Bomber Command memorial unveiled…

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Betty's Tea Room York, Bomber Command Memorial, Green Park, Halifax, Her Majesty The Queen, Liam O'Connor, Phillip Jackson, Poppies, Sculpture, Sergeant Leslie Charles Hazell

Bomber Command memorial sculpture by Phillip Jackson – Photographs copyright Gary Hazell

Yesterday saw the unveiling of the Bomber Command memorial designed by Liam O’Connor in London’s Green Park, with over 6,000 veterans, their families and relatives of those who died it was a moving occasion. After the unveiling of the bronze sculpture created by Phillip Jackson of seven crew members by Her Majesty The Queen and Prince Philip a Lancaster flew overhead and released thousands of poppies from its pay load doors which in turn covered the rich green grass of Green Park where children rushed to pick them up.

Waiting to count them in…

This memorial is a most fitting tribute to all of the 55,573 service men and women that sacrificed their lives from 1939-1945,however this memorial was long over due.

I wondered if my stepfather took the time to go yesterday as his father, Sergeant Leslie Charles Hazell, was as I detailed in yesterday’s post, a Pilot of a Lancaster of 9 Squadron out of Waddington, I hope he did go.

Bomber Command memorial

My young son stood in the playground of his school and watched the planes that took part head North West in the skies after having dropped a tribute of thousands of red poppies. I will take him up to see the memorial this weekend as I know the sculptor Phillip Jackson and I want my son to see the magnificent sculpture that forms the focal point of this memorial. What is also fitting is that the roof is made of aluminium from a downed WWII Halifax.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/raf-bomber-command/9364148/RAF-Bomber-Command-memorial-poppy-drop-seen-from-the-air.html#

On the subject of fishing, my son found a large carp on the foreshore of the Thames near Small Profit Dock in Barnes. Interestingly enough I had been notified earlier in the day bu Jeff who had seen this large fish on the grey stone shore. Having not seen it myself I can’t comment as to what size it may be but from the photograph my son showed me must be a good 9-12lb plus.

Mitchell v J W Young Ambidex…we will remember them.

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9 Squadron, Abu Cardinal 54, Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, Bomber Command Association, Bomber Command Memorial, Daily Telegraph, Duisbrg, Green Park, Hyde Park, J W Young Ambidex, Lancaster, Lincoln, Mitchell 300, RAF, Sergeant Leslie Charles Hazell, Waddington

A recent conversation about what was the better vintage carp fixed spool reel resulted in mixed views . On a more in-depth study several reels came to light but from the old school type there was a preference to the Mitchell 300 reel over the J W Ambidex which was seen as a cheaper alternative.

Ambidex Mk 2

Having never owned an Ambidex it would be wrong for me to pass a judgement but several well-respected anglers do show an affection for the British made reel. The Ambidex 1 and 2 with their half bail arm and metallic olive livery have a following but most seasoned carp fishers I know fish with an Ambidex Mk 6 that came in a metallic Kingfisher blue. When asked as to why they prefer the Mk 6 it was for the pur when retrieving. The Ambidex was well made if slightly heavier than its French competitor.

Over the years the Mitchell has become a sought after reel for those that prefer vintage reels to their more modern counterparts. Without overlooking the respected Abu Cardinal range were the Cardinal 54 and 55 have their place in the hall of fame.

The Ambidex 1 and 2 came to the market in 1959 the very year I was born. It was precision made from the best alloy available, had a left or right hand wind by an easy change handle and had an adjustable tension check by adjusting the front of the drum. Later versions like the Ambidex 1FP had additional features and a compleat bail arm. The Ambidex 3FP had a folding handle and a reverse line stop. The Ambidex 4 then had a 3 1/2 : – 1 winding ratio, helical gearing provided superb and silent transmission by all accounts. It also had increased line capacity and improved streamline design to the body.

These reels were to be frequently seen on the river banks and lakes of our pastoral landscape. J W Young were a dominant force in reel manufacturing having supplied reels to other brand names before the Second World War and then after 1946 decided to trade under their own brand name. During the war years they supplied parts to the aviation industry and notable point supplied the brass surround for the Spitfire gun firing button. It is interesting to understand the relevance of some of the UK’s manufacturers who turned their skills and workforce to the war effort, the machine shops making parts for fighter planes and bombers. You can still find apprentice made reels on auction sites such as eBay, beautifully made centre pin reels are testament to their skills.

Today sees the unveiling of the Bomber Command Memorial at Hyde Park Corner where after many years of being the Force unrecognised for their sacrifice during the War, where over 55,573 gave their lives both in the air and on the ground. My stepfather’s father Capt. P/O Segeant Leslie Charles Hazell, aged 32 of 9 Squardron was one of those who gave their life and may be detailed on the Memorial. He was a Lancaster pilot based out of Waddington in Lincolnshire. He was killed on 20 December 1942 along with all his crew, Sergeant Edward Arthur Gardiner, Flight Engineer, Sergeant William Thomas Miller, Sergeant Hubert Thomas Tatley, Sergeant Charles Harry Sidney Brooks, Sergeant Emrys Frederick Sharples and Sergeant Eric Wilson Walker. They were on a raid on Duisburg when in darkness they collided with another Lancaster W4259 of 44 Squadron and both planes fell to the ground on Bracebridge Heath. The average age of the other crew piloted by Pilot Officer Vincent Noel Giri was 21, Elgar, McCready, Easton, Gunter, Harmston and Jackson were all 20 years of age.

At least now there is a Memorial to ever remember them. As said by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris,’There is no parallel in warfare to such courage and determination in the face of danger over so prolonged a period…such devotion must never be forgotten’.

See http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/rafbombercomand also http://www.bombercommandmemeorial.co.uk for todays features on the event.

I know Pilot Officer, Sergeant Leslie Charles Hazell is burried in Barkingside Cemetery, Ilford, Grave No. 2879. My younger son see’s his great grandfather as a hero. Having seen the BBMF a few times now he is in awe of the Lancaster especially knowing that his grandfather’s father flew one, at an appropriate moment I will take him to Barkingside as I know he would want to say hello.

During the 60’s the British tackle manufactures found business tough. Facing increasing competition from overseas and with a lack of ability to redesign and retool many manufactures found that they were loosing out. Mitchell of France were making high quality reels along with brands such as Abu, favoured by many is the Mitchell 300 a great all round fixed spool reel and one that I have used for many years and still do to this day. The Mitchell 300 were well and on that point all Mitchell reels. If you have one it is probably still working or if not you can contact James Partridge of Jims Reel Shop and he will sort it out.

Mitchell 300

Until I can get my hands on an Ambidex it would be unfair to say which reel is best to fish with but for carp fishing I use my Mitchell 300 or an Abu Cardinal 54 with a Shimano 5010 GTE Baitrunner in the bag as well. It would be good to hear back from you fishermen out there as to your views so feel free to comment.

Go West…God Save The Queen…

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France, Go West, God Save The Queen, henley on thames, Henley Royal Regatta, Kings Road, River Test, Sex Pistols, The King Is Dead, Wimbledon

On a bright Wednesday in June, now being the 27th day of the month I note that the tides are right for a little bit of fishing. The only thing stopping me is the pressure of work but I still know the tide will be right for at least an hour on the river bank. It is also Wimbledon week and the start of Henley Royal Regatta.  So if you are interested to mingle and drink, the Regatta is a great experience. See http://www.hrr.co.uk for details, the fireworks on Saturday evening are a must.

Having travelled West to Henley-on-Thames last night to meet up with a group of old friends of which half were keen fishermen it wasn’t long after the initial meet and greet that the conversation swung round to fishing much like a fly or float in the current. The other half of the table discussed past relationships, good and bad and took pitty on those that had come off worse for their dealing with the opposite sex.

Over 20 years ago I had the pleasure of fishing with ‘Edge’ and his father being their guest on the River Test. I recall one trip to the river near Stockbridge on the Compton Manor Estate where just before breaking for lunch we saw a large brown trout held up beneath a small footbridge across the river, it probably weighed in at a good 3 to 4lb, keeping station in the current and occasionally opening its mouth to take in food. After lunch Barry, James’s (Edge) father thought it would be amusing to tempt the brown trout we had seen earlier by dangling a fly over the edge of the footbridge, to his surprise the trout pushed up through the water, took the fly then all hell broke loose. To this day that image of Barry working out what to do makes me smile.

My other friend present at last nights meeting was Rupert, a confident character who has packed his bags and now resides in France but had decided to head back to our old stomping ground for the Regatta week. Clearly the only thing he was fishing for this week was a string of pretty ladies. Previously Rupert and I had fished Blagdon Lake in the West and on our last trip bagged a good size brown trout that took his fly from the surface. Having moved to France, Rupert now has a sizable lake and a stream on his property. There were some amusing stories told but good to see him happy and enjoying the manual work that managing his estate provides him with.

God Save The Queen by Keith Haynes

Before I head West this afternoon I thought it would be good to share the image of the work by artist Keith Haynes who recently exhibited at an exhibition to celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee. The exhibition was held at the Belgravia Gallery in Mayfair and featured works by Prince Albert, The Prince of Wales and Lord Snowdon, here was a true celebration of all things connected to the Monarchy.

For me the  highlight, however, were the works of Keith Haynes. Haynes is a graduate of the Harrow School of Art, Haynes exhibited a series of works inspired by both The Queen and the Sex Pistols that were to some kitsch but collectible. Priced at £350 each and limited to editions of 100, these inspiring works represent a great way to remember this historic event. They also reminded me of my time studying at the London College of Printing where the age of Punk had its influence and I remember memorable days down the Kings Road and the music by the Sex Pistols, Paul Weller and the Jam.

As I think of heading west, the duo Cox and Drummie come to mind. They were Go West who’s music use to reverberate around the studio. Tracks like Call Me , Dancing On The Couch and The King Is Dead remind me of the past and my early days in the design world. Peter Cox and Richard Drummie set out in the music business around 1974 then it wasn’t till 1982 the year I graduated did they get any form of hit.

Well time to head West now…

Then there were three….

Tags

Abu 1044, Bass, Bream, Itchen, River Thames, Sussex Coast, Test, Trotting, Whitewater

It was just after lunch by the time I got out to walk by the river. In the distance I could see three figures, these being Brian, Eddie and Jeff, Jeff was wadding out up to just above his knees.

Before the rain

The weather was much the same as it has been all month except today you could see the rain sweep up the river in bands. Where I was standing it was dry but where the guys were fishing the water was alive with droplets from the sky. As I made my way towards my fellow fishers across the stone covered shore to my right I could see the fresh water from the rain pour out the outflows and create streams down to the river. The fresh water ran clear and there uncovered from the silt was an old clay pipe. The shore is littered with fragments of old pipes so to find the odd whole pipe is becoming harder these days. This one probably survived as it was part buried in the silt of the river.

Brain checking his maggots

Brain was standing in his favoured position and trotting a float down in the margins using his preferred Abu closed faced reel as it was windy. These vintage Abu 1044 are dependable in these condition. For many these are the only reels to use in windy conditions when trotting .

Jeff and his bream.

Jeff on the other hand had taken up station at the end of a shallow bank which has been formed by the currents. It drops away quickly so you need to be cautious when fishing this mark.

Using a similar set up to Brian, Jeff was fishing slightly heavier end tackle but using a fixed spool reel and experienced the issues related to flicking the bail arm over and then getting wind knots in the line. This however didn’t stop him from hooking into a nice Thames bream which put a good bend in his rod.

Jeff fishing at low tide

We may complain about the weather but the upside to all the rain is that it has cleared the Thames and many of the rivers in the South of England are now in a much better state. Some have said that the current conditions for the start of the new coarse fishing season is one of the best for many years.

Jeff and I discussed the options of fishing the Itchen, Whitewater or Test with thoughts of a spot of fly fishing, then came the subject of fly fishing for bass on the Sussex Coast so no doubt there is plenty of fishing to take up our spare time.

Thingamabobs and whatchamacallits…

Tags

Chub, efgeeco, Fishing, Met office, River Thames, The Creek, The Feltham Piscatorial Society, Trotting

Fetham Piscatorial Society

Under mottled skies from which light rain fell as predicted by the Met Office my son and I headed off to fish The Creek, a water controlled by the Feltham & Twickenham Piscatorial Society. The walk from the car park to the river amused my son as the grass was taller than he was. Delicate damsel flies weaved their way among the tall stems of grass momentarily stopping to close their indigo coloured wings.

Searching for fish near the crooked tree

My son stood on top of a steep bank and searched the surface of the water for signs of fish. The river cuts through pastureland before it rejoins the main course of the Thames. The banks now deep with nettles and ither vegetation give good cover so you don’t end up spooking the fish. Here and there are gaps in the bank-side vegetation where you can cast and trot under overhanging trees, bushes and to the far side in oder to temp a fish to take.

A Creek chub

There was a good swim which was full of chub, the water that flowed slowed before gaining pace again and from under a willow where evening duns could be seen coming off the water the chub sat. A flick of the top of the rod was enough to get the float in the right part of the swim to get a fish to take a well presented maggot.

It wasn’t long before my son had his first roach of the day with what was his second cast, a beaming smile said it all. As the light started to fade so did my sons ability to concentrate and he soon found it more exciting to delve in the old Efgeeco tackle box and look for thingamabobs and whatchamacallits in hope that adding these to the line may result in more fish being caught, by this time I too had decided it was time to call it a day.

If you are heading out to fish tomorrow you may want to check the Met Office weather forecast….rain for sure http://www.metoffice.gov.uk

Fish on Friday…

Tags

Allhallows, Ambidex Mark Six, Bass, Chatham Docks, Crabs, Crustaceans, Dabs, Fish and Chips, Flounder, Isle of White Festival, J W Young, Kent, Kent Coast, Oyster Catchers, Oysters, Peelers, Sea Bream, Southend, Summer Solstice, Thames Estuary, The Pilot, Whitstable

Allhallows

With another week wrapped up under grey skies I hope the weekend may bring a little sun in order to do some fishing. A cold wind blew in late yesterday evening as I strolled along the shoreline of the Thames Estuary near Allhallows with my young son. We found a path near to The Pilot pub which you can walk through the gate at the bottom of the hill into a field, which is full of inquisitive cows, then head towards the marsh grass on the far side and over the flood bank where a path runs both East and West.

Bass and sea bream fishing is now on the agenda but with such changeable weather we feel we’ll stick to the Thames and the lakes in order to address my son’s appetite for catching fish. He did however manage to tuck into some fresh cod, double cooked chips and peas for his supper.

Having not been to this part of the North Kent coast before other than to visit Whitstable in the past it was interesting to see the shore was littered with crustaceans, rocks covered in sea weed and beneath the rocks on the shore at low tide, crabs. I was surprised how clean the shoreline was as we watched oyster catchers and other wadding birds busy themselves. My son took time to turn over large stones and rocks in search of crabs, with a shriek he would let me know when he had found one and would point at it with a stick he had picked up off the shore. He had been finding loads of peelers scattered in the debris from the high tide.

The flats looked good for dabs and flounder and no doubt schoolies would be in amongst weed covered rocks at high tide. The shoreline was mixed with weed covered rock, banks of crushed shells and sand flats between the wooden groynes.

We used the visit to the Chatham Docks to have a look around the North Kent coast to see if there were any good bass marks. From All Hallows you can see across to Southend, which boasts the longest pier in the UK. My son was keen for us to go there to fish but we would need to do that another day.

With this Friday being the first day after the summer solstice where I hear young revelers are up to their knees in mud at the Isle of White Festival, the nights start to get shorter. We however will take refuge in the dry and in great tradition have fish this Friday for supper.

Tomorrow I may head out early in the morning to Wimbledon Car Boot Fair in search of a second-hand J W Young Ambidex Mark Six spinning reel. These vintage reels along with the ubiquitous Mitchell reels used by traditionalist for carp fishing are well made and date from the late 50’s, the Mark Six was made from 1962. Their blue paint finish is distinctive from the Ambidex 1 or 2 in metallic olive.

On the drop…

Tags

Avon float, B James Kennet Perfection, Bream, Chub, Dace, Okuma Kennet, Okuma Sheffield, Perch, Roach, Sliver Fish, Youngs Rapidex

Finally it has stopped raining and that means there is no excuse for not packing a small bag of tackle, my B James Kennet Perfection rod and my trusted Youngs Rapidex in order to head off to the river in search of roach, chub, dace, roach and perch.

The small back waters of the Thames are ideal locations for silver fish.

Carp on the move

What I did see on my way home was a large carp in a location in West London that we keep quite about in order that they are not disturbed or fished for and taken from the water. Its large mass was seen just beneath the water where the afternoon sky was reflecting on the surface film of the water. It swam gracefully across the from the reed beds and out towards to island only changing course to avoid the webbed feet of a mallard making haste to a scrap of bread.

Recent catches were taken on the drop and within the margins. As soon as the bait had hit the water and started to sink, fish would come up take the bait and head off. I’m surprised at the eagerness of the fish to feed as I would have thought with all the rain we have had that enough food and insects had been washed into the river that they should be pretty full….clearly not.

After the other evenings fishing trip the conversation continued about line guards on reel and the pros and cons. My Trudex had a line guard but my Speedia doesn’t, neither reel has proved to be troublesome to use but we did note that Eddie struggled with his new Okuma Sheffield, which doesn’t have a line guard and seems to be favoured by anglers over the Okuma Kennet which does. Have any of you fishermen out there got a view on this and the performance of the Sheffield over the Kennet as I was debating on getting an Okuma but have decided not to jump into acquiring one just yet?

I think I will just stay with my vintage collection of center pins, as they say ‘better the devil you know’.

Fifty Shades Of Grey….

Tags

Chub, Dace, Fifty Shades Of Grey, Maggots, Okuma Sheffield, Reds, River Thames, Roach, Sunset, Trotting, Vintage homemade floats

As the sun set Eddie and I took to the river. With the sun now hidden by the hedgerow on the opposite bank, the water now a deep indigo, with rivers of gold where the remaining sun cast the last of the evening light, all you could see of the stones beneath the water was their mixed sizes in fifty shades of grey.

Dusk on the Thames, Eddie fishing with his new Okuma Sheffield

Eddie was trying out his new Okuma Sheffield reel and trotting, occasionally his float would bob beneath the surface but this was from the wind pushing his float too close the shore and the bait would get caught on the stones beneath the waves. Both of us were fishing vintage floats but wish we should have been fishing a lighter set up. Having baited the water we were in hope of a few dace or roach but none were to find their way to our baited hooks.

The the river running with little ripple, the shadows of the trees and their reflection made the evenings adventure picturesque. Only the occasional rise of a small fish in the margins would break the mirror like surface. Maybe tomorrow we may have better fortunes especially as our fishing companion Brian reported that he had caught two reasonable size chub the evening before.

Time to catch the tides…

Tags

Father Day, Fishing, Lunch, Sea Bream

Sea Bream on the menu…

For some of you out there it will be Fathers Day, a day to share memories and thank your Father for all the support and in many cases for teaching you to fish. If you are lucky enough to catch an hour or two on the water before a Fathers Day lunch all the better. So to all those fathers out there enjoy your day.

I wonder what is on the menu…

Tales from the tacklebox….

Tags

Albert Sivyer, Barn Bacon Company, Barnes, Feltham & Twickenham Piscatorial Society, Shimano baitrunner, Sivyer Lake, Sun Inn, Tales From The Tacklebox, Waggler

With the sun streaming through the bedroom window the 16th of June looked like a promising day. At 8am I set off to help out at the farmers market and cook bacon butties for the Barn Bacon Company from Nottingham.

After a reasonably busy morning the afternoon had been earmarked for a trip to the river to fish on the first day of the coarse fishing season. After the last weeks rain the River Thames was simply running too fast to contemplate fishing for silver fish so the decision was made to head to Sivyers Lake, the lake is named after Albert Sivyer, the Feltham Piscatorial Society’s Chairman for thirty eight years. See http://www.felthampiscatorials.co.uk

Feltham Piscatorial Society

A trip via Twickenham to get some fresh bait was in order and I was grateful for the help from a fellow fisher who advised me on what bait to purchase as carp fishing is relatively new to me. Pellets and sizes confuse me but the advice I was given was sound and respected. Also later in the day it was to be proved to be the best advice I could have been given, so I am most grateful.

As late afternoon approached we arrived at the water of the Feltham & Twickenham Piscatorial Society near Sunbury. Upon arrival I asked some seasoned anglers as to how the lake was fishing and having taken note of the strong wind decided to fish the smaller lake where the wind seemed to be less prevailing, especially as I had my young son with me and his friend.

With a barbless hook and a couple of red maggots suspended from a self cocking waggler float an instant take from a roach started the afternoons fishing, followed shortly afterwards by a repeat performance.

Peg No 8

Having observed the surface of the water one could see the movement of fish so I cast slightly further and with success we hooked into a carp that took us on an interesting journey, this time my Shimano baitrunner took the strain and after a few minutes we landed a fabulous carp, the grin on my son’s face said it all.

A fine carp

We cast again to see if we could catch another but after some gentle knocks we decided to head home and call it a day. My son requested that we stop off at the Sun Inn in Barnes in order that he could have a bowl of chips, a lemonade and watch the football and take in all the atmosphere.

After the football we headed home and read ‘Tales From The Tacklebox’ from cover to cover by Jason Whiteley, my son loved it and so should you.