Page 7 of 11
Re: Restoration.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2018 10:57 am
by Skeff
Part two of the article about the restoration in the current carpworld for those interested.... Happy Christmas one and all and best wishes for the New Year.
Re: Restoration.
Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2018 9:03 pm
by GregF
Just read it. Absolutely brilliant article and eye-opening as to the scale of the project. The quantity of silt removed was staggering from such a small pool. What came across more though, was the respect shown towards the lake and its historic significance, and how that informed as sensitive an approach to the work as possible. The emotional conflict between romance/mystery and the cold hard facts of saving a rapidly dying fishery was addressed with honesty and frankness. It is something most Redmire fans will, I'm sure, sympathise with. Apparently, there have been naysayers on the issue of restoration but surely nobody could argue against it after reading this article. Redmire pool was in terminal decline and now that decline has been halted, a new chapter begins. Britain’s most historic carp water (and the Leney heritage) lives on.
Mark, I don’t want make you blush but nobody else could have done this. You are, without exaggeration, The Man Who Saved Redmire Pool. You should be rightly bloody proud of that.
Re: Restoration.
Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2018 10:20 pm
by Dave Burr
GregF wrote: ↑Wed Dec 26, 2018 9:03 pm
Just read it. Absolutely brilliant article and eye-opening as to the scale of the project. The quantity of silt removed was staggering from such a small pool. What came across more though, was the respect shown towards the lake and its historic significance, and how that informed as sensitive an approach to the work as possible. The emotional conflict between romance/mystery and the cold hard facts of saving a rapidly dying fishery was addressed with honesty and frankness. It is something most Redmire fans will, I'm sure, sympathise with. Apparently, there have been naysayers on the issue of restoration but surely nobody could argue against it after reading this article. Redmire pool was in terminal decline and now that decline has been halted, a new chapter begins. Britain’s most historic carp water (and the Leney heritage) lives on.
Mark, I don’t want make you blush but nobody else could have done this. You are, without exaggeration, The Man Who Saved Redmire Pool. You should be rightly bloody proud of that.
What he said. I couldn't have put it better
Re: Restoration.
Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2018 1:16 am
by Skeff
Thanks for the kind words gentlemen... Much appreciated.
Re: Restoration.
Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2018 11:36 am
by JPC
GregF wrote: ↑Wed Dec 26, 2018 9:03 pm
Just read it. Absolutely brilliant article and eye-opening as to the scale of the project. The quantity of silt removed was staggering from such a small pool. What came across more though, was the respect shown towards the lake and its historic significance, and how that informed as sensitive an approach to the work as possible. The emotional conflict between romance/mystery and the cold hard facts of saving a rapidly dying fishery was addressed with honesty and frankness. It is something most Redmire fans will, I'm sure, sympathise with. Apparently, there have been naysayers on the issue of restoration but surely nobody could argue against it after reading this article. Redmire pool was in terminal decline and now that decline has been halted, a new chapter begins. Britain’s most historic carp water (and the Leney heritage) lives on.
Mark, I don’t want make you blush but nobody else could have done this. You are, without exaggeration, The Man Who Saved Redmire Pool. You should be rightly bloody proud of that.
Nice post Greg.
Just read Mark's piece myself, superbly written and hugely informative. How anyone could criticise what was being done just totally defeats me and I for one am delighted that bloody eyesore of a fallen oak was removed !
Re: Restoration.
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2018 12:12 am
by GregF
I’m with you regarding the oak, John, although I never saw it in situ, only in photos. It was probably great fun sitting out on it having gudgeon matches and I reckon I’d have enjoyed that too, but it shouldn’t (and couldn’t) have become a permanent fixture. I was looking at the ‘bishop ferrule stopper’ on my James S/u and thinking wouldn’t it be great if some talented folk out there could use the wood to make similar fishing-related items or maybe even something grander. Float boxes, catapults, carvings of Clarissa, the Bishop etc from Redmire oak would be very collectable I’d have thought. Could help raise a bit of cash to assist with the pool’s maintenance as well, maybe... just thinking out loud.
Re: Restoration.
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:02 am
by Dave Burr
GregF wrote: ↑Sat Dec 29, 2018 12:12 am
I’m with you regarding the oak, John, although I never saw it in situ, only in photos. It was probably great fun sitting out on it having gudgeon matches and I reckon I’d have enjoyed that too, but it shouldn’t (and couldn’t) have become a permanent fixture. I was looking at the ‘bishop ferrule stopper’ on my James S/u and thinking wouldn’t it be great if some talented folk out there could use the wood to make similar fishing-related items or maybe even something grander. Float boxes, catapults, carvings of Clarissa, the Bishop etc from Redmire oak would be very collectable I’d have thought. Could help raise a bit of cash to assist with the pool’s maintenance as well, maybe... just thinking out loud.
A fellow member did make some ferrule stoppers from that very tree Greg. I have one, or at least I think I have, I may have left it on a rod I've sold
I'll have to have a look around
Personally, I liked the tree. A fallen tree is an excellent safe zone for pressured fish and I thought it added something to the overall view of the water. I do however, see that the restoration was about taking it back to its glory years when the tree was erect. I wouldn't argue with any of the decisions made in the restoration, Skeff and his team have done a fantastic job.
Re: Restoration.
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2018 11:45 am
by Barbulus
Here you go GregF .............as if by magic .....all made by a TFF Member from the Redmire Oak ......"The Redmire Chess Set" of ferrule stoppers for my various ageing MkIVs to celebrate not only the pool and the fallen Oak generally but specifically the old carp that used to be there and which were named after the pieces of a Chess Set ............ all the 5 pieces were turned from a single piece of the Redmire oak and carved then mounted onto the remaining piece of Oak I had retrieved from my first visit to Redmire a few years years ago. A further broken Oak branch was subsequently then sent to another TFF Member whose own story it is to tell of what he then did with this part of our carp fishing heritage ............... and no, "The Redmire Chess Set" is not for sale !
Re: Restoration.
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2018 5:58 pm
by GregF
They are wonderful pieces Barbulus, something to treasure for sure. I knew a few bits had been made, my own stopper (by St. John) is also from that tree. Dave, I think it might have once been yours as it came with a rod that had passed through your hands. Likewise, I’m not planning on selling it. I wasn’t really thinking of existing pieces, but that there’s a lot more wood there that could be put to good use. It was just an idle, late-night thought really, possibly a silly one or perhaps something that’s already been considered, I dunno.
Re: Restoration.
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2018 6:26 pm
by Troydog
This is a stunning thread. All credit to Skeff and his team. What intrigues me is why the pool deteriorated so badly over the last thirty years. What happened to the pool in the years before the halcyon days of the fifties and sixties? I mean those guys could not have done such radical restoration work as Skeff. I mean what was the lake like in the 1940’s and why didn’t it deteriorate then?