Fishing, Football, Mopeds and Punk Rock !

1976 was a great year, I was asked to leave the 6th form due to lack of interest in anything Sandown Court Secondary Modern had to offer. The year before saw me do rather badly in exams, hence the extra year of punishment. How could anyone expect to do English GCSE on the 16th June? I recall walking home from Bowman's pond in Pembury and getting to school just in time. Fishing was fast becoming a major part of my life. Unbeknown to me, just two years previous, John Beverley, who was a bit older than me, was also a pupil at Sandown Court before he left to become Sid Vicious.

A provisional licence and a brand new Yamaha FS1e moped saw my early morning sessions become easier. Bayham Abbey, near Lamberhurst was one of my favourite venues, especially the stream coming out of the lake. I wasn't supposed to be there of course, but at dawn, I could hide the moped in the woods, and get under the boathouse and fish the lake which was strictly out of bounds. It was this area that was known as "Poacher's Path" and unless there was someone on the other side of the lake, no one knew I was there!

My first job was making tea 3 times a day for 20 train drivers at Orpington station. The weeks wage of £16.50 went towards getting much needed new fishing tackle. I got a 13' Sealy Blue Match, which at about £25 was an expensive rod at the time. The 7 lb "Little Samson" spring balance had served me well in my formative years, but I always wanted a set of the more reliable Avons. I think these were £4.50, money very well spent. They lasted nearly twenty years before I replaced them.

I'd started supporting Brighton & Hove Albion in 1971. The recently acquired moped obviously came in very handy as I could work, fish and go to the Goldstone all in the same day. "Peter Ward" was my hero, and I was very lucky in seeing most of his games for the Albion.  

Music was also very important. The emerging punk scene was by the end of the year, a pivotal part of my life. The first punk single I purchased was "New Rose" by the Damned, and I have requested this song to be played at my funeral, even though I don't intend on dying just yet. 

With so many distractions, I could easily be forgiven in letting angling take a back seat for a while, but during the summer of 1976, I probably did more sessions than in any year, before or since. I was practising speed fishing for Roach and Gudgeon at Dunorlan Park and would often get over 100 fish in two hours. I never got into Carp, sitting around waiting for a fish that might never feed was not my thing.

It was bloody hot that summer, although one August night when we fished Bayham, proved to be unbelievably cold. There was a dew frost at dawn, I can't remember catching, but found my way into the church to warm up, leaving my best mate Kevin Fowler shivering on the bank. Later that day, Gary "Bunny" Neuman and Anthony "Plug" Crampton turned up and by midday, boredom set in, leading to a very silly game to see who could lift the biggest cow pat. I refused to enter, Bunny had a finger of shit, Plug did two, and then Kevin put both hands under the whole pancake!

Another memorable session saw me arrive at Bayham at dawn when I wasn't supposed to finish work until 07:00. I'd had three good Tench, a 2 lb 8oz Chub and a Roach of 1 lb 6oz all whilst still being paid by British Rail. This was to become a regular occurrence during the next four years. I'd love to find the time to do it all again. How I squeezed so much into my teenage years, I will never know?