricting pub opening) as a throw back to the Cattle Market nearby to allow local Farmers a tipple having bought or sold their livestock. As fifth and sixth formers, we were often able to bunk off school and sneak a crafty pint on a Wednesday afternoon .....it was also the place to get your Hunstrete Lake ticket and dream the impossible dream in the 70's.......

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Michael
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Re: First Tackle Shop You Ever Used...

Post by Michael »

T Myatt wrote: Sun Mar 11, 2018 9:20 pm Edgar Thurston and Co. Ltd. was also my first, I lived a couple of hundred yards away in Riverdale Road, East Twickenham. This would have been the early 70's when Dennis Rudd was still alive and who, with Dave Steuart, jointly owned the shop. Dennis died in 1977 and from there on it was owned by Dave alone.

It was a bit of inconvenience when Dave eventually chose to sell it as by then I lived even closer! and the shop unfortunately was never the same, there again where would you rather be on the banks of the Test or behind a shop counter? Incidentally Michael, the name Edgar Thurston was made up so I guess your dad was pulling your leg! I have great memories of the shop and from 1978 until Dave sold it I worked there as Saturday boy. Umm great memories indeed such as Dave and the late Eric de Lacy (Eric was a builder who lived above the shop and also fished) dangling me over Dave's large livebait tank at the rear of the premises until I retracted some clever dick teenage remark I'd made. They got their apology, well it was January. Dave was 89 last week and I'm pleased to say is still dangling. :Chuckle:

Tony
It was a cracking shop. I spoke with my elderly Mother, who put me right. My late Father, went to school with one of the original owners, but she couldn't recall which one. So the confusion was all my fault! :Brickwall:
Perhaps we've unknowingly met in the past?

Timandtone

Re: First Tackle Shop You Ever Used...

Post by Timandtone »

Veals of Bristol used to be in Tower hill where it first opened in 1846 used to be a gunsmiths then moved in the late fifties because of redevelopment small shop 2 minutes waiting for the bait 15 minutes more looking at the tackle we couldn't afford threepunce worth of maggots in a coffee tin then down the road to temple meads and over to Bath dace snatching on Putney weir

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Loop Erimder
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Re: First Tackle Shop You Ever Used...

Post by Loop Erimder »

Tusses tackle shop in Coventry right on the Oxford canal.... guessing over 35 years ago.... it's still there set out exactly the same and I still use it..... and it caters for all not just carp fishing.....the other one is lanes of Coventry again still set out the same
Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish

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Ian.R.McDonald
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Re: First Tackle Shop You Ever Used...

Post by Ian.R.McDonald »

Keswalls of Woodford in their first shop in the 60s before their move east to Woodford again and then Collier Row. Ray would sell you stuff " on the book"which involved a credit check , Ray looked at you and decided! and it actually went in a book!. I still remember the wonderful smell and how important we kids felt in being in the shop listening to the banter. I have never been to the Colliers Row shop but the email conversation I have had with them suggests there is still a bit of the old ethos left within a modern setup

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Peter Wilde
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Re: First Tackle Shop You Ever Used...

Post by Peter Wilde »

Norman Toye in Bexleyheath. Found them helpful and bought my first proper rod there, though the shop was only half tackle and half something unrelated that I can't remember (bicycles??). Remember the usual must-have (but too expensive for a boy) displays of spinners and floats, also copies of the early Anglers Mail, which was trying to get ahead of the more well-established Angling Times by printing some pictures in colour - very blurry though!

Later at school in Canterbury the local shop was Greenfields but it didn't feel as comfortable - too much expensive trout tackle for a young coarse fisher, and too many guns. Again though, they could be helpful if and when one had the courage to ask!

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Reedling
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Re: First Tackle Shop You Ever Used...

Post by Reedling »

Peter Wilde wrote: Tue Nov 20, 2018 3:28 pm Norman Toye in Bexleyheath. Found them helpful and bought my first proper rod there, though the shop was only half tackle and half something unrelated that I can't remember (bicycles??). Remember the usual must-have (but too expensive for a boy) displays of spinners and floats, also copies of the early Anglers Mail, which was trying to get ahead of the more well-established Angling Times by printing some pictures in colour - very blurry though!

Later at school in Canterbury the local shop was Greenfields but it didn't feel as comfortable - too much expensive trout tackle for a young coarse fisher, and too many guns. Again though, they could be helpful if and when one had the courage to ask!
I had a 14 foot beachcaster made by Toyes tackle in the late 70's ish, up by the clock tower. Paired with a 6000 it had much use at Gravesend prom and the Sea school stretch... happy days. :Thumb:

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Marc
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Re: First Tackle Shop You Ever Used...

Post by Marc »

Delta Flash (terrible name, no idea where they got it from) on the Broom rd in Ferryhill. At that time it was in the owners (Alf, I think his name is) garage and you had to knock on their door to be let in, but it’s now a few doors up in an old news agents. Oddly, Ferryhill only having a population of about 11,000, it has two tackle shops now. Some major cities don’t have one, yet here’s a little village with two both going well. Although, using only traditional gear, I’m probably his worst customer. “Interest you in a new rod sir”. No thanks, just half a pint of maggots please... :whistle:
Marc. (Prince of Durham)

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Tonkin Wand
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Re: First Tackle Shop You Ever Used...

Post by Tonkin Wand »

Hi all You gents moved in exulted in circles! For me in £.s.d. land of my childhood two local shops sufficed.Both only had a small counter at the rear to cater for us kids.One the first to open was an iron.mongers and Post office where Mr Easter was the proprietor the other a Mr Blake run the Pet store.. Both men wore warehouse coats during opening hours. With a smile and infaniate patience serving us children.Small scale sales augmented their main trade but always we went back often just to look for there was no window display. Both outlets endured until the shopkeepers retirements and new blood used the space to modernise and the smell of linseed oil dress netting,and open tray of gentles were gone for ever.

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Tony
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Re: First Tackle Shop You Ever Used...

Post by Tony »

Chubman wrote: Sun Mar 04, 2018 7:45 pm ive been using the same tackle shop for over 6o years, not many proper tackle shops left now, use them or loose them, homestores of swaythling southampton is well worth a visit if your in hampshire
Mine also, but not for so many years .... just 47

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