Dick Walker and Ravioli

[EricW]

Dick walker was the first angler who inspired me when I was a youngster and I look back on those days with an immense feeling of gratitude and pleasure. How I wish those early days, when any carp was a great achievement, a double was a prize and a twenty a dream, were still here.
Looking back however, I am filled with mixed emotions, because it was he, my hero, who set the snowball that buries us now, rolling down the hill. We now live in an age where carp are ten a penny and where anglers are pictured in standard pose with their specimen fish not daring to smile in case it looks like they aren't taking it seriously enough. I've just deleted half a page from the bottom of this post because it had turned into a rant, but in truth I'm not really that angry about it as much as sad for what has gone. Pictures and memories like this and the pages of this forum are a welcome respite. Maybe I'm just old now.

[Ian.R.McDonald]

Dick walker was the first angler who inspired me when I was a youngster and I look back on those days with an immense feeling of gratitude and pleasure. How I wish those early days, when any carp was a great achievement, a double was a prize and a twenty a dream, were still here.
Looking back however, I am filled with mixed emotions, because it was he, my hero, who set the snowball that buries us now, rolling down the hill. We now live in an age where carp are ten a penny and where anglers are pictured in standard pose with their specimen fish not daring to smile in case it looks like they aren't taking it seriously enough. I've just deleted half a page from the bottom of this post because it had turned into a rant, but in truth I'm not really that angry about it as much as sad for what has gone. Pictures and memories like this and the pages of this forum are a welcome respite. Maybe I'm just old now.

The fishing world has gone mad- I have seen someone proud of catching over 800lbs of carp in one session. And adverts for a water pump that sits by the water and gives you a piped supply to wash hands etc!

But all is well! We have this lovely forum to escape to.