I fished many matches as a junior, I just tried to work out how long ago and I ran out of fingers, doesnt time fly,

Well as a junior I fished many matches during the school holidays all arranged to keep us deliquants off the street I done well the first year winning the Enfield borough champs and that got me into this sport big time.

I was asked to fish for Edmonton and Tottenham my first ever club by Ron Oliver, The first meeting I attended I was asked to fish the LAA Thames Championship, this back in the late 70's early 80's was a seriously huge event, and beleive it or not a rover lol

well to say I was overwhelmed by the whole day would be an understatement from memory it was 300 anglers per section and I drew about 10 from last away on my section,

I walked and walked for what seemed like hours not looking for a good peg just looking for a peg, I walked from Chertsey bridge all the way to Shepperton lock cut where I finally found an opening, I dont have a clue what happened to the guys behind me as there wasnt any pegs left,

Anyway I set up the pole they were in early stages of development back then fibreglass heavy and not very long, as im plumbing up I heard this croaky old voice say to me "you won't catch much there son" I later find out this was Reg Cook the late LAA Boss, the whistle went, and away we went, I fisherd for gudgeon down the edge and bleak on the whip, you know what its like its a numbers game at that age your only interested in putting as many as you can in the net to beat your mates

I caught steady , one a chuck in fact the colour had the small fish in a frenzy, I kept looking to my right, the point on the main river ( the fliers) and all they were doing was looking at me

The final whistle, Im happy I caught around 600 fish, and I had a real bad middle two hours, along come the scales, and I remember Mr Cook walked right past me to the guy on the next peg and some guy shouted "you have to weight the young en in"
it was like I wasnt in the match anyway along comes the scales,

Back in them days you had a card filled in name, club, weight and amount of fish
I pulled the net out and his face was a picture, " where did you get them from" he asked, then followed with " I aint counting that lot" I cant remember my weight but I framed in the LAA Thames Champs and won the juniors by a mile, I still have the silver rose bowl.

Sadly despite many a letter from some top anglers the LAA refused to pay me my winnings on the grounds I was a junior and not old enough to gamble which essentially is what it was deemed doing at the time when paying your pools.

Needless to say I wanted more, I have fished many LAA events over the years and won money in quite a few but none even come close to seeing Reg Cooks face and hearing those words
" Where did you get them from"

Memories Memories

The walk back was a breeze I was on cloud nine I could have carried the tackle of guy next to me as well.